Singapore Facilitator's Conference 2011

1 September 2011 Thursday Full day Large Group session

FIVE QUESTIONS THAT CHANGE EVERYTHING - A framework for Group & Organisational Transformation by John J. Scherer & Amy Barnes

Until recently, John Scherer's 2008 book, FIVE QUESTIONS THAT CHANGE EVERYTHING, has been a phenomenally effective framework for personal development—even transformation. But after many experiences with clients in several countries, it has become clear that those same questions are also a powerful way to diagnose and address group and organisational situations.

In this full-day intensive workshop, John Scherer and Amy Barnes are going to lead us through the Five Questions, engaging us in applying them to current and/or past clients, revealing new processes of facilitation in our work. By the end of the day, we are likely to have insights about our client, about their system, and about ourselves as facilitators/consultants.

2 September 2011 Friday Concurrent Breakout sessions

A1-NOT KNOWING: THE SECRET TO CREATIVE FACILITATION by John J. Scherer & Amy Barnes
Each one of us has a unique capacity for dealing with the unknown and the unknowable. True creativity is only
possible when we enter into unfamiliar territory where our previously tried and tested solutions will not work and we are forced to come up with something completely new in response to the situation that presents itself.

As facilitators, our effectiveness in enabling creativity to occur in groups and organisations is largely determined by our appetite, skill and courage in `holding the space'. When we risk not knowing and `trust the unfolding', something unexpected and unique will emerge, often surprising the group—and you.

A2 - TECHNIQUES FOR FACILITATIVE TRAINERS TO IMPROVE LEARNING PRODUCTIVITY by Loh Teck Kwang

It is especially difficult to engage participants in learning for content heavy topics. More often than not, trainers focus on covering the content as faithfully as possible. Content coverage however does not translate to actual learning & knowledge retention. The techniques shared in this workshop were born out of the need to keep learners engaged and motivated, and to enhance the learning and knowledge retention of learners.

We will explore different techniques on how we can use prior knowledge, fun activities, reflective techniques, reviewing techniques to help participants create meaningful learning moments. This workshop is also designed as a platform for everyone to share ideas on how to make learning more effective.

A3 - THE TAO OF COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATIONS by Audrey Goh

The TAO is an ancient Chinese term that refers to the watercourse-like flow of nature. Flowing water never tries to batter its way through an obstacle, but finds its way around and through. Though the TAO flows gently, without contention, it is energetically engaged. This workshop offers a way of conversing that is energetically engaged. This session is for anyone who has ever tried to talk to a colleague, friend or family member, only to end up frustrated, alienated, or hurt. It need not be that way! We can all learn to overcome the combative or disengaged conversation styles that we commonly witness around us and experience the joy of exploring new ideas with others, deepening personal relationships, and releasing untapped creativity in our personal and professional lives.

B1 - DYNAMIC STRATEGY – SUSTAINING EXCELLENCE AND AGILITY by Denise Wright

This workshop offers a fresh look at how to mobilise groups in a collaborative and ongoing way towards an inspired shared future and shared, agile leadership to fit with today's world where we constantly deal with navigating change. Based on insights from open systems theory, emergence theory and more, this workshop synthesises Appreciative Inquiry and Solutions Focus principles to shine a light on and amplify core assets and strengths, basically whatever works well, whilst moving forward towards our preferred future.

B2 - THE OPERATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY ROADMAPPING (OTR) by Jeffrey Pan Seng Peng

The OTR program from A*STAR (derived from Cambridge University's T-Plan) has now been adopted by more than 200 companies since its inception in early 2000 in Singapore, as a way of helping them plan their future strategic direction, linking their business drivers with products and service offerings. Based on an recent independent survey, all the companies have benefitted from this program in many ways, for launching new products, secure stake holders' buy-in on the company's strategy or devising ways of embracing new technologies. Under the hands of an effective facilitator, company management teams are now able to achieve consensus and are more confident to invest into their long term future. The OTR has been applied to companies from all sectors, some of which are Electronics, Infocomm & IT, Industrial sales and Services amongst the others. This 3 hours workshop will introduce participants to the OTR process and allow hands on of participating facilitators to generate a simple first cut roadmap.

