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| Master
Facilitator Journal | Issue #0225, October 11, 2005 | 7,000 Subscribers.... |
Dear
friends,
With this week's issue, I commemorate and grieve the loss of my
father, Steven Davis, who passed away at his home yesterday, October
10, 2005. He was 90 years old. I dedicate this issue to him.
He succumb to cancer diagnosed a little over a year ago. He had
done very well and even took on total care of my mother who started
slipping a couple of months back. This took a toll on him and he
became unable to care for himself during the past 3-4 weeks. At
which time my mother began to spring back. He chose to call in hospice
and pass on at home. He didn't receive help very well though and
made up his mind to pass quickly a couple of weeks ago. It was a
blessing to be with him in his final days, though he was in much
pain and was frustrated by the time it took to die.
He was
a very hard worker and a pragmatic individual. He was raised during
the depression and had a strong work ethic, working in a wide variety
of industries which included jobs with Solo Cup Company, Pullman
Train Company, Ford Aircraft, and completed his corporate career
with Aerojet General Corporation as a Quality Control Inspector.
He then went into business for himself purchasing a Mobile Home
Resort on the shores of Clearlake, California, before retiring and
moving to be near me in Ridgecrest, CA.
Steve
enjoyed working with his hands building and repairing as he could
fix and restore just about anything. He also had a green thumb that
he loved to put to work planting, growing, and nurturing his outdoor
environment. He was always full of colorful stories collected from
a life that spanned nearly a
century. He particularly loved to talk about his time in Chicago
where he spent a good portion of his younger years during the 30's,
40's, and 50's..
I'm
putting together a small memorial service for close friends that
we'll hold this Friday at his residence near his backyard shop where
he loved to spend much of his time. We'll also bury his ashes under
a young pear tree planted there.
Blessings,
Steve
Davis
Publisher
Getting Closure
Our
growth is facilitated by getting complete with the past
We all know the importance of proper closure of our groups. As people
congregate to do any significant work together, they often require some
sort of process to be complete with the experience and with each other.
A little grieving may even need to occur depending on the length and depth
of the work that was done.
Sometimes this closure can be accomplished through simple closing exercises
or rituals offering participants the opportunity to say what wasn't said
earlier or to express gratitude and reflection around what they gained
from the work.
Use rituals when closing groups that have been meeting long enough to
have completed major projects. Length and depth of rituals will vary depending
on depth and breadth of connections and accomplishments of the group.
Use your own judgment with regard to scope of closing ritual.
Here's an example ritual that will help your group tie up loose ends and
come to completion.
You'll probably need to program about five minutes per person to do a
complete job with this process. Make sure to watch for body language and
other cues that indicate unfinished business that should be addressed.
Ask each person in turn the following questions:
" What do you need to say to complete your involvement in this group?"
Or, "What do you need to say to be complete?"
Releasing Baggage
"Is there anything else? Any thoughts, feelings, unmet expectations,
requests, promises, acknowledgments?" (Make any suggestions you deem
appropriate.)
"If there is anything that you might say to someone after the group
is over, I request you say it now."
Acknowledgments
"Are there any acknowledgments that anyone would like to
make of themselves or others?"
The only response required from those acknowledged is a simple "Thank
you."
Post Meeting Closure
Though my relationship with my father was not one where deep emotional
connection was easily expressed in words, we did show each other our love
in non-verbal ways. Before he passed however, I began to recall memories
of the many things he did for me that I hadn't adequately thanked him
for. So I became compelled to write him a letter of closure where I expressed
my gratitude for many specific things he had done for me, for who he was
for me, and how he positively impacted my life. I also spoke of my understanding
of death and dying, urging him to trust that we would take care of things
from now on, and that he could feel free to go whenever he felt the time
was right. Writing that letter was a healing experience for me. I gave
it to him the last time I saw him coherent and left it for him to read.
I like to think it was as healing for him as it was for me and that it
may even have helped facilitate his passing.
Either way, this kind of closure can be done by anyone at anytime. Sitting
down to put our thoughts and feelings in writing has a way of helping
us let go and move on. Offer this method as an invitation to your participants
when you suspect there may be more work available to them after the group
adjourns.
Reader
Survey
Workshop and Seminar Handouts
This week, we're looking for your favorite workshop or seminar handouts that you've developed and used in prior workshops. These can be on any subject. Examples include: time management, project management, communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, change, etc. Click here for an example handout to help you understand what we're looking for. If you submit your handout, we'll send you copies of all those we collect. Please email your responses to us. Thanks!
