The Telephone Group Facilitators Training Course
Community Network provides comprehensive training sessions to help organisations get the best from telephone conferencing.
They’re practical, fun – and proven to work. In fact, when we ask our customers and beneficiaries what they think of the Community Network service, our Telephone Group Facilitators Training Course is regularly singled out for praise...
“The training was brilliant, and a really enjoyable experience for everybody.”
- Sinéad Grennan, Chief Executive of Sonas aPc
It’s run as three one-hour sessions (over the phone – naturally) and these are usually completed within a three-week period. If this sounds like a lot of time to spend holding a phone in one hand and scribbling notes in the other, then don’t worry – you don’t need to! We ask you only to talk, to listen and to interact, and the emphasis is on making the sessions easygoing and enjoyable.
“I know other similar groups have thought that it’s a great idea, but have thought that it might be too much of a commitment for them. But the training was good and so quick – we thought it would take up lots of time, but no.”
- Evelyn Griffith, Group Co-ordinator, CanTeen Ireland
“I often ask everyone to look at the time after thirty minutes,” says Safia Qurashi, our Course Co-ordinator. “Most seem quite shocked at how the time has flown by!”
“There are no notes to be taken, no tests, no exams - just positive feedback and constructive criticism. So there is no pre-work involved whatsoever,” she says.
“The training we had with Safia was very good, and they are so professional”
- Paula Lahiff, Company Secretary of the Post-Polio Support Group
The course is designed as practical preparation. “When we do role-plays, we try to choose all sorts of characters, so delegates get a good idea of what people can be like on the phone and the types of people that they may come across,” says Safia. “Of course, we can practice and role-play forever, but the real experience comes when delegates start for real, and begin getting to know their own groups.”
To help you on your way, there is a full handout distributed at the end of the course. This guide covers everything that you’ll need to know in order to set up and to manage successful teleconferences from scratch. From the basic practicalities – how to arrange and administer the calls – through to useful guidelines, tips and tricks on how to get every participant involved and to deal with any difficulties that arise.
For your organisation, our training provides the foundation that you need to ensure that you get the maximum benefit from conference calling. For the delegates themselves – be they young or old, employee or volunteer – it also promotes self-belief in their ability to take on the role of ‘Chair’, introducing them to new skills that may be useful in a far wider context.
“After the session the three of us were filled with confidence.”
- Valerie Stewart, Mothers Union (Ireland)
To find out more about training with Community Network,
call us on 0845 619 9992 or email enquiries@community-network.org
