WORKSHOPS AND FACILITATION
Bring people together. Agree on a way forward.
When a project, strategy or team needs a clearer direction, we design and facilitate the conversations that help people work through the issues and decide what happens next.
For leadership teams, project teams, boards and partners who need to move forward together.
MORE THAN A PRODUCTIVE MEETING
A clearer picture. Decisions you can act on.
Understand the real issues
Bring different perspectives and assumptions into the open, including the questions that have been difficult to discuss.
Work through the choices
Agree on what matters, explore options and clarify which decisions can be made and which need further work.
Leave with practical next steps
Capture the agreements, unresolved questions and actions, with owners and a clear way to follow through.
SIX TYPICAL WAYS WE HELP
What does your team need to work through?
OPPORTUNITY FRAMING
Clarify what a project is for before committing more time and money. Explore the opportunity, what success means and the options worth investigating.
Work toward a documented project frame, options to explore and a roadmap to the next decision.
ALIGNMENT
Bring a new team, owner–contractor group or joint venture together around shared priorities, responsibilities and ways of working.
Work toward a shared definition of success, clearer roles and agreed next steps.
LESSONS LEARNED
Examine what happened at a milestone, a gate or the end of a project. Explore the causes behind recurring problems and what needs to change.
Work toward practical lessons, improvement actions and named owners.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Revisit your direction when circumstances have changed or there are more priorities than your team can deliver.
Work toward agreed priorities, a realistic sequence of work and an action plan.
ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMIT
Bring people across functions and levels into a shared conversation about a new strategy, transformation or challenge that crosses team boundaries.
Work toward shared understanding, contributions from across the organization and commitments to the next steps.
BOARD AND LEADERSHIP RETREAT
Step back from the regular agenda to examine strategic priorities, important choices and how the board and management work together.
Work toward clear priorities, decision responsibilities and actions to take forward.
HOW WE WORK
The workshop starts before anyone enters the room.
CLARIFY THE PURPOSE
We start with the sponsor to understand the situation, the decisions ahead and what a useful outcome would look like. Together, we check whether a workshop is the right approach.
PREPARE THE CONVERSATION
We agree who needs to be involved, review relevant information and design the agenda. Depending on the situation, preparation may include interviews, a confidential survey or a pre-read.
FACILITATE THE WORK
We help the group examine different perspectives, test assumptions and work through choices. Decisions remain with the people accountable for making them.
CAPTURE AND FOLLOW THROUGH
You receive a written summary of the agreements, recommendations, open questions and actions within five working days. We debrief with the sponsor and can include a 30-day follow-up.
WHAT YOU TAKE FORWARD
A record the team can use after the workshop.
We agree the outputs before the workshop. Depending on the engagement, these may include:
A shared picture
A project frame, strategic priorities or a written summary of the situation and the outcomes that matter.
A clear decision record
Agreements and recommendations, the reasoning behind them, and questions that still need to be resolved.
An action plan
Next steps with owners, timing and the information needed for further decisions.
WORKING WITH YOUR PEOPLE
Bring us into your team or client engagement.
For consulting firms
We can design and facilitate a workshop as part of your delivery team, or co-facilitate alongside your consultants. Agree the roles and scope with us before the engagement.
For teams building their own skills
Combine facilitation with practical training, or ask about a private Opportunity Framing Practitioner program so your people can apply the method themselves.
YOUR FACILITATOR
Thoughtful preparation. Practical experience.
Iwona Wilson is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator with experience in quality, governance and assurance across energy and mining. At Woodside Energy in Australia, she learned the value of bringing people together before major project decisions were made.
Today, through Wilson Biz Consulting, she helps leaders and teams examine the real issues, work through different perspectives and agree on a practical way forward.
“The end result was a team that loved what they were doing.”
Hannes Barnard, Risk Manager
“Iwona provided a style and process that allowed all participants to be involved.”
Jarod Monaghan, Project Manager
“The topic of the workshop required Iwona to navigate a diverse range of views and she did so with confidence and diplomacy.”
Laura Kjellgren, Corporate Affairs Manager
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to choose a workshop before contacting you?
Can a workshop help when people disagree?
Will every workshop end in a decision?
How long should we allow?
Can you work with our existing process or consultants?
START HERE
What does your team need to work through?
Tell us about the situation, who needs to be involved and what you hope will be different after the workshop. We will discuss the next step with you.