B3 - THE EVEREST CHALLENGER™ by David Lim OR a member of Everest Teambuilding

Designed by David Lim, workshop leader, author and leader of the 1st Singapore Mt Everest Expedition in 1998, the Everest ChallengerTM is the world's first table-top simulation for leadership and team learning. Equipped with limited resources, and bound by constraints of time, weather and other teams' plans, participants will attempt to place as many of their members on the summit of Mt Everest in this engaging half-day simulation. The Everest ChallengerTM has been licensed across the world, includes licensees such as FEDEX's Global Leadership Institute, University of Georgia's MBA programme and National Taiwan Sport University.

Download SFC 2011 Brochure and Register at www.fns.sg

The Consensus Workshop Method

The Consensus Workshop Method is the second most important facilitation process for any facilitator.

The method taps into the wisdom of the group and creates common ground among participants against a backdrop of diverse opinions, values and perspectives. The consensus reached at the workshop enables the group to forward its conversation.

The workshop embeds the question that seeks multiple, agreed-upon answers. For example, “What are the challenges you faced when dealing with customers?” At the end of the process, the facilitated group will have generated and considered a number of possible answers to the question and come to an agreement on several of them.

The five-step process begins by:

Creating the Question where Answers are Needed – This is a relatively complex process which may involve the person who activated you to facilitate the workshop. In the discussions with your ‘client’, you determine the purpose of the workshop and the expected outcome.

After the discussion, I discovered my ‘client’ wants to know the top three challenges his staff is facing when interacting with its customers. He wants to use this knowledge to acquire the most appropriate customer service training programme for his company of about 100 staff.

So, the question that needs answers is “What are the challenges you faced when dealing with customers?”.

Generating Answers for the Question – Here, the staff is invited to dig into their individual knowledge pool to provide answers for the question. There are many techniques that could be deployed to increase the efficiency of answer generation among the staff.

There are also rules of engagement for this step:

• This is an individual exercise
• Enter a answer on a slip of paper
• No debating or evaluating of answers
• Quantity is more important than quality

Gallery Walk – Next, the facilitator invites the workshop participants to look at the answers that are pasted on the wall. The objective of this step is to encourage them to create more answers by building on the answers of others. So, it is a good idea to ask them to bring along with them writing instruments and slips of papers when they begin on their gallery walk.Grouping Answers into Clusters – The facilitator lead the facilitated into the next step of the process by organising the participants into small teams and inviting them to group similar answers into clusters. Depending on the available time, two teams could be formed to do this part of the exercise.

Naming the Clusters – A third team is organised and tasked to analyse the groupings to create an agreed-upon header for each of the cluster. All the clusters have been named.

Voting to Reach a Consensus – voting is a decision-making tool that enables a group to sort through a long list of answers to identify priorities. This is an individual exercise and no discussion between participants about their vote is encouraged to ensure it takes on democratic and participative path. Because the delicate nature of this final step, the facilitator needs to identify some criteria to guide the vote so that people don't vote at cross purposes. The criteria used for deciding on the vote could include one or two (no more than two to avoid making the exercise complex):

• easiest items to complete
• lowest cost items
• first items in a logical sequence
• most important items
• most innovative items
• most important to the customer

The participants could vote more than once. This is a decision of the facilitator based on the number of clusters already identified.

At the end of the process, the facilitator leads the group into a conversation on the resolve of executing the next appropriate step.

Practice makes perfect. Good luck.

This article was written by Anthony Mok on 14 Aug 2008.
Copyright 2008. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.

Defining Facilitation - Facilitation is Unlike Others

It is important that we understand the true nature of facilitation and the characteristics of a facilitator in order to differentiate this role from those of teachers, trainers, coaches, advisors, and consultants.

Only when we could define what facilitation is could we then be able to avoid doing things that could hurt the facilitated event and the final outcome arising from the event.

So, what is facilitation?

Bens (2005: Facilitating with Ease) suggests that 'facilitation is a way of providing leadership without taking reins'.

This is different from leadership. According to Smirich and Morgan (1982: Leadership - Management of Meaning) ‘leadership is about the 'management of meaning’, and that leaders emerge because of their role in framing experience in a way that provides the basis for action; that is, by mobilizing meaning, articulating and defining what has previously remained implicit or unsaid, by inventing images and meanings that provide a focus for new attention and by consolidating, confronting or changing prevailing wisdom.’

So, the leader gets involved in the conversation to lead the team while the facilitator stays out of the conversation all together but lead the team in another way.

And who is a facilitator?

A facilitator is someone who skillfully helps a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve them without taking a particular position in the discussion.

The facilitator will try to assist the group in achieving a consensus on any disagreements that pre-exist or emerge in the discussion so that it has a strong basis for future action.

