Skills for Change: dealing with difficulty and diversity in groups
Location: The Renewal Centre, Swallowfield, Reading
Dates: Nov 11-12; Dec 1-2; Jan 20-21
Facilitator: Colin Heyman and Bella Mehta (email Colin) (email Bella)
Cost: £1295 ex VAT (concessions available for small voluntary organisations and social enterprises)
What is the course about?
Modern-day organisations are hierarchical but we produce results interdependently – in groups, matrix structures and with the loose affiliations of our network. In this environment the ability to communicate powerfully, influence positively and facilitate skilfully is paramount.
Management and leadership involve mixed teams, often across geographical, language and cultural boundaries. All working groups are diverse. Creating highly performing teams and achieving positive change requires valuing the unique contributions, perceptions and ideas of others.
What will I learn?
This is a 6-day course for people who want to:
- Acquire more tools to bring about change
- Create positive outcomes – both practical and interpersonal - in group and team situations
- Enhance their own self-knowledge and authority to be able to work confidently and effectively with concepts of diversity and equality
- Understand group dynamics and allow the natural diversity of a team to enhance the character, work, feelings and outcomes created by working together
- Develop their own facilitation style to be using their “whole person” and full potential
- Take solid facilitation skills, a persuasive business case for equality, and a personal action plan back to the working environment
How will we work?
Our approach is grounded in humanistic psychology, good business practice and solid diversity experience. We will use models, skills, exercises, creativity and reflection to engage you in the depth and richness of personal and professional learning available on this course.
The course takes place over three module of 2 days each. This allows:
- Exploration and first-hand experience of facilitation and diversity theory/models, and discussion of how these can be applied in organisations and groups
- The opportunity to transfer learning to the workplace, return to the course to report and reflect on how it went and learn from this
- Sharing of best practice, personal/professional goals and support strategies
- Opportunity for discussion of participants' individual experiences and challenges
- Practice sessions for developing facilitators to gain good quality peer feedback
- Individal learning contracts assessed through self-and-peer assessment
- Development of a peer community/professional network
Where will it be held?
The course will be held in at The Renewal Centre, Swallowfield, Reading (www.renewalcentre.co.uk). This is easily accessible from junction 11 of the M4 (10 mins), junction 4/5 of the M3 (20 mins) and close to railway stations in Reading, Basingstoke, Wokingham and Hook.
Who are the facilitators?
Bella Mehta and Colin Heyman have a mutual interest in combining facilitation skills and diversity awareness with the development of individuals, groups and organisations.
Bella Mehta (BSc, MSc, Dip Hum Psych) is an organisational consultant, coach and facilitator with a special interest in diversity and personality type. She is co-author of a best-selling business handbook for women. Since founding her own company Enspiral Ltd in 2001, she has worked for Deloitte Consulting, BBC and Virgin Media as well as coaching new business owners and private clients seeking professional change.
Colin Heyman (B Soc Sc, MSc) is a facilitator, coach, consultant and trainer highly skilled at facilitating change for individuals, teams and organisations and bringing extensive experience of equality and diversity. He has worked with large organisations, such as BT and the NHS as well as private sector SMEs and voluntary sector organisations. He is a co-founder of Maine-Stream
How much does it cost and how do I apply?
The cost of this 6-day course is £1295 excluding VAT which includes refreshments, lunch and course materials. Concessions are available for small voluntary organisations and social enterprises.
To find out more about the course, please contact:
Bella Mehta (bella@enspiral.co.uk) 07968 566337
Colin Heyman (colin@maine-stream.co.uk) 0777 557 5358