| Dear Colleague:
We have met through an event facilitated by Helen J. Wythe & Associates or a training session that we have conducted or you have indicated interest in our services. As a result you are receiving this Newsletter - Helen's Hints.
Many of our clients do not have the time to keep up with all the advances in organizational tools such as facilitation, leadership, team building and training. The tips, ideas and strategies you will find in this Newsletter are collected from our career experience, our research, the rich tapestry of ideas that are shared with us by session participants and our vast network of colleagues worldwide.
The essence of Helen J. Wythe & Associates is its unique ability to weave together people and ideas through extraordinary facilitation and training experiences. We invite you to read through this Newsletter which contains various tools, techniques and website links which may be of interest to you.
Please forward this newsletter, in its entirety, to your colleagues, coworkers and friends, because you want to add value to their work lives. Please forward your comments or questions to: info@hjwythe.com . |
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Facilitation Fundamentals & More
Closing a Meeting On A Positive Note
Q. Our meetings seem to just end and people leave
feeling flat. What should we be doing to close our meetings on a more positive
note?
A. There are
different reasons why a meeting comes to an end. Time may run out, or all of
the items in the agenda may be checked off. Some meetings will end earlier than
expected and others will run late. The odd time, a meeting may be cut short due
to an unexpected problem or circumstance.
Regardless of
why a meeting is ending there are six different items that a meeting
facilitator should cover when wrapping up a session. These items can take a
little as 5 minutes to cover for a short meeting to 30 minutes or more for a
day or longer session. Two of these six closing elements are a review of actions and assignments as well as setting the time for the next meeting
and asking each person if they can make it or not (to get their commitment). One of the
most neglected and underutilized element of wrapping up a meeting is closing on
a positive note. A good closing can be just as
important as a good opening. For more on
Closing a Meeting On a Positive Note.
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Leadership Lessons
Risk Management
Q. Our Board of Directors are hearing and seeing the term "Risk
Management" in all sorts of communication. No one is really sure what is
involved. What is risk management and
why should an organization spend resources in this area?
A. Risk Management is a documented system that focuses
attention on the risks and challenges facing an organization in its everyday
activities. A Risk Management Program puts in place a set of procedures that
will help to prevent or minimise the effect of those risks. In
fact, a Risk Management Program could be considered the best insurance an
organization has against a disruption in service that limits and or prevents
the carrying out of the Mission.
Why? Many governments are utilizing risk management as a tool to hold
transfer funded agencies accountable for the use of taxpayers dollars. If your organization has not yet developed
and implemented a Risk Management Program it is in jeopardy of a crisis
occurring which severely limits the organizations ability to carry out its
mission.
The biggest reason Boards of Directors should actively embrace a Risk
Management Program is that it makes good business sense. Board of Directors
have been elected and or appointed on behalf of the community responsible for
governing the organization in a manner which ensures appropriate services are
provided at a value for funds.
To take a free
basic Risk Management on Governance Activities and receive a score with one
suggestion to improve your organization Risk Management Program and/ or to learn more about Risk Management. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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The Trainer's Toolkit
Reflective Learning
Q. What is reflective
learning and how can I include it my training sessions?
A. Reflective learning is an ongoing process in
which participants take time to examine their experiences, to reflect on those
experiences, to think how things might be different, to think through these
possibilities and to try out what seems to be the best option. Reflective
Learning is an internal process when people examine and explore an
issue seeking to create and clarify meaning which results in a
changed conceptual perspective. It is considered by most in the field of
training to be central to understanding the experiential learning process.
Research and study reveals a four stage pattern
that all people go through while in the reflective learning process. This
process is automatic, routine and intuitive. The critical aspect of the
reflective learning process is when the facts or features do not fit the usual
pattern then a SURPRISE is said to occur.
Creating a culture of reflective learning within a
training session requires the trainer to be both intentional and focused while
weaving both tools and techniques into the course. To read more about the Reflective Learning
process.
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Team Building Tips - There is No I in Team
Why Isn't Our Team Making Decisions Effectively and
Efficiently?
Q.
Our team has had trouble making decisions and when we do make a decision
following through on implementing the decision. Can you provide some tips on
where we might be going wrong in our decision making process and how we might
improve in this area?
A. Decision making is a core skill of management. People make decisions
when they are faced by opportunities or problems and there are choices about
what course of to take. Organizations must be both efficient and effective in
their decision making even more so in today's challenging times.
Over the past decade many organizations have shifted from a top down to
more of a shared decisions making mode. In times of crisis most people and
organizations revert back to former ways of doing things at the time when they
most need to be consultative and collaborative during the decision making.
Many people and teams struggle when it
comes to taking decisions. This struggle is due to many factors. The most
significant factors are: Fear of failure; Limited or nonexistent use of a
structured approach; Procrastinating and Not being clear on the task at hand.
Take
this free Team Decision Making Assessment, receive a score with one suggestion
to improve your decision making process and / or to check out the rest of this article on Team Decision Making.
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Thank-you, Meegwetch, Merci,
HelenHelen Wythe Certified OSW Coach, Trainer and Facilitator OneSmartWorld
Certified Professional Facilitator, International Association of Facilitators IAF
Certified Technology of Participation (ToP) Facilitator and Trainer ICA |
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What's New!!!
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Assessments, Quizzes, Surveys and Polls
We are pleased to announce that HJW & Associates now supplies a new value added service for its clients: assessments, quizzes, surveys and polls. The information provided by these tools will identify: a) which courses will assist you with developing your KSA. Learners have found completing pre-course assessments extremely beneficial in aligning their learning objectives with the appropriate training session.
b) how HJW & Associates meeting facilitation services will assist your organization achieve desired outcomes and deliverables. We have found it extremely efficient and effective to collect input from meeting participants in advance of an event. |
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Upcoming Events
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Thunder Bay, Ontario
June 8 & 9, 2009
October 26 & 27, 2009
Winnipeg, Manitoba
November 16 & 17, 2009
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Winnipeg, Manitoba
December 10 & 11, 2009
Edmonton, Alberta
May 25 & 26, 2009
Thunder Bay, Ontario
June 11 & 12, 2009
Edmonton, Alberta
September 21 & 22, 2009
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Edmonton, Alberta
November 4-7, 2009
Thunder Bay, Ontario
April 27 & 28, 2009
Winnipeg, Manitoba
November 19 & 20, 2009
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Commercial Seed Analysts Association
Community Forum 2009
Recreation Connections
Regional Health Authority
Business Analyst World Symposium
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