There is a discription of faciliation in Chinese.

Source: China Facilitation Network

A Reflection on Facilitation

Hock Meng, the IAF Singapore Country Representative (2009), FNS Forum Manager(2009) and IAF Certified Professional Facilitator has these to share about faciliation:

A chance meeting with a friend in Nov '08 led me to an opportunity to do some sharing on what I’ve been doing for the past year. Being open and receptive to facilitation, he invited me to conduct a 1 day facilitative training workshop for his fellow mates in his community.

I thought about it for over a week and decided to let the participants do a short exercise of Tai Chi as an opener. When asked about what the team has learnt, the participants responded with, “Fluid, Co-ordination, etc...”. I reflected on the experience and drew many similarities between Tai Chi and the skills of facilitation. Here are a few of them.

One, the root of the two skill sets is derived from “Ease”. Facilitate came from the Latin word “Facillis”, which means ‘make easier’. My experience with practicing Tai Chi Chuan tells me that the execution of the moves is to be completed using energy derived from the core muscles. When facilitation is well executed, the result is one where the group feels that they had cleared the obstacles of working together with ease and that they did it all by themselves. When Tai Chi Chuan is well executed, the master uses the ease of tapping the power of his opponent to defeat him.

Two, both art forms are fluid and they flow with nature. A master facilitator reads the situation as it develops and makes adjustments to the process agilely to adapt to the changing nature of the discourse found in facilitated session. The Tai Chi master transits seamlessly and effortless between moves. Both masters are equipped with a big inventory of “moves” and ability to improvise to extract the necessary response from those they interact with.

Three, coordination is a must for both. Facilitation is planned in such a way that the atmosphere generated by the set-up of the venue, encompassing nature of the facilitation methodology used, and expanding capability of the equipment deployed are coordinated to deliver the desired outcome. Tai Chi Chuan involves a lot of hand and leg movements that can be coordinated to deliver that killer strike at a moment of notice.

Lastly, both skills seek balance. Facilitation, in totality, involves two general processes - divergence and convergence. These processes provide the participants the space to hear the viewpoints from others before arriving at a consensus on a particular course of action. One flows into the other. Tai Chi has two interrelated parts - “Yin” and “Yang”. The moves, in general, are stable; the left-hand movement is balanced with the right leg movement and the right hand movement follows after the left leg movement. All moves are executed with balance in mind.

In summary, when a facilitated session is well executed, the group is at ease in handling issues together. The session is smooth, seamlessly coordinated and balanced.

So, what is the belief system of a facilitator? Here is an attempt by my trainees trying to answer this fundamental question:

This article was written by Anthony Mok on 28 Jul and Updated on 23 Oct 2008 and 5 Jan 2009.

The portion entitled 'A Reflection on Facilitation' was written by Hock Meng and edited by Anthony Mok.

Copyright 2008. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.

The Flip Flop Debate Workshop

Introducing and using a safe space process for working with polarized issues & views -The Flip Flop Debate

An exploration of it's application to a topic that impacts people, organisations and society. "Do Values Really Matter? Can't we do without them"

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Title: The Flip Flop Debate Workshop
Date: 8 Aug 08 (Fri)
Time: 8.30am-5.30pm
Venue: Orchid Country Club, Singapore(http://www.orchidclub.com)

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Process perspective: Facilitators, Teachers, Trainers, Supervisors, Managers, HRD & OD professionals, Community Leaders, Change Agents, Activists, and anyone who needs to work effectively with strong and polarised views and/or gain strong group engagement.

Content perspective: For those who need to work with Values in organizational settings and who both seek to heighten participant engagement with the topic and also wish to broaden their own understanding of the dynamics involved in this.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

1) Understand and have experienced how to design a sequence of processes that take a group on a journey

a) from an initial state of individual/stakeholder/sub-group polarizing views and positions on topics through a safe space to express these.
b) to working with these usefully and gaining a group consensus on ways forward.
c) AND during which people experience looking at the world from 'other's shoes - the 2nd position/perspective'.

2) Obtain insight into where along the participatory processes consensus journey such safe-space processes are useful.

WHAT PEOPLE IN THE KNOW ARE SAYING?

"Excellent Experiential Learning! Many Thanks."
"Everything and I get awakened."
"Tom is a fantastic Facilitator. He ensured Safety. He was focused. Lots of Learning. Thank you."
"The flexibility of the mind & High level of tolerance of opposing views."
"Practical diffusers of polar views & bringing convergence."
"The experience. Being influenced to the other side myself."
"The methodology of sharing done by the Facilitator"

WHO IS THE WORKSHOP FACILITATOR?