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When...
November 14th-18, 2005, 10:00 AM Pacific, 1:00 PM Eastern
(NY Time), 75 minutes each day.
A week after the course I
have found myself talking about and actually using the techniques
taught! The experiential based learning really worked for me and I
learnt whilst having fun – always a good way to retain new learnings.
The course has provided me with a toolkit of great techniques to improve
my own facilitation, as well as some enjoyable exercises to use with
delegates. I have nothing but praise for both Sue and Steve, who walked
their talk with their own facilitation skills – they simply
flowed through the course with grace and intelligence. The content,
the materials and the facilitators is 5 star stuff and I highly recommend
it to any facilitator.
--Amanda Alexander, Coach
and Founder of CoachingMums.com--
The Improvisational Facilitator Teleclass...
The inner attitudes of facilitators, trainers, and leaders is the
key to their success with groups. However, very few trainings address
the development of those inner qualities that can make a good leader
great. That's why I'm thrilled to be offering this class where we'll
present powerful, practical improv techniques that are actually inner
attitudes and practices that you can use to immediately enhance your
facilitation, training, and group leadership skills.
This dynamic teleclass, led by master trainer,
Sue Walden, is for anyone who facilitates, manages, teaches, mediates,
coaches, counsels, directs any group. This highly interactive course
provides an experiential approach using very novel exercises
to help you build the skills to create an environment for participation;
one that encourages openness and risk-taking for you and groups.
Benefits
to you of participating from this Improv Training...
1. Gain tools that will help you relax and have a lot more fun with
your groups.
2. Learn simple strategies that will help you to be more open and
flexible to the specific and dynamic needs of your groups.
3.
Be able to connect whatever people share to the group purpose or theme.
4. Get a lot more comfortable being "in the moment" with
your groups..
5. You won't panic when you "lose your place."
6. Come to enjoy dealing with the "unexpected" in your groups.
7. Never have speaker's block again.
8. Discover reservoirs of creativity within you that you didn't know
existed.
9. Collaborate and learn from a community of your peers, all passionate
about empowering groups.
I've
been to lots of teleclasses but have never done offline partner exercises
like this and they worked great, they really heightened the learning.
Excellent resource book.
The sessions were very complimentary to the skills that I have gained
over a number of years. As well as practical exercises the trainers
provided useful insight to support their theory. It was enlightening
to hear everybody participate and be engaged in the subject. An excellent
class that I highly recommend. --Chris Whitehead ,Managing Director
of Facilitating Change--
How
the Training works...
1. You dial into your class every day for a 75-90 minute focused training
segment using a conferencing bridge.
2. Several times we will leave the bridge line for short 8-12 minute
periods to give you the opportunity to engage in short exercises with
a partner to practice and deepen your skills.
3. You work through a learning/resource workbook which accompanies
the class including practice assignments after each session.
4. You will have the opportunity to discuss issues on the subject
matter with the instructors and your classmates via an online listserve
during the course.
5. During the course, you may access the instructors via email for
help or situational questions.
Improvisational
Facilitator Training Agenda...
Here's what you'll be learning and doing during the course...
Being present
to your natural creativity
- Overview
- Introducing the Parking Lot
- Awareness experience
- What is your default facilitation skill set?
- Improv Core Skills that support facilitation
- Exploring 1st Core Skill: Present Time
- The "Voice Mirror," a simple and powerful listening tool
- Facilitation Applications
Building the "muscle" that encourages participation
- Check in on practice assignment
- Explore 2nd Core Skill: Openness
- Experiencing the look and feel of openness
- Building the openness “muscle”
- The "Yes and..." approach
- Facilitation Applications
Making flexibility a way of being
- Check in about practice assignment
- Explore 3rd Core Skill: Flexibility
- Combining Being Present and Open to become more flexible
- Identify unexpected challenges in facilitating
- Building the options and possibilities “muscle”
- Facilitation Applications
Witnessing the magic
- Check in about practice assignment
- Introduce “The Observer”
- Apply Core Skills to self
- Getting present with self
- Quiet the inner critic
- Think on your feet
- Be aware of your language
- Facilitation Applications
Further applications and applied Improv
- Check in about practice assignment
- Explore other applications of Improv Core Skills
- Emptying the Parking Lot
-
Q & A with the Applied Improv Process
Also
included with your training...
In addition to the training described above, you also receive:
1. Free Learning/Resource Workbook ($20 value) to help you drill
down deep and master the art of improv for use in facilitation,
training, leadership, and group work.
