Round-Table Facilitator's Guide
Thank you for accepting the responsibility to facilitate a round-table discussion for the Executive Officers Club (EOC). The EOC is careful to select talented, experienced executives to serve as small group facilitators. We appreciate the expertise you will bring to the table and trust that you will likewise benefit from the idea exchange.
The purpose of the round-table discussion is to provide a forum for top executives to exchange ideas and learn from one another. You can best serve EOC members by using your expertise to promote discussion and learning rather than selling yourself or your company. Sharing tangible ideas that translate into positive personal or business results will reinforce your already accepted role as an expert in your field.
Guidelines for Round-Table Facilitators
Topic: Create a thought-provoking title for your round-table presentation that supports the theme of the session in which you will be participating. This title, together with your name and company, will be distributed to the membership in advance so they know what to expect from each of the facilitators.
Preparation: Prepare to share several pragmatic ideas of potential benefit to other executives during the round-table session. Handouts for up to a dozen people will complement your ideas and provide a lasting reference for the participants.
Facilitator's Briefing: Please arrive at the meeting site at 9:30 a.m. on the date you are scheduled to conduct a round-table session. A Facilitators' Briefing is planned for you with officers of the EOC. We will walk you through the process and answer any questions you might have to load the process for success.
Introduction at the EOC Meeting: Each facilitator will be asked to give a one-minute overview to the full EOC group about what people will learn at their round table. EOC members then select the table topic of particular interest and go to that table. Sometimes executives will go to a few tables to get as much information as possible, so be prepared for people to come and go during your informal exchange.
Round-Table Process
* Encourage the people who select your table topic to briefly introduce themselves and state what they are seeking from this round table.
* Create a climate for open discussion while keeping the atmosphere informal and relaxed. While they are looking primarily to you for ideas, participants often have ideas worth actively pursuing as well.
* Ask open-ended questions and listen to others' ideas as well as actively share your own.
* Look for the learning and application of the ideas to both professional and business development.
Round-Table Executive Briefings
Facilitators will be given a five-minute notice when the round-table discussions will need to come to a close. Usually the entire round-table discussion lasts about 75 minutes.
Identify one or two ideas explored in your group that can be passed on to the other EOC members who did not have the benefit of being at your table.
At the conclusion of the round-table process, the facilitators will be asked to share an "Aha Idea" that surfaced during the discussion with the full EOC membership. We are looking for a tangible, pragmatic idea that can be implemented by those not attending your table. (The Executive Briefing is not intended, however, to be a summarization of what you discussed.) Each facilitator will have only one minute to share an "Aha Idea" during the Executive Briefing.
Thank you again for accepting the responsibility to facilitate a round table. We trust that you will find the experience to be personally and professionally rewarding. Please plan on joining us for lunch and staying for the inspirational guest speaker immediately following lunch. While the EOC session will end promptly at 2:00 p.m., what you learn will continue to keep your creative juices flowing.
If we can be of any assistance to you, or if you would like to learn more about the Executive Officers Club, please feel free to call on us.
The EOC's 2006 Rose Festival Parade float won the Rose Society Award for best use of roses.