Dr Tom Schwarz helps organizations, teams and people unfetter and realize their aspirations and potential - focusing around facilitative leadership and management development, and team effectiveness and creativity - as keys to enhanced organizational agility and performance.

He is a Certified Professional Facilitator (International Association of Facilitators - IAF), CPF Assessor, IAF Board member and IAF ANZ Regional Representative with broad formal and informal facilitation, training and Consulting background and experience. These are derived from corporate roles (over 20 years with Dec, Apple, HP - Training, Consulting, Sales, Marketing & Strategic Planning) and then running his outcome focused practice over Asia Pacific - with almost a decade of living in Asia -Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai. His company group - Kinnogene - uses participatory and values based approaches to bring about enduring change. These are grounded in the core values embodied in such practices as Future Search, World Cafe, the Technology of Participation, Improv....

Tom has facilitated at many Australia and Asia IAF and AFN conferences - his Asia Pacific partial client list includes the Australian NRM Facilitator network, the Royal Australasia College of Dental surgeons, Arup (Australia), Seimens, Danone, Maersk, Andarko, Kodak, Pirelli etc in interventions and capacity development roles. He also contributes to the NGO sector - and in 2006 worked with the ICA (Institute of Cultural Affairs) as part of a 7 man team to assist and capacity develop East Timorese NGO and Government bodies, and with AIESEC youth leadership development in China.

WORKSHOP INVESTMENT

*Early Bird Registration (by 1 Jul 08)
IAF Members S$350
**Non Members S$450

After Early Bird Deadline (after 1 Jul 08)
S$550 for IAF and Non-IAF members.

*Overseas registrants paying by bank draft or TT, please add S$30 for bank charges in Singapore

**IAF membership is USD85 per year for developing countries and USD175 for high income countries. In East Asia; Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Macau and Singapore are classified as high income and the rest of Asia as developing. Singapore members pay the Affiliate rate of USD165 as the local Facilitators Network Singapore (FNS) is affiliated to IAF.http://www.iaf-world.org

REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

Online at: http://www.fns.sg
Payment by cheque to:
Facilitators Network Singapore Pte Ltd10 Anson Road#03-09 International PlazaSingapore 079903

REGISTRATION ENQUIRIES

Tel : (65) 9099-4655 or (65) 9833-3515
Email : admin@fns.sg

Kuching IAF Conference (27-28 Aug 08) - List of Concurrent Workshops

11th Annual IAF Asia Facilitator Conference

The Savoury Spices of Facilitation!

Kuching, Sarawak

August 27-28, 2008

Damai Puri Resort & Spa, Sarawak, Malaysia

Information Provided Here May Change without Notice
Official Registration Site is Now Opens

Registration site open now - early bird ends 31 May 2008

Download Conference brochure at http://www.iaf-world.org/files/public/Kuching%20Conf%202008.pdf

Register on-line at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=OPCMbMpIkNKdLZd4pKPg7Q_3d_3d

Workshop 1: Creating a compelling vision through EQ – Ms. Amy Wan-Ratos

A compelling vision is one that makes us wake up positive every morning and look forward to a spicy day of learning and achieving. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is tapping on our innate goodness and sense of right to ensure a fair, exciting and sustainable present and future for all. Using EQ skills to obtain the heart and mind buy-in ensures individual and group ownership and commitment to the vision.

This workshop seeks to showcase a process to create individual visions and align the individual to that vision through realization of their own powerbase of core values and beingness. With this personal vision, any individual will be a happier person who has a purpose to contribute to their families, organization and society. Amy will also do a quick demonstration of how to align individual visions to a corporate vision.

For more than ten years, Ms. Amy Wan-Ratos has helped many corporations in the region to create visions and core values that are compelling with EQ buy-in, proven by the fact that these organizations have propelled themselves to greater heights in their industries even with the 1997 economic downturn. She is also actively helping non-profit organizations to create and sustain their visions. Amy is certified by Six Seconds USA to teach their EQ workshop.

