With only eight weeks left until EOFY, many businesses use the month of May as the time to determine what worked and what didn’t in the 2017/18 financial year. Logically, they do so with a lens towards what opportunities, trends and constraints face their businesses for the 2018/19 year ahead.
For talkforce, we often work with clients to facilitate leadership offsites and planning sessions to help prepare for the year ahead. Generally the goal is to create an atmosphere where the people attending think differently and more creatively to boost future performance. Clients also engage us to refresh or redefine workplace culture or environment; lift staff connectivity and engagement; explore trends around customer centricity; or assist in sharing industry best practice to help lift them beyond competitors for the financial year ahead.
Christopher Whitnall, Managing Director of talkforce has over 30 years of corporate training experience and summarises facilitation as “the enabler for the right oxygen to innovate and embrace new ideas and purpose within the group environment.”
The right facilitator will extract the intellectual property which exists within everyone in the session and provide a platform for that to be shared and progressed back into the business planning for the year ahead. Christopher explains “We are able to manage the ‘process’ while all participants can focus on the ‘content’.”
Some talkforce clients have historically facilitated their offsite meetings internally, however Christopher reflects that this approach can often have limited success. “I know some businesses are challenged by introducing an external facilitator into the equation for either concerns around cost or ability to deliver, however our clients tell us repeatedly they are grateful for their investment, as it helps ensure a balance of voices and enhances independent perspective to the discussion.” Furthermore, Christopher says, the key to enabling innovation is through “divergent thinking to explore what is possible and then convergent thinking to ascertain what is probable and how the business can achieve their desired business outcome.”
If you are interested in using talkforce for facilitation or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact our team on talkforce@talkforce.com.au or 02 9844 2999.
talkforce is a respected leadership and people development company operating nationally within Australia and into Asia. With 25 years’ experience, we are committed to unlocking potential in your workplace.