Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Sydney Facilitators Network - May meeting
Sydney Facilitator Network Meeting - May 14th at 5.30 pm
“Behind the Seens | Facilitating Fixed Positions” with Kingsley Nowell
Creating healthy space for people to share thoughts and feelings around issues that create fixed positions
Facilitators know that not all that is happening in a group is obvious. Thoughts and feelings lurk behind the visible and audible activity – particularly when the issue is potentially divisive and what is seen and heard is coming from sometimes aggressive, fixed positions.
Using the controversy that exists around volatile topics, this highly interactive and practical session will explore the design of space and conversation styles for stimulating and sustaining contributions of participants with diverse and strongly held viewpoints. It is designed for anyone wanting to gain a clearer understanding of practical things that can be done to design a container for healthy, inclusive conversation around controversial issues.
The facilitator will be Kingsley Nowell, regular participant in the SFN. He has had a lifetime of involvement in The Salvation Army including 28 years as an officer which highlighted the human need for new ways to work together.
Venue: University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street.Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Environmental Scan 2012- CSHISC
The Report from the Community Services and Health Industries 2012 Environmental Scan is now available. This is the fifth annual report ‘committed to identifying issues, changes and workforce needs-projections’ for the sector.
The report is available from this website:
https://www.cshisc.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=883&Itemid=971
MF
The report is available from this website:
https://www.cshisc.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=883&Itemid=971
MF
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
TDN March meeting - Presentation
At the last Traning Directions Network meeting, we had Monica Lamelas who is CCWT Senior Learning and Development Project Manager who presented the topic: “Better Powerpoint presentations” and this is a brief summary of Monica's presentation and discussion.
What is wrong with Powerpoint presentations
• The tool has been blamed for the bad presentations we have all experienced
• It is possible to make it more inspirational
• The documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” of Alan Gore is a good example how powerpoint presentation can be a good support to a talking head and conveys a very emotional component
• What kind of presenter are you? Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? Steve Jobs used to use a clean or blank background for example. On the contrary Bill Gate tend to use a more crowded powerpoint presentations
• Presenters who “abuse” powerpoing tend to use it as a prompter, handouts or data dumps. This is not what powerpoint was designed to do.
• Powerpoint slides are not the presentation – the presenter is the presentation and the PPT slides are there to back up the presenter
• Participants need to focus on the presenter, not on the slides.
Let’s use it as best we can
• Before developing a powerpoint presentation, you usually think about: number of slides, colours and font size. What you should be focusing on is the story instead of the technicalities
• The presenter needs to keep to one clear message all the time. Think about the learner and how much information can the learner digest information - What does the learner need to take away?
• What is the subject, what matters to you?
Developing a Powerpoint presentation
• First step: step away from the computer to do your planning
• Second step: work out who is your audience?
• Third step: decide what role are you playing?
Think like a designer – like an artist
• Reduce the noise: use the billboard principles
• Use colours appropriately – get the right combination
• Be very aware of your font size – 54 or more is appropriate – the bigger the better
• Fonts: be aware that too many fonts can be distracting
• Use of wide space – very powerful
• Go easy on animations – use them very sparsely. One animation per presentation
• Avoid cheesy clipart – people prefer real photos – if you must use clipart, keep a consistent style
• Charts: are very powerful and a good visual interpretation for data and information
Slide Makeovers
• Use one picture or combine that picture with text
• Assist participants to make an emotional connection with your presentation
• Never leave any participant with a problem and without a solution – resources and links
• Guide participants to the right information
• Keep the key points in case we are not able to use images
• The visual component will carry the information more powerfully than words
• There are always three main documents: the presentation (PPT visual aid) to create the emotional impact, the presenter’s notes and the handouts.
What is wrong with Powerpoint presentations
• The tool has been blamed for the bad presentations we have all experienced
• It is possible to make it more inspirational
• The documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” of Alan Gore is a good example how powerpoint presentation can be a good support to a talking head and conveys a very emotional component
• What kind of presenter are you? Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? Steve Jobs used to use a clean or blank background for example. On the contrary Bill Gate tend to use a more crowded powerpoint presentations
• Presenters who “abuse” powerpoing tend to use it as a prompter, handouts or data dumps. This is not what powerpoint was designed to do.
• Powerpoint slides are not the presentation – the presenter is the presentation and the PPT slides are there to back up the presenter
• Participants need to focus on the presenter, not on the slides.
Let’s use it as best we can
• Before developing a powerpoint presentation, you usually think about: number of slides, colours and font size. What you should be focusing on is the story instead of the technicalities
• The presenter needs to keep to one clear message all the time. Think about the learner and how much information can the learner digest information - What does the learner need to take away?