Workshop 2: Making Sense of Our Cultural Dimensions at the Global Workplace! – Dr. Asma Abdullah & Ms. Lily Lau

The influence of values and specifically how our cultural conditioning has contributed to the way we learn and facilitate both formal and informal learning interactions is not often understood and discussed. This two hour session will highlight the need to understand the hidden dimensions of culture and how they are demonstrated at the global workplace to drive work-related behaviours. Both presenters who have worked together are involved in an on-going research to develop an activity-oriented approach to make sense of cross cultural differences. By using the 16 cultural dimensions and picture cards, participants will draw out their own values and meanings that are often difficult to express. This understanding is vital especially when working in multicultural project teams. Both facilitators will share their own case studies as well as have participants describe their own critical encounters as they face cross – cultural challenges when working face to face and/or virtually with members from different cultural orientations.

Dr. Asma Abdullah

Dr. Asma Abdullah is a regular speaker at both local and international conferences on the influence of culture on management. She has written numerous articles and authored 3 books (Understanding the Malaysian workforce, Going Glocal and Understanding Multicultural Malaysia) on the influence of culture on management. Currently, she works as a free lance consultant involved in cross cultural orientations and coaching for both Malaysian as well as foreign managers from USA, England and Canada working across cultures.

Ms. Lily C. L. Lau

Ms. Lily C. L. Lau, Director of Culture Dynamics, is an accredited trainer of Directive Communication™. Born and bred in Kuala Lumpur, Lily Lau is multi-lingual, fluent in English, Japanese, Chinese and Malay languages. With 18 years of consulting experience in PricewaterhouseCoopers in-charge of Japanese organizations, Lily Lau has provided advice and expertise on cross-cultural management communications and facilitate the development of synergistic solutions among managers from different cultures.

Workshop 3: Adding creative flavours to your facilitation – Ms. Carol Wilson & Mr. Simon Wilson

How do you encourage groups to be creative if it isn't their usual way of working? What do you do if the solution doesn't just `emerge'? How do you, as a facilitator, help groups find their creative energy to achieve their goals?

As facilitators we are often called in when an organization or groups' current way of working is not producing results. A more creative approach is often the solution but groups can be resistant if it is outside their comfort zone. This session will provide you with a framework for adding creative flavours to your facilitation and gives you the opportunity to explore two different approaches that can be customized to suit any group.

Carol Sherriff and Simon Wilson are Certified Professional Facilitators and directors of a facilitation company in the United Kingdom. Their sessions at IAF conferences in Europe, Asia and North American have been widely appreciated. Their approach is participative, creative and fun. All the techniques and approaches introduced in this session directly map to the IAF competencies.

Ms. Carol Sherriff and Mr. Simon Wilson are Certified Professional Facilitators and directors of a facilitation company in the United Kingdom. Their sessions at IAF conferences in Europe, Asia and North American have been widely appreciated. Their approach is participative, creative and fun. All the techniques and approaches introduced in this session directly map to the IAF competencies.

Information Provided Here May Change without Notice

Workshop 4: Modelling Positive Professional Attitude – Ms. Rebecca Twitchell & Mr. Jess Kraus

The group you are facilitating is only as trustworthy as you, the facilitator. If you are not trusted as a facilitator, say goodbye to a worthwhile session with your participants. If you cannot personally demonstrate a specific trait, then there is absolutely no chance you should expect to find it within the group itself.

This workshop is actually three-fold through three easy steps. The first step in encouraging trust within a larger group is to exhibit it yourself. Once you gain the trust of the group, it is up to you to trust them back. The mere fact that you have won their trust will help give you the confidence to trust back. Once you prove (and show) this to the participants, the next phase comes even easier. Once trust has been established the room will ooze of it, thereby allowing the participants to have trust in one another. This workshop is for those facilitators who can do away with the noise and unhealthiness of difficult participants, who can concentrate on reality and can have a group walk away from a session feeling completely together on a topic and inspired by trust.

Ms. Rebecca L. Twitchell graduated from the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse University with a degree in Public Policy. She later went on to further her education at the University of California, San Diego with studies in Marketing. Thanks to the relationships she has encountered throughout her life, whether through the endless conversations with her patrons while tending bar or co-teaching strategic planning classes with half full, llc clients looking for strategic planning support, she, like Kraus and Bowman, is a connector of people and seeks fulfillment in helping people overcome their own personal and / or professional obstacles.

Mr. Jess F. Kraus - a graduate of Cal State University, Kraus holds degrees in mathematics and chemistry. In his spare time, Kraus manages to continue his tenure as a 12-year member of Vistage and a 10-year member of YPO. Kraus has served in the Coastal San Diego Chapter of YPO as Assistant Education Chair (3 years), Co-Membership Chair, Special Events Chair, Education Chair and is currently the incoming Chairman of the Chapter.

