Training Seminars
Highly interactive training and discussion for practical learning.
Want to help your group establish a more collaborative culture and get group decisions made more efficiently? Learn collaboration theory, tools, and techniques in a dynamic training seminar from Craig Freshley.
Craig’s seminars provide in-depth learning, audience interaction, and even an opportunity for group decision making right on the spot, right in the moment. Craig doesn’t just bring you answers; he helps you arrive at your own answers. He even provides participants with a write-up of the results; the results that the group created!
Learning together as a decision-making group helps not only with the issues at hand but with new issues as they arise. Craig specializes in training based on your specific needs and likes to work with your real life issues.
If you are going to invest in training, why not actually
solve some of your problems at the same time?
See our clients’ results here.
What You Get
We typically provide four phases of service, as follows:
1. Planning
We begin all our projects with a planning meeting to discuss objectives, scope of work, logistics, and other considerations. Ideally this planning meeting will occur in person with a small group of people who know the project and the desired outcomes. Craig will ask, “What do you want to achieve? What would success look like?” Answers to these questions will help Craig design a customized agenda, typically 1-3 hours long. We will revise the agenda in collaboration with you to make sure it meets your objectives.
2. Preparation
We prepare handouts, charts, slides, signs, and other materials as appropriate. Within reason we make and bring all handouts to the training. We also provide supplies such as name tents, markers, and tools for brainstorming, multi-voting, tabletop surveys, and team-building activities as needed.
We want to make sure that the room is set up as ideally as possible to achieve the objectives, and we will often coordinate directly with facilities staff. We will become familiar with the meeting facilities and we will set up the training room. We typically bring all our own equipment such as easels, computers, projector, screen, etc. We arrive on site 45-60 minutes in advance to do all room set-up.
3. Facilitated Training
In all his training seminars Craig demonstrates collaborative practices such as good listening, thoughtful reflection, open-mindedness, and identifying emerging themes from the group. We bring to our trainings the same four essential functions of high-quality facilitation that we bring to all our work:
- Provide Structure
- Encourage Participation
- Reflect the Group
- Move the Group Forward
In addition, during trainings Craig typically shares his own knowledge of the subject matter, and often reviews other expert opinion as well. We try to find the right balance between “presenting” and engaging participants to draw out their own wisdom and perspectives.
We use a variety of techniques – whole-group discussion, small-group work, individual writing exercises, role-playing, team-building activities, and more – to foster innovation, enthusiasm, and learning. We manage conflict objectively with compassion and respect.
During trainings, we document key findings, themes and conclusions on a large screen, on our “sticky greenwall” or on flip charts. Summaries are written on the spot for all to see in order to maximize shared understanding.
Our intent is to provide an experience in which participants feel heard, feel a sense of ownership of training outcomes, and leave the training enthusiastic to put new learning to use.
Participants will be encouraged to fill out evaluation forms provided by us, and the results will be provided to you.
4. Summary Report
Shortly after the training (typically within a few days) we will provide a Highlights Report summarizing any themes or emerging conclusions as captured in the training, for instance, “Our Team’s Top Ground Rules for Meetings” or “What Facilitative Leadership Means to Us”. Notes are provided in Word and PDF.
Training Seminar Topics
Here are just some of the topics on which Craig offers training. Click on any topic to learn more and see a sample agenda.
1. Make the Most of Every Meeting
2. How to Handle Conflict with Positive Results
3. Facilitative Leadership
4. Dealing with Difficult People
You might also be interested in our facilitated team-building sessions.
Click here for Craig’s Speaking and Presentation Brochure.
Ready To Learn More?
Please call or write to discuss what group process issues you are experiencing and Craig will be happy to share some training suggestions. We can also provide a cost estimate for whatever you have in mind.
Craig demonstrates facilitative leadership in action. He captures the conclusions of the presentation for you to use. And he offers practical tips to help you implement good group decisions in any setting. Nonprofits, educational institutions, small groups and businesses of every size benefit from his collaborative, results-driven events.
Watch Craig in action:
Excerpts from Craig’s Keynote “Leading Together: The Magic of Group Decisions”
Excerpts from one of Craig’s “Endnotes” (an interactive conference summary)
Want to learn more about Craig? Click here.
Click here for testimonials from our clients.
Add Value
A Book for Everyone – Consider giving everyone in your group a copy of Craig’s book. Paperbacks by volume cost surprisingly little per person and offer so much more than other giveaways. What a great value-add for participants! We can even publish a Special Edition with your logo (or a sponsor’s logo) on the cover. See sample cover to the right. Learn about Craig’s book here.
Conference Summaries – 20-60 minutes of pizzazz to end your conference with participants saying Wow! If your training is part of a conference and Craig is on site anyway, why not end your conference with one of Craig’s legendary conference summaries; a whirlwind of highlights, aha’s, and laughs? Instead of a Keynote you might call it an Endnote; and it’s sure to be a high note! Craig’s visual and oral presentation provides an excellent reminder of all the great moments from your conference. And of course, as with any Craig Freshley event, there’s audience interaction. If you have invested in planning a terrific conference, why not maximize chances that participants will remember the highlights and leave on a truly high note?
Small Group Discussion or Facilitated Session – Take full advantage while Craig is in town. Invite a small group of leaders to have a meal with Craig or an small group meeting. Craig is a world class facilitator: let him help you address a significant question or solve a significant problem.
Want to learn more about Craig? Click here for a 20-minute radio interview
Booking
Craig Freshley’s interactive training seminars, keynotes, and endnotes offer you and your team practical insights that will sharpen your communication and decision making.
Craig’s calendar fills up fast so please call or write immediately if you have a specific date in mind or if you would like to discuss rates.
We want to be sure that the topic for your Keynote or Training Seminar is perfect for your group. You might choose one of the topics or approaches described on this page or we would be happy to develop something tailor-made for your needs. Let’s talk.
Please call or send us a note to get started on planning a Craig Freshley session that will help you excite, engage and innovate.
