Facilitation Skills for bas

Successful projects require collaboration among all stakeholders, planned and facilitated throughout the project. Further, business analysts must effectively create business analysis planning deliverables and manage the requirements process using project management concepts, skills, and techniques. You will develop skills to build teams, reach true consensus, and manage productive facilitated events through a five-step facilitation process. You will participate in discussions and exercises to reflect on and practice the facilitation process.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the value and benefits of effective facilitation
• Use a five-step facilitation process
• Use tools and techniques to engage participants
• Use techniques for managing group decisions
• Identify various behaviors and use techniques to manage them

Course Topics

Introduction

• Management Concepts
• Activity: Introductions and Expectations
• Course Objectives
• Agenda
• Action Plan
• Announcements

Facilitation Concepts

• Lesson Objectives
• The Need for Facilitation
• Business Analyst (BA) Events
• BA Events by Phase
• What is Facilitation?
• Class Discussion
• Role & Responsibilities of a Facilitator
• Facilitator Areas of Expertise
• Class Discussion
• The Facilitation Process
• Scalability of Process
• Facilitator Activities
• Deadly Sins of a Facilitator
• Class Discussion
• Characteristics of Effective Facilitated Events
• Causes of Unproductive Events
• Key Messages

The Facilitation Process

• Lesson Objectives
• The Facilitation Process
• 1. Preparing for the Event
• Determine Measures of Success
• The Event Sponsor
• Identifying All Stakeholders
• Designing the Event
• The Event Agenda
• The Facilitator Agenda
• Activities before the Event
• 2. Opening the Event
• Setting Expectations
• Establishing the Event Climate
• Opening Facilitator Activities
• Using Icebreakers
• Class Discussion
• Defining Roles & Responsibilities
• Establishing Ground Rules
• Class Discussion
• Determining Decisions Rules
• 3. Conducting the Event
• Facilitation Guidelines
• Using Handouts
• Engaging Participants
• Questioning
• Questioning Techniques
• Discussions
• Group Discussions
• Perform Checks During the Event
• Using Energizers
• Class Discussion
• Staying On Track
• 4. Closing the Event
• Closing Facilitator Activities
• Evaluating Meeting Performance
• 5. Following Up on Action Items
• Improving Event Performance
• Key Messages
• Action Plan

Creating Participation

• Lesson Objectives
• Class Discussion
• Barriers to Participation
• Removing the Barriers
• High-Participation Techniques
• Use Visual Aids
• Idea Generation
• Brainstorming
• Brain Writing
• Mind Mapping
• Six Thinking Hats
• 20 Questions
• Questioning Do’s and Don’ts
• Organizing Information
• Affinity Diagram
• Analysis
• Gap Analysis
• SWOT Analysis
• Fishbone Diagram
• Force Field Analysis
• Process Improvement
• Class Discussion
• Flow Chart
• Cross-Function Process Map
• Process Management Chart
• Key Messages
• Action Plan

Managing Decisions

• Lesson Objective
• Class Discussion
• For Effective Decisions
• Decision-Making Challenges
• Involve the Right Individuals
• Empowerment Levels
• Decision-Making Methods
• Consensus
• Consensus Process
• Decision-Making Techniques
• "T" Technique
• Effort/Impact Grid
• Nominal Group Technique
• Criterion Listing
• Key Messages
• Action Plan

Managing Behaviors

• Lesson Objectives
• Class Discussion
• Observe the Members
• Non-Verbal Behaviors
• Verbal Behaviors to Manage
• Side Conversationalist
• Rush to Accomplish
• Reluctant
• Floundering
• Digression
• Groupthink
• Dominating
• Overbearing
• Discounting
• Feuding
• Debate vs. Argument
• The Value of Conflict
• Conflict Resolution Approaches
• Managing Behaviors
• Active Listening Model
• Facilitation Interventions
• Guidelines for Conflict Intervention
• Constructive Feedback
• Key Messages
• Action Plan

Developing an Action Plan

• Business Analysts as Facilitators
• Effective Facilitation Requires Multiple Areas of Expertise
• Effective Facilitation Requires a Process
• Use Tools and Techniques to Create Participation
• Use Methods and Techniques to Manage Decision-Making
• Use Techniques to Manage Dysfunctional Behaviors
• Action Plan
• Final questions?