Workshop 5: TEXTRA! Read All About it! Never give another presentation! – Mr. David Chard

In this past-paced session, participants will learn a dynamic and fun method to enable a group of people to rapidly become engaged with any topic that is important for the success of the particular facilitation exercise. TEXTRA! is a well-tested methodology to use when it is important that all participants are aligned on a body of "Subject Matter" to be able to continue with their work.

The big advantage of TEXTRA! is that it ensures participants are keenly engaged in the topic and will be well aligned on the key distinctions related to the topic or theme participants are working on.. The workshop will be a live demonstration in which participants will learn the TEXTRA! facilitation process by actually doing it.

David Chard is a US citizen from the state of Kansas who has lived and worked in Asia since 1976. A graduate of Kansas University and the Stanford Centre at National Taiwan University in Taipei, Chard is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. His career experience includes major work in advertising, marketing and public relations and he currently serves at Edelman Public Relations as Regional Director of the Asia-Pacific Edelman Academy, an intensive regional training program for Edelman's PR professionals in Asia-Pacific. During his career as a communicator, Chard has had a parallel interest in training, facilitation and coaching and uses these skills extensively in his work. His expertise includes: Action Learning Methods, Group Facilitation Methods, Open Space Facilitation, Large Group Facilitation, Ontological Coaching and NLP Coaching. Chard recently completed his NLP Practitioner certification at the Performance Institute of NLP, and is also a certified Hypnotherapist. Chard lives in Taipei with wife Pats and son James, 15.

Workshop 6: Introduction to Future Search: An exploration into the future of facilitation in Asia – Mr. Mark Pixley & Ms. Karen Lim

• Understand the theory of Future Search and the underlying principles


• Experience of using major aspects of Future Search on a relevant question


• Know when Future Search is appropriate and how to undertake preliminary planning


• Have a deeper understanding of the facilitation in Asia and future scenario

This will be an intensive, interactive program introducing the Future Search process and collectively exploring the Future of Facilitation in Asia.Future Search is a large group planning process used in a wide range of corporate and community situations to allow intensive dialogue and transformational change.

Ms. Karen Lim is currently in the process of translating Future Search: An Action Guide to Finding Common Ground in Organizations & Communities into Chinese.

Mr. Mark Pixley

Mr. Mark Pixley is a member of the Future Search Network and has used the Future Search process in corporate and non-profit planning programs in China.

Workshop 7: Mix your Spices – being empowered by Interpersonal Skills! – Ms. Annette Moench

• What makes a good facilitator becoming an excellent facilitator?


• Techniques? Experiences? Contact...YES, but…There is more – Authenticity and Empowerment!


• For being authentic and empowered the awareness and knowledge of your own personal skills set is the spice for you!.

The highly participatory workshop encourages you to reflect your personal behaviour by using the Interpersonal Skills Wheel. It is fun to find out, e.g. what are my typical communications patterns? What motivates me to interact with others? Why are conflicts a threat to me? What are my stress triggers? Experience the Interpersonal Skills Wheel through brief presentations, small group exercises and personal reflection loops. After this first spicy bite you will feel the difference of personal empowerment, self-motivation and its beneficial impact on teams and organisations. Take away additional learning about your personal behaviour, the behaviour of others as well as spiced knowledge of an excellent facilitator.

Annette Moench is a trendsetter is the field of holistic and value-oriented transformation activities in multinational companies, non-profit organisations as well as for globally active managers. She has worked for more than 17 years in international markets and has run multicultural projects in 30 countries. Annette is a certified Trainer, Executive Coach and Facilitator (IAF member) and has facilitated Events up to 1000 participants. She is managing director of Moench networks – life & business transformation – located in Germany and Australia.

Today embedded in an international network of professionals she is passionate about empowering people and organisations to live their potentials. Therefore Annette adapted the interpersonal skills program for Universities and innovative companies worldwide to help young people to apply their personal behaviour in future roles and positions.

Workshop 8: Facilitating Inspired Change – Ms. Denise Wright

Coaching is the art of facilitating inspired commitment and change in others to develop greater awareness, responsibility and results. Coaching is an essential leadership skill for unleashing the best in people. During this session participants will interact with some core coaching skills, powerful concepts and models that they can apply right away in their work, business and personal lives.