2. Free access to the RealAudio version of the training ($69 value).
3. Free pre-recorded one-hour real audio teleclass, "The Art
of Improv in Facilitation, featuring Izzy Gesell, who discusses the
use of humor and improvisational theater techniques as facilitation
tools.($20 value).
4. Articles and resources around using Improv in leadership and facilitation:
__-
Collection of humor and improv resources.
__- The Six Paradoxes of Improv.
Six paradoxes that will help free you to be a better facilitator
____and trainer.
__- Leadership Through Improv.
Article on how Improv techniques can be applied to leadership.
Pricing...
The full cost of training/access is only $99 including the free items
( worth $109) listed above. Everything you read about above is included.
And, we offer a 100%-satisfaction-guaranteed guarantee.
Early registration discount.
Register by October 15th for only $89.
Registration...
Immediately upon
completion of your registration, you will receive an email with instructions
to access the course and free article bank.
This course is limited to 20 individuals on a first come basis.
I really
enjoyed the Improv class. Great material, excellent delivery including
the opportunities to "try it out" in partner settings. --Sandy
Brown, Facilitator, Intel Corporation--
Dates...
November 14-18
(M-F), 2005, 10:00 AM Pacific, 1:00 PM Eastern (NY Time), 75 minutes
each day.
Please click
here to
register.
Self-Guided
Real Audio Version
If you'd like to learn this
material at your own pace and on your own schedule, you can purchase
the real audio version of this teleclass complete with the learning
guide. You'll be provided with access to recorded offerings of the
five-hour teleclass (5 hours total) that you can listen to online
and follow along in the learning guide is used in the live class.
Click
here to purchase for $69.
Self-Guided
(Real Audio Only)
Click
here to purchase the
Real Audio Version for $69.
Self-Guided
5-Day CD Version
The Compact Disk (CD) version
comes with all of the self-guided features listed above, together
with 5 CD's you'll receive by mail that you can listen to anywhere
you have access to a CD player. Click
here to purchase for $79.
Self-Guided
(CD's and Real Audio Only)
Click
here to purchase the CD
Version for $79
plus $4 Shipping and Handling
FacilitatorU.com Membership Option
Become a member of FacilitatorU.com premium member and register for this teleclass at half price in addition to a host of other items and benefits. An exceptional value. Click here for details.
One-Day Live Version
Interested
in a one-day "live" version of this class offered to your
group? Email
us to
discuss options.
Your
instructors
Sue Walden. Sue Walden is the Founder and Director of ImprovWorks,
a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building Life Skills through
Improvisation. Her experience includes a BA in Education and 26 years
of teaching, performing and adapting and widely applying the techniques
of improvisation. She approaches improv training as a powerful and
joyful way to peel away constraints, restraints and inhibitions, allowing
the naturally expressive, collaborative and creative self to emerge.
Sue is a skilled teacher in ImprovWorks' public workshop program, a dynamic corporate facilitator, an engaging speaker, an author (Working with Groups to Enhance Relationships, Whole Person Assoc.), the delightful "Playmeister" of both the public and corporate Recess! programs, the director and a regular performer with San Francisco's longest-running improvisational theater company, "Flash Family". She has been a member of the Specialty Staff for the year-long Co-Active Leadership Program since its inception eight years ago.
Her current passion is
training trainers and consulting on how to design powerful experiential
workshops. Sue promises that, in any of her programs, while the learning
may be challenging, it will also be fun!
Steve
Davis. Steve
Davis, M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infoprenuer, and free-lance
human, helping facilitators, organizational leaders, educators, trainers,
coaches and consultants present themselves confidently, access their
creativity, empower their under-performing groups, enhance their facilitation
skills, and build their business online and offline.
Steve spends most of his time building and running FacilitatorU.com.
He also publishes a weekly ezine for facilitators called, the Master
Facilitator Journal, continues to write ebooks, design teleclasses,
and maintain a part-time coaching practice. His breadth of experience
spans business, corporate management, engineering, teaching, spiritual
psychology, and wellness, offering a pragmatic yet creative coaching
foundation. To learn more about Steve, visit his website at www.livingmastery.com.
About
the satisfaction guarantee
If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with this package, simply
email us with a request to refund/credit your credit card in the full
amount and we will do so immediately. It's our policy to do this and
we honor this in every single case. This policy completely removes
the buying risk for you and keeps our customer-satisfaction rates
extremely high.
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