ToP Facilitation Methods: Leadership Online Intensive

Participants learn and practice facilitating three powerful Technology of Participation (ToP) Facilitation Methods – the ToP Focused Conversation, the ToP Consensus Workshop and ToP Action Planning. The course incorporates virtual tools, reference materials, and personal coaching to increase collaborative leadership capacity. This nine-session modularized course over three weeks provides ample practice time to apply the learning at work.

Leading effective teams requires developing a culture that honors all contributions and creates a safe space for participation. This is the essence of the Technology of Participation (ToP). ToP Facilitation Methods are structured to assist groups to achieve shared awareness, shared agreement, and turn ideas into actionable plans they own. In this online course participants learn to facilitate three powerful ToP Facilitation Methods – the ToP focused conversation, the ToP consensus workshop and ToP action planning in any setting – whether face-to-face or online. The course incorporates tips, virtual tools and reference works to increase participants facilitative leadership capacity. This modularized course over three weeks includes pre-session assignments and instructor coaching to support practicing and applying methods learned between the sessions.

Participants strengthen their leadership skills and effectiveness by learning proven facilitation methods to:
• Achieve group participation in both virtual and face-to-face meetings
• Skillfully lead an exchange of ideas and make critical decisions together
• Design and facilitate focused conversations virtually and in person
• Develop shared agreement while honoring all ideas
• Build specific group plans and strategies that result in committed action
• Apply participatory methods in your world with practice opportunities and coaching
• Engage and inspire team members and staff in creating practical and creative solutions
• Build confidence in leading team projects and facilitating respectful conversations
• Save time and increase productivity using effective virtual collaboration tools
• Discover how to achieve consensus in a day or less while involving everyone

This course is designed for individuals who want to deepen their capacity and confidence to use ToP Facilitation Methods in their work in an interactive online learning approach. We’ve created a video to describe the approach – View video
• Live demonstrations by three expert ToP instructors who are also certified ToP facilitators
• Hands on facilitation practice, discussion, and coaching
• Participation in a small 5-6-person supportive learning cohort
• Individual reading, presentation, reflection, and evaluation

The Agenda

Designed in 2.5-hour segments covering content, design, practice and feedback.
In this 9-session course over three weeks, participants focus on one method per week:
• Week 1: ToP Focused Conversation
• Week 2: ToP Consensus Workshop
• Week 3: ToP Action Planning
Typical meeting days are Monday and Friday.

Note: The three methods above may also be taught in individual courses and purchased as separate courses.

Format for each week of instruction:
Session 1 (Monday morning): Understand the method.
Prereading, method demonstration, theory discussion. Consider opportunities to apply method to real life situations.
Session 2 (Monday afternoon): Design the Process.
Using selected applications, learn design and facilitation processes in preparation for personal practice before next session. Receive written coaching feedback on design.
Session 3 (Friday morning): Reflect on Process Facilitation.
Reflect on your experience of facilitating your design, consider alternatives, learnings, areas to build upon and further applications that resonate in your world.

The Course Includes:
• Reading, discussing, designing, feedback and the experience of facilitating one’s designs provides an intensive pathway into learning and applying ToP Facilitation Methods, whether working face to face or online
• State of the art learning platform
• Nine 2.5 hour sessions – three focused on design and practicing each ToP method
• Individual coaching on session designs, private and in writing, between sessions
• An 86-page comprehensive course manual
• Two resource books: The Art of Focused Conversation and The Workshop Book
• Small learning groups of six participants led by expert ToP instructor
• Practice in an online virtual setting
• Templates for design and reflection for all three methods
• Access to course materials for six months after course completion
• Certificate of completion
• Resources and templates to ensure your future success
• One hour of complementary facilitation coaching after the course

The more you participate, the more you get out of the course. This is an interactive, engaging course.

You should expect to spend:
• Nine 2.5-hour online sessions over 3 weeks
• 1-2 hours of reading, design, and reflection weekly
• 20 minutes – 2 hour practice of newly acquired skills, on your own, to share with the group

Course Length: Nine 2.5-hour sessions over three weeks.
Participants: Minimum number is 10. Maximum number is 15.

Course Fee:

To see all ToP public courses and prices available through the Institute for Cultural Affairs in the USA (ICA-USA), click on this link:  https://www.top-training.net/