• What is the subject, what matters to you?
Developing a Powerpoint presentation
• First step: step away from the computer to do your planning
• Second step: work out who is your audience?
• Third step: decide what role are you playing?
Think like a designer – like an artist
• Reduce the noise: use the billboard principles
• Use colours appropriately – get the right combination
• Be very aware of your font size – 54 or more is appropriate – the bigger the better
• Fonts: be aware that too many fonts can be distracting
• Use of wide space – very powerful
• Go easy on animations – use them very sparsely. One animation per presentation
• Avoid cheesy clipart – people prefer real photos – if you must use clipart, keep a consistent style
• Charts: are very powerful and a good visual interpretation for data and information
Slide Makeovers
• Use one picture or combine that picture with text
• Assist participants to make an emotional connection with your presentation
• Never leave any participant with a problem and without a solution – resources and links
• Guide participants to the right information
• Keep the key points in case we are not able to use images
• The visual component will carry the information more powerfully than words
• There are always three main documents: the presentation (PPT visual aid) to create the emotional impact, the presenter’s notes and the handouts.
Sydney Facilitators Network - April meeting
“Giving Voice to Values” with Sharon McGann | Monday April 16 at 5.30PM
Have you ever had a workshop participant, say “Yes, but ... I couldn’t say that back at work”?
Many people genuinely believe that if they voice their values at work it will be a “career limiting move”. That belief prevents people – facilitators included – from living our highest values at work.
In this session, Sharon McGann draws on the Giving Voice to Values curriculum* to explore how you can voice your values in the facilitation workspace, or other workplaces.
During the session you will be invited to discuss in small groups times in work situations when you decided not to voice your values and where you tried to voice your values even if you weren’t successful. You will have the opportunity to work confidentially to discuss and practice what you could say and do, which is in alignment with both your values and your personality.
*Giving Voice to Values is an action-oriented pedagogical approach for developing the skills, knowledge and commitment required to implement values-based leadership. Rather than the usual focus on ethical analysis, the GVV curriculum focuses on ethical implementation and asks the question: “What would I say and do if I were going to act on my values?”
About Sharon McGann
Sharon McGann is a facilitator and developer of leadership and management programs for the corporate sector and more recently the community sector. Sharon is passionate about sustainability and social justice and is using the Giving Voice to Values curriculum into development programs as well as developing Australian case studies. The GVV program was developed Mary Gentile, from Babson College in the USA with The Aspen Institute as founding partner, along with the Yale School of Management, and is offered worldwide to educators.
Venue:
University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street.
Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.
Time
5.30 pm
Date
Monday 16th April
Have you ever had a workshop participant, say “Yes, but ... I couldn’t say that back at work”?
Many people genuinely believe that if they voice their values at work it will be a “career limiting move”. That belief prevents people – facilitators included – from living our highest values at work.
In this session, Sharon McGann draws on the Giving Voice to Values curriculum* to explore how you can voice your values in the facilitation workspace, or other workplaces.
During the session you will be invited to discuss in small groups times in work situations when you decided not to voice your values and where you tried to voice your values even if you weren’t successful. You will have the opportunity to work confidentially to discuss and practice what you could say and do, which is in alignment with both your values and your personality.
*Giving Voice to Values is an action-oriented pedagogical approach for developing the skills, knowledge and commitment required to implement values-based leadership. Rather than the usual focus on ethical analysis, the GVV curriculum focuses on ethical implementation and asks the question: “What would I say and do if I were going to act on my values?”
About Sharon McGann
Sharon McGann is a facilitator and developer of leadership and management programs for the corporate sector and more recently the community sector. Sharon is passionate about sustainability and social justice and is using the Giving Voice to Values curriculum into development programs as well as developing Australian case studies. The GVV program was developed Mary Gentile, from Babson College in the USA with The Aspen Institute as founding partner, along with the Yale School of Management, and is offered worldwide to educators.
Venue:
University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street.
Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.
Time
5.30 pm
Date
Monday 16th April
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
SHINE Project Launch - 29th March
At the last TDN meeting Celia Hutton reported that the SHINE launch will be held on March 29th at 2.30 pm at Windsor Library and the project will be training people to use 6 online resources.
SHINE resources/strategies overview:
• Primary strategy, set up Hawkesbury Community Interagency as central interagency, link Hawkesbury News Blog to this interagency, encourage all agencies that provide services within the Hawkesbury LGA to become members to this interagency. Enable broader cross-over of workers across other interagencies, and reduce interagency service siloing.
