Objective:

This is an intensive, learn-by-doing program for selected individuals within an organization who wish to facilitate the creative problem solving process introduced in the Group Creativity and Teamwork or Managing for Innovation courses. While covering many of the areas typically found in a general facilitator training program, it is especially geared to those whose organizations place high value on the ability to come up with innovative courses of action in response to new opportunities or difficult challenges.

Key Outcomes:

For the individual:

• A deeper understanding of your facilitative capabilities and how you can assist your organization in achieving innovative objectives.
  
  
• A higher level of confidence in your overall platform skills. Facilitating an innovation session is more complex than more traditional facilitation; mastering this process will more than prepare you for general facilitation assignments.

For the organization:

• Those completing this program will have meeting management skills that consistently achieve innovative results on difficult challenges and exciting new opportunities.
  
  
• An internal resource capability that enables teams to engage in creative problem solving on a moment's notice - while energy is high - without having to rely upon outside facilitators.

Topics Covered:

• The Dynamics of Meeting Facilitation - How to manage and run meetings to achieve innovative results. The approach is highly experiential, with multiple videotaped practice sessions within the training group, and "actual" sessions with outside groups (usually from another part of the organization).
  
  
• Planning for Innovative Outcomes - How to plan and design meetings to maximize the chances for innovative results and optimal participation.
  
  
• Idea Generation - Learn techniques for helping individuals access their innate creativity, and for the group to leverage their diverse opinions and perspectives.
  
  
• Managing Differences in Groups - Practice working with groups to help them stay open-minded to new thinking. Learn how to manage conflict and gain buy-in from people with different beliefs and needs.
  
  
• Results-driven Meeting Flow - Master the various phases of an innovation session and how to skillfully move the group to its desired objective.

Who Should Attend:

Executives, managers, team leaders, HR personnel who have previously completed either Group Creativity and Teamwork or Managing for Innovation.

Length: 4 days, the first 2 of which must be done consecutively. The remaining 2 days can be scheduled at the group's convenience, although should occur within a week to 10 days.

Class Size: 3-6 participants.

The Innovative Edge, Inc.
Ph: 508-497-9096
Fx: 508-435-8170