• Understand how coaching works to facilitate inspired change


• Put into practice some core coaching skills


• Facilitate / lead a coaching conversation

Ms. Denise Wright is an Executive Coach (ICF accredited) and Facilitator (IAF member) working with organizations, teams and individuals across Asia and beyond to facilitate leadership, team and organizational development and inspired, positive change. She brings a true passion for her work, a stretching and supportive solution focused approach together with rich Asia-based global corporate experience of 18 years.

Workshop 9: Possibilities Creation – Spice up our Multiple Intelligence! –Ms. Lim Hong Li

Learn to engage and spice up your multiple intelligences to create ideas that bring about greater possibilities!

• Learn to apply multiple intelligence for possibilities creation


• Mine precious insights through external stimulus


• Formulate possibilities

Ms. Lim Hong Li is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF). She has about 7 years experience in facilitating quality management projects, team bonding, creativity/innovation programmes, orientation learning/discovery journey and retreat programmes for public and private sector organisations, public run workshops and conferences in Singapore and Malaysia. She has also facilitated at various Facilitators' conferences, forums and events. She is currently the IAF Country representative for Singapore (2007-2008).

Workshop 10: Debriefing skills are essential for facilitators – Ms. Jill Chivers

Debriefing skills are essential for any facilitator. This session will explore the essentials of creating meaning and lasting value out of group processes, exercises, games and activities. If you've ever run a session and were left wondering what it all meant, then you can be sure your participants have too. If you can't help participants discover what the implications and applications are, the value of group processes, activities and games is vastly diminished if not completely lacking. This session will help you guide participants through the crucial questions of "so what?" and "now what?"

This session takes us through a process starting with...

• Pre-Briefing – where it all starts. If you set it up from the beginning, it makes it a lot easier to debrief it at the end.... then into


• The Process – an effective model to take your participants along the journey of learning: from doing to reflecting to sharing to interpreting to applying.... followed by


• Debriefing – processes, resources, questions, facilitator-centric essentials. An exploration of some of the many and varied tools at your disposal


• Exercise/s will be used to bring out the magic of the content; this is a chance to play around with what we've explored and discussed.

Ms. Jill Chivers

Ms. Jill Chivers is passionate about and skilled in working with people. Jill's work with people has included the front line through to CEO level and people with diverse backgrounds and cultures. Jill designs and delivers impactful and innovative learning initiatives and events that lead to real shifts in how people think, feel and behave. Her extraverted and energetic style is engaging, and Jill has received repeated feedback that she creates a safe and open learning space that motivates. Jill has an MBA and a Bachelor's in Marketing, she is certified in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) both of which she uses in unusual ways. Jill founded and is the Director of her own company, The Corporate Compass Pty Ltd based in Queensland Australia; she is also a Director on the International Board of the Association of Psychological Type. Jill's background includes 6 years working for a global consulting firm as a change management professional where she helped many people deal with corporate and personal change, and 6 years as a corporate facilitator and trainer, working primarily in the financial and professional services sector, in Australia and internationally.

Workshop 11: Facilitation Flambé is what you create when you use this cornucopia of spices to add zest to your Facilitation – Ms. Nadine Bell

Experience and savor over a dozen flavorful facilitation spices furnished by the facilitator who brings a cornucopia of facilitation spices to the group through brief demonstrations and exercises. Then taste additional spices that will add zest to your basic facilitation ingredients: people, space, design, process, documentation, etc., as the participants in your small group share their own favourite spices with each other. Breathe in the many spices in the room as each group reports the highlights of the spices they tasted and take away a personalized potpourri of spices that will ignite your facilitation and enable you to create your own fabulous Facilitation Flambe.

Ms. Nadine Bell

Ms. Nadine Bell is President of The Burrell Group and has assisted organizations in the private, public, governmental and educational arenas for over 20 years to identify and maximize their individual and organizational strengths and realize their full potential. She specializes in participative processes that are designed to heighten levels of understanding and motivation, improve communications, develop consensus, expand creative problem solving, increase productivity plan strategically and deal effectively with change. Nadine is the only facilitator to hold all three certifications: Certified Professional Facilitator, Certified Master Facilitator, Certified ToP Facilitator and is a facilitator assessor who has assessed candidates globally. She is a mentor trainer of the ToP® Facilitation Methods, co-author of the first chapter of the IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation and Co-Creator of the Consciously Competent Facilitator course which is based on the IAF competencies. Nadine is a founding member and Past Chair of IAF, Chair of IAF's Conference 2002 Texas and has presented sessions at conferences in Canada, Europe, The Middle East, Southeast Asia and the USA.