• Members of HCI will receive a weekly HeN (Hawkesbury e-newsletter) that can be easily searched via sidebar categories. Will list all events posted that week in the Hawkesbury. Will be great way to get information out to the entire local sector in one post without advertising costs, simply requires agencies to become members of HCI. Advantage easily searchable via categories unlike other e-newsletter such as MCRN support new.
• See below overview of 4 of the resources developed under the SHINE project that would make you work as both a convenor and sector worker more effective. If you would like to discuss anything further with me, please call anytime.
SHINE Online Resources:
1. Hawkesbury News Blog - established in partnership with the Hawkesbury Community Interagency to address gap of local information hub. Advantages- will reduce email info share overload, provide one central place for Hawkesbury services to post and access information relevant to the local sector and their communities, encourage broader sector collaborations and bind the Hawkesbury as a more cohesive community of services This blog will also be available for the community to access
2. Hawkesbury e-newsletter (HeN)–Weekly automated newsletter that is sent out to all members of the Hawkesbury Community Interagency. Advantages- will include all weekly postings to the Hawkesbury News Blog in easy to find search categories. Promote HCI as central contact for local sector, directly link the Hawkesbury News Blog to this interagency and encourage workers from other interagencies and services to become members of the HCI
3. Hawkesbury Interagencies Mailing List (HIML) web-based mailing list for the Hawkesbury Community Interagency. Advantages- one central email address, reduce convenor email overload, direct information share emails to Hawkesbury News Blog, more effective email communication enabled across membership between meetings. Promote as best practice model for other Hawkesbury Interagencies.
4. Hawkesbury Interagencies Portal (HIP) Interagency document archive on communityNet to store and publish interagencies meeting agendas, minutes terms of reference. Advantages-promotes wider visibility of Interagency, builds membership, particularly helpful for new workers
5. Hawkesbury Interagencies Calendar (HIC) accessed through communityNet easy to view interactive calendar of active interagencies, networks and forums operating in the Hawkesbury. Advantages- plan attendance at meetings at a glance in any view from daily to yearly, option to download into own outlook calendar. You will never forget a meeting again or lack the resources to find them. Hyperlinks to terms of reference or MoUs where applicable as well as interagency sites will also be available in the calendar view
see link Hawkesbury News Blog:
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/gws-news/nepean/hawkesbury
Link to submit content to blog:
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/component/chronoforms/?chronoform=SubmitContent
Link to last e-Newsletter SHINE
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/gws-news/nepean/hawkesbury/57085-shine-newsletter-february-2012
Link to Interagency toolkit
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/interagencies/interagency-toolkit
Link to Hawkesbury Interagency Portal (HIP)
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/interagencies/cat_view/1-greater-western-sydney-interagencies/27-hawkesbury-community-interagency-hci
SHINE resources/strategies overview:
• Primary strategy, set up Hawkesbury Community Interagency as central interagency, link Hawkesbury News Blog to this interagency, encourage all agencies that provide services within the Hawkesbury LGA to become members to this interagency. Enable broader cross-over of workers across other interagencies, and reduce interagency service siloing.
• Members of HCI will receive a weekly HeN (Hawkesbury e-newsletter) that can be easily searched via sidebar categories. Will list all events posted that week in the Hawkesbury. Will be great way to get information out to the entire local sector in one post without advertising costs, simply requires agencies to become members of HCI. Advantage easily searchable via categories unlike other e-newsletter such as MCRN support new.
• See below overview of 4 of the resources developed under the SHINE project that would make you work as both a convenor and sector worker more effective. If you would like to discuss anything further with me, please call anytime.
SHINE Online Resources:
1. Hawkesbury News Blog - established in partnership with the Hawkesbury Community Interagency to address gap of local information hub. Advantages- will reduce email info share overload, provide one central place for Hawkesbury services to post and access information relevant to the local sector and their communities, encourage broader sector collaborations and bind the Hawkesbury as a more cohesive community of services This blog will also be available for the community to access
2. Hawkesbury e-newsletter (HeN)–Weekly automated newsletter that is sent out to all members of the Hawkesbury Community Interagency. Advantages- will include all weekly postings to the Hawkesbury News Blog in easy to find search categories. Promote HCI as central contact for local sector, directly link the Hawkesbury News Blog to this interagency and encourage workers from other interagencies and services to become members of the HCI
3. Hawkesbury Interagencies Mailing List (HIML) web-based mailing list for the Hawkesbury Community Interagency. Advantages- one central email address, reduce convenor email overload, direct information share emails to Hawkesbury News Blog, more effective email communication enabled across membership between meetings. Promote as best practice model for other Hawkesbury Interagencies.
