Facilitating problem-solving work is different from running regular meetings. You need to guide discussion without controlling it, keep people focused without shutting down exploration, and manage conflict without avoiding necessary disagreements.

This program is for people who need to facilitate problem-solving sessions regularly. You will learn specific techniques for each phase of problem work, from initial exploration through solution selection and planning.

Skills you will practice

The core of the program is practice. You will facilitate at least six sessions with other participants and get detailed feedback each time. We record sessions so you can review your own facilitation and identify patterns in what works and what does not.

You will also learn how to handle common situations that derail problem-solving sessions: dominant voices, topic drift, premature convergence, and avoidance of difficult tradeoffs. Each situation has multiple approaches and you will practice several.

What this covers and what it does not

This is about facilitating focused problem-solving work, not general meeting management or team dynamics. We assume you already know how to run a meeting. This goes deeper into the specific challenges of guiding teams through complex problem work where the path forward is not clear.