Many of us have faced that daunting task of facilitating a requirements workshop or JAD session with little or no training on how to be an effective facilitator. Business Analysts are expected to have a natural aptitude for facilitation. Aptitude, however, needs to be turned into skill. This workshop is intended to provide a Business Analyst with the opportunity to practice and develop their Facilitation Skills in a simulated environment.
The workshop is designed for six participants and the group is provided with a case study and materials to help set up the specific scenarios and skills to practice in each session maximize the value of the session for the facilitator. This course was designed a a workshop with some supporting lecture. The mix is 80% workshop and constructive feedback, 20% lecture.
Key Benefits After completing this workshop, the participant will be able to:
Prepare for a Requirements Gathering session
Conduct a Requirements Gathering utilizing the appropriate facilitation techniques (questioning, paraphrasing, listener styles, and brainstorming) necessary to achieve session objectives.
Demonstrate a facilitator presence to manage group dynamics (by engaging non-participants, controlling the group, handling difficult participants, mediating conflicts, and staying on topic).
Plan and prepare for a requirements elicitation session
Conduct a gathering session utilizing the appropriate facilitation techniques necessary to achieve objectives. For example questioning, paraphrasing, listener styles, and brainstorming.
Demonstrate a facilitator presence to manage group dynamics by engaging non-participants, controlling the group, handling difficult participants, mediating conflicts, and staying on topic.
When our Developers complete a DevelopMentor course, I know that they have been taught to the highest standard. They acquire the knowledge and skills they need, and put them to use right away.
--Caroline Haughey, HBOS E-Commerce Development Centre
Day 1 Workshop Introductions and Objectives Fundamentals of Gathering Requirements
Exercise: Brainstorming/Brainwriting
Introducing Facilitation Best Practices
Exercise: Active Listening
Conducting a Facilitated Session Lunch Break Facilitated Workshops In this series of workshops, a different student is assigned the facilitator role in each scenario. This will allow them to practice and receive coaching on their facilitation skills. Other students will be selected to play a role in the scenario. These roles are well scripted. Each scenario is carefully designed to introduce a set of challenges to the facilitator and allow them to practice the outlined facilitation skills in a safe environment. Constructive feedback is provided from the Instructor and students are encouraged to share their best practices in dealing with similar scenarios. Ideally the class size should be six to allow everyone an opportunity to practice their skills but we realize this is not always possible and can work with you to accommodate slightly larger classes, if necessary.
Hardware and software is not required for this class. Workshops will be team based and a workbook will be provided to capture the participants work.
The instructor will require projection equipment that is capable of projecting the instructor's monitor onto a screen clearly visible by all students participating. A white board and at least two flip chart easels, along with dry erase and flip chart markers, should be available in the room.
Tables should be arranged in pods to accommodate teams of 3-5.
Student Machines
Instructor Machines
Hardware Requirements
Hardware Requirements
None
Projector
Software Requirements
Software Requirements
None
PowerPoint
Remote Access Available
Facilitation Workshop for Business Analysts is now available as a remote access course.
You can now take open enrollment courses in our Los Angeles and Boston facilities without traveling. Remote Access to our ongoing schedule of instructor-led courses will allow you to fully participate real-time in expert-level lectures, demos and labs that have made DevelopMentor a leader in software development training. We've added new collaboration tools and prepared our instructors for remote students in class so you will be fully engaged in the learning process.
Mentoring
Quickly assimilate what you learn in Facilitation Workshop for Business Analysts and apply it to your project by taking advantage of our Mentoring services.
Our dedicated mentors facilitate your team's development. We add value to your business by enhancing the talent of your employees and maximizing their productivity. Mentors integrate the methodologies, technologies and practical experiences of the classroom through an on-the-job and on-the-project experience that produces real-world results.
Onsite
Facilitation Workshop for Business Analysts is also available as an onsite course.
If you have a group of people to train, an on-site course, delivered at your facility may be the most cost-effective solution for you. Our staff will work with your team to plan and produce the best possible result based on your team's size, experience levels, project needs and longer-term goals. We can structure a training course, or broader program, tailored to meet the specific needs of your organization. We'll make sure that any lab exercises run on the platform you use and we can tailor the lab exercises to be appropriate to your business. If you prefer to focus on just the pure technological principles, we can also deliver courses at your facility following the same format as our public curriculum.
