Many leaders wonder why they should hire a professional facilitator when they regularly lead meetings and make presentations. They wonder if the expense is worthwhile and whether it would be more cost effective and efficient to do work themselves.
Although facilitation is a skill every leader likely has to varying degrees, the reality is that no leader can do everything or be an expert in all areas. Every leader’s time is valuable and should be spent setting the long- and short-term strategic direction for your employees, planning and/or assigning work, managing tasks and collaborating with others. Many leaders simply don’t have the time to dive into planning meaningful meetings or training; nor is there time to conduct multiple group sessions to get work done.
Wisdom Within’s facilitation services have helped organizations get more done in meetings by assisting with coordination, creating perfect setting for a productive event and creating experiences that move groups forward toward their goals.
Our facilitation services benefit you by:
Providing Structure to Get More Done: Wisdom Within will brainstorm with you to determine the best agenda flow and activities to get your event moving and we’ll provide you with the materials needed to make it happen. You’ll spend your time as efficiently as possible and get more done by the end of your meeting or training.
Managing Details: Wisdom Within will help your business handle details by either taking care of tasks or by coaching you on what needs to be done to hold an effective event. With our help, you can be ready for anything.
Encouraging Full Participation: We know that it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to participate in a group process when you’re trying to lead the group. Hiring a professional facilitator allows everyone to fully participate in the process or event at hand. Professional facilitation also ensures that group dynamics are productive and ensuring everyone is able to be heard.
Improved Problem-solving and Creativity: A professional facilitator can design experiences that encourage problem-solving, decision-making and creativity from all members of the group. As more members feel ready and willing to participate, they will often find creative ways to solve problems or address challenges.
Reducing Stress: Unproductive meetings are stressful as are meetings with poor communication among participants. This type of stress can increase poor or negative relationships within the work unit. A professional facilitator can reduce stress by focusing on goals, forward action and effective communication as well as skill development.
No. Often, the best facilitators are NOT subject matter experts in the particular industry or line of work of their clients. However, a good facilitator should be familiar with the context of your work and organization as well as the outcome you’re seeking in order to guide the group to the best possible deliverables. Neutrality, curiosity and a willingness to question assumptions while being also being willing to seek understanding are more important skills for facilitators to possess.
You should be prepared to talk about the following things with any facilitator you plan to work with:
These questions are great conversation-starters for any facilitator you plan to work with:
Professional training instructors understand adult learning principles and how to make learning “stick”. They also understand how to structure learning experiences where people actually practice skills they will need to use in their work. Hiring a professional instructor allows you to spend time doing other things while being assured your staff is learning valuable skills to improve your organization.
Our training services benefit you by:
Assessing the Needs of Employees: Whether it’s a formal needs or gap assessment of your employees or an information assessment during a learning event, a professional training instructor can assess the current and needed skills of your employees and make recommendations on the best learning intervention.
Creating or Reviewing Materials: Wisdom Within can assist in creating and/or reviewing training materials to ensure that employees are learning skills that will be applicable after the event. We also ensure the integrity and fidelity of the teaching methods.
Encouraging Full Participation: Hiring a professional training instructor ensures that everyone fully participates in the learning process. Professional instructors also ensure that all learning styles are incorporated in the event so all participants benefit.
Reducing Stress: Unproductive and boring training sessions are stressful and lead to disengagement. This type of stress can increase poor morale and low productivity A professional training instructor can reduce stress by focusing active learning that keeps class participants engaged and applying new skills.
We can design a training experience for you or use your existing curriculum. We can also take a curriculum of your choosing and adapt it for your organization.
Most training content and methods are customizable for the needs of your organization. We’ll discuss options with you as we work together.
Wisdom Within, facilitation, Training and Consulting can provide in-person training, virtual training or a combination of both, depending on the needs of the organization, the skills to be taught and the objectives of the event. Give us a call or send an email to begin exploring the possibilities.
Yes. Wisdom Within has particular expertise in training of trainers. We can help your instructors be better trainers or we can help them master a particular course with fidelity.
Our subject matter expertise includes:
Simply send us an email at cindy@wisdomwithinftc.com or give us a call at 404-783-8633. We’d love to hear about your needs and ideas.
Fees are individually negotiated with each client based on their needs and the scope of the work. Projects may be proposed at an hourly, half-day or daily rate. Some projects may be proposed at a base rate for all aspects of the project.
Payment for all invoices is expected within 30 days of receipt.
Currently, Wisdom Within Facilitation, Training and Consulting accepts payment by check, ACH/ETF deposit, and popular payment apps. We will soon accept payments online by credit card.
Lead time depends on the scope of the project. Larger or more complicated projects require as much lead time as possible. Smaller projects can be accomplished with as little as 30-days notice.