4. Hawkesbury Interagencies Portal (HIP) Interagency document archive on communityNet to store and publish interagencies meeting agendas, minutes terms of reference. Advantages-promotes wider visibility of Interagency, builds membership, particularly helpful for new workers
5. Hawkesbury Interagencies Calendar (HIC) accessed through communityNet easy to view interactive calendar of active interagencies, networks and forums operating in the Hawkesbury. Advantages- plan attendance at meetings at a glance in any view from daily to yearly, option to download into own outlook calendar. You will never forget a meeting again or lack the resources to find them. Hyperlinks to terms of reference or MoUs where applicable as well as interagency sites will also be available in the calendar view
see link Hawkesbury News Blog:
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/gws-news/nepean/hawkesbury
Link to submit content to blog:
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/component/chronoforms/?chronoform=SubmitContent
Link to last e-Newsletter SHINE
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/gws-news/nepean/hawkesbury/57085-shine-newsletter-february-2012
Link to Interagency toolkit
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/interagencies/interagency-toolkit
Link to Hawkesbury Interagency Portal (HIP)
http://www.communitynet.tricomm.org.au/index.php/interagencies/cat_view/1-greater-western-sydney-interagencies/27-hawkesbury-community-interagency-hci
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
"Skills for All Australians" - Report
Skills for All Australians - Report
The Commonwealth Government has recently released a plan to reform skills training in Australia and respond to a major challenge that today 4.1 million Australians in the labour force do not hold the qualifications needed for entry to the growth sectors of our economy.
The document is available from this website for your perusal:
http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/skills_for_all_australians/skills_for_all_australians.pdf
MF
The Commonwealth Government has recently released a plan to reform skills training in Australia and respond to a major challenge that today 4.1 million Australians in the labour force do not hold the qualifications needed for entry to the growth sectors of our economy.
The document is available from this website for your perusal:
http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/skills_for_all_australians/skills_for_all_australians.pdf
MF
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Sydney Faciliatators Network - March Meeting
Next Meeting | Monday March 12, 2012 | 5.30pm
“Using Action Methods to Assist Insight” with Rollo Browne
Facilitators and coaches all value the 'aha' moment in our work. A new idea, a sudden understanding that solves or reframes a complicated situation. One of the big attractions of insight is because we know that people really remember the ideas achieved through insight. This is highly significant in in individual and group learning. It would be great if we could create insight on demand!
“Over the last decade researchers have begun to understand more about what happens in the brain at the moment of insight. This gives some clues as to the conditions that make it more likely for people to generate their own insights. Intrigued by this I began to wonder if we could adapt our techniques to maximise the possibility of insight.
In this session I propose to examine the implications of the neuroscience of insight and apply this to dilemmas that we face. I believe that by the use of several simple action techniques to support the insight conditions, we can at least generate a new perspective and, perhaps, even generate insight. You will also get a chance to practice in small groups”.
About Rollo Browne
Rollo Browne is Director of BrowneWright Consulting and uses action methods extensively in his work as coach, facilitator and organisational development - www.brownewright.com.au. He is a Sociodramatist, and Director of Training at Psychodrama NSW, - www.anzpasydney.org.
When: 12 March 2012
Venue: University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street.Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.
Time: From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up
“Using Action Methods to Assist Insight” with Rollo Browne
Facilitators and coaches all value the 'aha' moment in our work. A new idea, a sudden understanding that solves or reframes a complicated situation. One of the big attractions of insight is because we know that people really remember the ideas achieved through insight. This is highly significant in in individual and group learning. It would be great if we could create insight on demand!
“Over the last decade researchers have begun to understand more about what happens in the brain at the moment of insight. This gives some clues as to the conditions that make it more likely for people to generate their own insights. Intrigued by this I began to wonder if we could adapt our techniques to maximise the possibility of insight.
In this session I propose to examine the implications of the neuroscience of insight and apply this to dilemmas that we face. I believe that by the use of several simple action techniques to support the insight conditions, we can at least generate a new perspective and, perhaps, even generate insight. You will also get a chance to practice in small groups”.
About Rollo Browne
Rollo Browne is Director of BrowneWright Consulting and uses action methods extensively in his work as coach, facilitator and organisational development - www.brownewright.com.au. He is a Sociodramatist, and Director of Training at Psychodrama NSW, - www.anzpasydney.org.
When: 12 March 2012
Venue: University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street.Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.
Time: From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up
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