People power an organization, its development and its performance. In a world of greater reliance on technology and on AI, the role of engaged people increases in importance. People bring heart, spirit, emotional intelligence, creativity and unique thinking that is integral to making the most of opportunities and overcoming challenges.  Knowing how to invite and support participation and engagement of individuals, teams and the whole organization is an important even critical leadership skill. The Genuine Contact way of working helps you unlock the power of participatory methods to successfully engage people.

In this learning path, you will gain a toolbox to use for inviting participation and engaging people leading to strong, actionable plans. You’ll find the tools in this toolbox are just right for you whether you’re facilitating a quick team meeting, a conference or other large event, or needing to move through a full-scale organizational  transformation. You will be equipped with tools and know-how to meaningfully engage people in participatory processes.

Start with a well-planned meeting

Organizations hold meetings for a variety of purposes. A good meeting is one in which the people involved actively learn and contribute, which is beneficial for both the people in the organization and the organization itself.

What makes this possible is a well-planned process where everyone can bring in their creativity, diversity, and wisdom to collaborate on something that is truly meaningful. When people know their contributions matter, the results will be beyond expectation. If you´re wondering how to embrace the power of the diversity and wisdom of the people, this learning path will guide you there.

A thriving organization has a life of its own.  In this learning path, learn to work with participation and engagement of people to support and regenerate this life and vitality. You start by learning how to work with participatory meetings, deepen your understanding of leadership and working with people,  and continue the learning journey with participatory methods to develop an organization. Along the way you’ll learn more about working to be inclusive, what it means, and how to use participatory methods to achieve a sense of belonging. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to use participatory methods to engage people in strategic planning and organizational change creating better results because you used participatory methods and the people were engaged in the processes. You’ll learn about the relationship of engaging people in the processes and having engaged people implement the agreed on strategies and actions.

Graduates of this learning path who are consultants, support leaders in using participatory meetings to achieve their goals. Graduates of this learning path who are leaders, develop confidence and competency in making the most of participatory methods in their organizations. 

Benefits

When you pursue this learning pathway, you will build your meeting facilitation skills with confidence and ease. You learn to use participatory methods in multiple situations to achieve different goals. Along your learning journey, you will learn to:

  • Increase engagement and involve people in meaningful conversations
  • Make the most of participation and engagement for improvements in functioning as a team, an organization or a community
  • Benefit from the potential that individuals bring by creating the life nourishing conditions for multiple intelligences, energy and potential of the whole person to contribute
  • Create vibrant meetings to support and regenerate a healthy organizational culture
  • Use participation and engagement for innovation, making the most of opportunities and overcoming challenges through the emergent collective wisdom
  • Acknowledge the different roles of the leader and the facilitator and how to align their efforts for best results
  • Apply participatory methods to achieve belonging, strategy focus, organizational growth and development

What’s included

Ready to dive in? This learning path is divided into three phases, where you can choose your own adventure.

  • Start: Learning begins with exploring the foundational frameworks for why an organization invests in participatory processes, clarifying benefits, and the commitment for working this way. Learn two different facilitation methods for participatory meetings so you can go ahead and start to practice. 
  • Grow: Expand your skillset and develop expertise to initiate deep, meaningful change within an organization. Learn tools to foster collaboration and navigate the complex dynamics that often accompany transformation. 
  • Deepen: Become a pro and learn to use participatory processes to transform organizations in a holistic way, building resilience and adaptability with a leadership approach that creates conditions where people can unlock their collective potential, use their wisdom, and take responsibility and leadership. 

The modules in this learning path include:

Start

Grow

Deepen

Stewardship & Co-Ownership

Anyone who has completed the Participatory Methods that Get Results learning path has the right – but not the responsibility – to participate in creating the future of the Genuine Contact Way and co-leading the Genuine Contact Organization as co-owners and stewards of the Genuine Contact Co-Owners Group, Inc. This global Genuine Contact Organization  is the steward of the GC Way and supports members of the Genuine Contact Organization in increasing the use of Genuine Contact in the world. This provides a practical experience of leadership in a global GCO when learning and collaborating together with people spanning a multitude of competencies, cultures, and languages.