Facilitating with Confidence

Are you looking to improve your facilitation skills - either for the presentations you do or for the meetings you lead? Do you want to be more mindful of how social inequities play out and how you can intentionally embed tools and practices within your facilitation style, which will help address these harmful dynamics? This two-day, in-person program is designed to support skill-building through a mix of demonstration, tangible tips, discussion, and hands-on practice to tailor facilitation to your specific audience. 

This program is ideal for employees who may: 

• Facilitate already and are looking to hone their skills; 

• Be seeking skill development to build confidence in their role; 

• Have an interest in presenting at conferences or events, but don’t know where to start; 

• Strive to embody an equity mindset in their facilitation and/or meetings 

Throughout this program, you will be encouraged to identify your personal facilitation style and to gain more confidence despite the discomfort often associated with public speaking. You will also reflect on the role of equity and intersectionality in your work, and build confidence in navigating the discomfort that can arise when privileges are challenged or unlearning needs to happen. This program will culminate in a low-stakes practice opportunity, which will be accompanied by immediate, gentle feedback from the facilitator and peers. 

Intended Audience

All UWaterloo Employees 

Format

Two-day, in-person workshop 

Preparation/Pre-requisites 

If you are interested in joining this program, please complete the expression of interest form by Friday, October 17 at noon to be considered (space is limited).  

Anti-requisites

Completion of the 1-day Facilitating with Confidence and Facilitating with Equity workshops within the last two years. 

Program Learning Outcomes: 

By the end of this program, you will be able to: 

• Recognize the importance of planning, preparation and knowing who your audience is for successful facilitation in which equity practices are intentionally embedded; 

• Discover your own facilitation style and learn to lean into that style with authenticity; 

• Identify tools you can integrate into your facilitation tool kit and to know when different tools are most applicable; 

• Integrate equity and intersectionality considerations into facilitation design and delivery. 

• Implement techniques to address challenging behaviours and maintain constructive group dynamics. 

• Recognize how social inequities and marginalization can manifest in meetings, presentations, and workshops. 

• Build confidence in navigating discomfort when privileges are challenged, unlearning is required, or harm caused during facilitation. 

• Demonstrate new facilitation skills in a low-stakes practice environment and respond to immediate feedback. 

Facilitator(s)

Laura Maple, OHD, Learning and Development Specialist - Employee Development 

John Fedy, Manager, Learning and Development