Training vs. Facilitation, What’s the difference and Which works better for First-time Manager programs

Introduction

Stepping into a people management role for the first time signifies a significant career milestone. Navigating this transition adeptly can determine the contrast between embarking on an exciting new realm of job satisfaction and facing overwhelming anxiety. The success of new managers holds immense importance for any organization, as its implications go far beyond the individual manager. Given this context, it is evident that organizations continue to prioritize investment in such development programs.

Exploring managerial training programs involves considering various perspectives. One key aspect is the methodology chosen between Facilitation and Training. In this piece, we delve into the disparities and determine the most suitable approach for new manager training initiatives.

Factors such as cohort size and on-site versus remote delivery should impact the methods selected. This article will maintain a high-level approach to ensure relevance across these variables.

Training vs. Facilitation - The general difference

Training

Structured Learning: Training typically involves a more structured and standardized approach, with a defined curriculum designed to impart specific knowledge or skills to the participants.

Instructor-Led Sessions: It is often led by a trainer or an expert who delivers the content through lectures, presentations, demonstrations, and other direct instructional methods.

Focus on Skill Acquisition: The emphasis is on acquiring new skills or knowledge, with clear objectives and outcomes outlined from the start. Training sessions are usually designed to address specific learning goals or competencies.

Assessment and Feedback: Training programs often include assessments, tests, or practical exercises to evaluate the participants' grasp of the material, followed by feedback to help them improve.

Facilitation

Focus on Guiding: Facilitation is more about guiding participants through discussions, activities, and reflections, allowing them to discover and internalize new concepts and skills in a more self-directed way.

Encourages Collaboration: It often involves group activities that encourage collaboration among participants, fostering a shared learning experience where the facilitator acts more as a moderator or coach rather than a direct instructor.

Adaptable to Participants' Needs: Facilitation is highly adaptable to the needs and dynamics of the group, allowing for adjustments in real-time based on how participants are engaging with the material and each other.

Empowers Learners: The goal is to empower participants to take ownership of their learning journey, encouraging them to explore topics deeply, ask questions, and connect the dots with their real-world experiences.

Unique needs of first-time managers

Transitioning into a first managerial position with team responsibilities marks a significant shift for individuals. This entails:

• Putting others’ needs ahead of my own
• Having uncomfortable conversations related to developmental feedback and performance management?
• Dealing with people’s problems and being resilient enough to still maintain own emotional balance?
• Working more hours
• Being more exposed to corporate bureaucracy and politics

This new range of challenges requires acquiring new tools and skills, but more importantly an increased level of resilience and self-awareness.?

Where to apply which

Training is best applied to

Training methodologies may be better applied to topics of subject matter and specific skills. Examples include:

Methods and Tools for Leading Innovation

• Design Thinking Process

Methods and Tools for Prioritization

• Eisenhower Matrix: Helps in categorizing tasks by urgency and importance.
• MoSCoW Method: Distinguishes Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves, and Won't-haves.

Time Management Methods

• Pomodoro Technique: Enhances focus by breaking work into intervals.
• Time Blocking: Allocates specific blocks of time for tasks.

Business Planning Methods

• SWOT Analysis: Identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Performance Management Concepts

• 9 Box Grid: Assesses employee performance and potential.

Facilitation is best applied to

Facilitation methodologies are best applied to topics that are behavioral in nature and require deeper self-reflection to sink in. Examples include:

Conflict Resolution Techniques

• Role-playing scenarios to practice conflict resolution in a safe environment.
• Group discussions to share personal experiences and strategies.

Effective Communication Skills

• Exercises that encourage active listening and feedback among participants.
• Storytelling exercises to enhance narrative skills and emotional engagement.

Team Building and Motivation

• Team exercises that identify and utilize individual strengths for collective success.
• Motivational exercises that help managers understand intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.

Emotional Intelligence Development

• Reflective exercises that enhance self-awareness and empathy.
• Group activities that focus on understanding and managing emotions in the workplace.

Leadership Styles and Adaptability

• Interactive sessions that help managers identify their leadership style and how to adapt it to different situations
• Peer feedback sessions to understand the impact of various leadership approaches.

Change Management

• Facilitated discussions on personal experiences with change to understand various perspectives.
• Simulation games that mimic organizational changes to practice adaptation and leadership.

Decision Making and Problem Solving

• Group problem-solving activities that highlight collective decision-making processes
• Case study discussions to explore complex decision-making scenarios and outcomes.

Diversity and Inclusion

• Interactive workshops that explore unconscious bias and its impact on decision-making.
• Group activities that promote understanding and appreciation of diversity in the workplace.

Coaching and Mentoring Skills

• Role-play exercises that allow managers to practice coaching and feedback techniques.
• Peer-coaching sessions to develop mentoring skills and support networks.

Resilience and Stress Management

• Mindfulness and stress-reduction workshops.
• Group discussions on personal resilience stories and strategies for managing stress.

Conclusions

Training is crucial for imparting essential skills and knowledge, such as business planning and time management techniques, ensuring managers have a solid operational foundation.

On the other hand, facilitation is key to developing the softer, behavioral skills vital for effective leadership. Through interactive sessions, first-time managers learn to navigate interpersonal dynamics, foster teamwork, and enhance emotional intelligence, which are essential for leading with empathy and resilience.

In essence, the ideal development program for new managers marries the structured, skill-based focus of training with the reflective, behavior-oriented nature of facilitation. This integrated approach equips first-time managers with a comprehensive skill set, enabling them to lead successfully and contribute to a positive organizational culture.?