Workshop 12: Enhancing Learning with Flip Chart Graphics – Mr. Lee Seng Teck

This session aims to demonstrate the importance of articulating information through neat writings and creative drawings. Using appropriate colour combinations, font sizes and orientation of pictures to bring the best out of your flipcharts to evoke the interest and creativity of participants.

• Understand and choose the appropriate material for flip chart graphics


• Create Headers for Topics


• Create Bullets for Points


• Write Legibly


• Enhance Visual Effects using Borders and Shadings


• Draw simple cartoons


• Create flip charts with colourful headers, bullets, borders and shades

Seng Teck is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator. He has conducted many facilitation sessions on Work Safety Enhancement, Business Problem Solving Skills and Flip Chart Graphics Sessions. Seng Teck has also facilitated many volunteer sessions including 'Improving Services in Singapore Public Hospitals and Clinics', Roundtable on Sustainable Palmoil and 'Solutions for Low Income Families. Seng Teck was also awarded the Singapore Ministry of Defence - Work Process Improvement Facilitator Awards in 2006 and 2007.

Workshop 13: Meeting the Mindset Challenge – Ms. Sheryl Smail

In this session you will experience first hand a fantastic tool for facilitating change when quantum mindset shifts are required.

This interactive process uses scenarios, group work, role playing and most importantly fun and laughter to assist participants to broaden their thinking away from the status quo.

• Understand the key principles of the "Meeting the Mindset Challenge" tool


• Describe the tool and the preparatory work required to use it


• Experience the impact on participants when the facilitator uses this tool

Ms. Sheryl Smail, is an experienced business director, manager, mentor and facilitator. An I.A.F. member, she has an MBA, is accredited as a consultant with the Institute of Accredited Business Consultants (NZ) Inc, a member of the Institute of Directors in NZ, and is a LEADR accredited mediator. She runs a consulting and facilitation business Pivotal Professional & Business Services, which is based in Gisborne, New Zealand.

An accomplished facilitator whose areas of expertise include:

• Company governance


• Executive management


• Mediation: commercial; employment; health; general


• Planning: strategic, business and project

Information Provided Here May Change without Notice

Singapore Facilitators Conference 2007 - Discovering the Universe of Facilitation - 1 & 2 Nov 07 (Thursday & Friday), Singapore.

Continuing our journey in space, here are the workshops at the conference:

Topics

1. Facilitating OD Interventions at the Organisational & Societal Systems down from Earth - Stories from around the Globe

2. The Wall of Wonder - A Chronicle of Our Galaxy

3. How to Beam a Facilitation Event at Warp Speed through the Asteroid Belt of Polarised Views and Issues and Phase into "Safe" Space- the `Flip Flop Debate'

4. Orbiting Our Organisations: Exploring the Next Frontier of OD

5. Productive Conversations… Why Are We Trapped?

6. The Facilitator's Galaxy of Magic, Menus, Metaphors & Milky Way!

7. Discovering the Inner and Outer Space - Enhancing Creativity and Collaboration with 3D Visual Thinking Techniques

8. A Galaxy of Cooperation and Consensus

9. Facilitating Change on Planet Business – a Universe of Tools for Lift-Off!

10. The Use of Facilitation Techniques to Promote Accelerated Learning

11. Facilitation Skills in Coaching & Mentoring supported by Psychometric Testing

12. Effective Flip Chart Graphics – Universal Art of Articulating your Creativity

13. Voyaging into the Galaxy of Action Learning

14. Orbiting Our Organisations: Exploring the Next Frontier of OD

15. Navigating Positively in the Work Space : Approaches to Developing Positivism in the Workplace

16. The Facilitator's Galaxy of Magic, Menus, Metaphors & Milky Way!

17. The Way of Harmony with the Universe – Kensankai Aikido Method in Facilitation

These are concurrent workshops and you have to select the ones you wish to attend when registration opens.

Workshop faclitators are from Singapore, Australia, USA, Malaysia, and Philippines.

Venue: Orchid Country Club (Yishun) - http://www.orchidclub.com/

Conference Fees per pax:
S$350 nett (early bird)
S$450 nett (Normal)
S$550 nett (Late)

Watch this space for more details in the coming weeks but keep 1& 2 Nov'07 free or pre-register now at http://www.fns.sg/current_programs.htm to be the first to know when the registration site opens.