Facilitation Training for the C-level Team

Request and Context

The request for this training came from the company’s CEO and HR Director, who were working on developing an engaging corporate leadership culture and needed training for the management team. Facilitation was chosen as a methodology to improve the quality of management meetings, foster open dialogue, shared responsibility, and strengthen trust within the team.
Training Format

● Format: blended — main sessions offline + online webinars for support
● Duration: total of 20 hours
● Structure:
1. Introductory module – online (2 hours)
2. Core module – offline (2 days)
3. Follow-up module – online (2 hours)
● Number of participants: 9
● Target audience: management team (C-level)

Program

Introductory module (2 hours online)
The first module was dedicated to introducing facilitation and clarifying the team’s request. We discussed different types of meetings by complexity and duration, and identified the top three formats they work with most often.
Next, we used the facilitation tool “Trailer” to bring up participants’ experiences from the workshops they had taken part in earlier this year.
Through practice, participants experienced the power of facilitation: how it engages, structures discussions, and aligns context. We didn’t just talk about facilitation — we explored it first-hand.
At the end, each participant defined a personal key goal: which specific meeting they want to improve after the training. This created a high level of engagement and a clear understanding of what they aimed to achieve.
Core Module (2-day offline session)
The second module was held as an offline workshop. Thanks to the clearly defined goals of the first module, we focused on the format that mattered most to the team — monthly board meetings (C-level meetings). This format was common for all participants from three different countries, and it was chosen as the starting point for transforming the facilitation culture.
Objective: to find ways to improve the effectiveness of board meetings through facilitation, while at the same time practicing and mastering facilitation techniques in real situations.
The 2-day program included:● A live demonstration of the facilitator role model by the trainer● Discussion of facilitator values and principles that help create an atmosphere of safety, engagement, and productivity● Working with the 7-step workshop structure and designing powerful focus questions for each stage● Team-based development of their own workshop scenarios● Practice sessions: three participants facilitated short sessions using new tools and received developmental feedback
As a result:● The team created a list of key changes to be introduced in board meetings● Responsibilities and timelines for implementation were clearly defined● All participants gained practical tools to use with their teams, to be tested during the two weeks leading up to the next module
Follow-up Module (2-hour online session)
The third module took place two weeks after the offline workshop. Its purpose was to support participants in applying facilitation tools and to answer questions that came up during real practice.
We started with a reflection: what they had already tried, which meetings were run differently, who facilitated a workshop, or integrated specific facilitation tools into their work.
Next, we looked into the future — through an exercise, participants identified potential challenges they might face and what would help and motivate them along the way.
The trainer provided practical tips, hacks, and answers to questions so that the team felt confident and supported in continuing to use the tools.
The module wrapped up with two facilitation tools, “3-I” and “Clarity”, which participants can also use to effectively close their own team meetings in the future.