What is Facilitation?
Facilitation is an invaluable resource that can be used within and across organisations at every level to guide and support groups in working together to determine and develop practical solutions for large, complex, and challenging issues.
We’ve probably all experienced meetings where we feel we’re chaotically going round in circles and getting nowhere, where there’s no agreement on what needs to be done, and little hope of creating a solution that will deliver the required results.
With more than 20 years of experience, I’ve established a strong go-to reputation as a facilitator. I create structure and process and bring energy as an impartial resource in encouraging and supporting groups to succeed.
“We felt flummoxed before Lucy worked with us. She helped us focus on what we actually, really wanted to do, rather than getting side-tracked all the time. At the time, I wanted her to tell us what to do, but I know that what Lucy did was much more effective – she enabled us to work out what to do for the best and to crack on with it.” Cultural sector strategy session facilitation
In the last few years, my work has been particularly focused on supporting health and social care organisations across Sheffield. I’ve provided end-to-end facilitation, including impact reporting on outputs and the evaluation of programme effectiveness, for a series of complex, large-scale, and cross-organisational collaborative development programmes that tackle some of the most challenging sector issues.
Collaborative working programmes
Hugely interactive and practical, these have the power to be transformative, breaking down boundaries, disrupting conventional ways of working, promoting joined-up approaches and fresh insights, and developing cultures of participation. Diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences are empowered to influence solution design and delivery.
Working with people from different organisations, I help group members to build relationships and better understand the way in which others work in coming together to tackle shared challenges.
Client organisations have included Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield Health & Care Partnership, SOAR, Zest, and SY-NC (Sheffield Youth – Neighbourhoods and Communities), and Manor and Castle Development Trust.
“Lucy has been great, her positive energy and passion has been fantastic to keep me engaged and feel excited about attending sessions.” Collaborate programme participant
Action Learning Sets (ALS)
In facilitating Action Learning Sets, I bring people together to discuss crunchy issues and to develop realistic actions. Action Learning Sets improve the problem-solving process and simplify the solutions developed.
Over a series of workshops, I challenge, energise, and enable group members to work together in an honest and open environment. I support and facilitate groups to generate fresh perspectives on issues, spark creative ideas, achieve consensus, and agree and plan practical steps in devising solutions to effect real change.
Team development programmes & sessions
Teams aren’t always equipped or sufficiently engaged to work together to deal with the demands and challenges with which they have to contend. Consulting with organisational leaders to identify areas of need, I then work with teams over extended periods and across various activities to encourage improved capability. I help to re-energise, increase engagement and productivity, and support collaboration to maximise everyone’s strengths and develop high-performing teams.
Trained in Virtual Action Learning Facilitation, I’ve been flexible in adapting and continuing my work during the pandemic by taking programme facilitation online. Any initial concerns about being unable to meet in person were quickly dispelled. Participants have enthusiastically dived in and together we have made real headway.
If your organisation could benefit from the transformative power of facilitation, please contact me to find out more.