Course Overview:

This interactive training is for practitioners working with people in organisations and community groups where relationships and team spirit matter.  You will learn and improve facilitation and conflict resolution skills. 

You will learn by observing and practicing facilitation as it happens in the moment in real life situations, relevant scenarios, case studies and role play. Lecturing is kept to a minimum. You will develop your own skills and be better equipped to cope with challenges in your groups. Each session will follow an experiential and interactive format which the participants can use in their own groups. The way the course is taught models all the skills which are part of the course contents. Participants have opportunities for presenting case studies to maximize the practical relevance of this course.

Course Practicalities:

Classes will be delivered on Mondays 7-10pm from 12th of Feburary to 29th of April 2024 (excluding bank holidays 18 March and 1 April).

Location- Online over Microsoft Teams.

Closing date for applications: Monday 29th of January 2024.

Course Content:

Week 1:    Basic Agreements; Effective Feedback; ‘I’ Statements; Power Awareness.

Week 2:    Participatory Facilitation – using processes that increase participation.

Week 3:    Exploring motivations to lead, finding balance.

Week 4:    Consensus and other decision-making techniques.

Week 5:    Effective proposals, agendas, and other tricky details

Week 6:    Facilitating open discussions; alternatives to open discussion.

Week 7:    Mediation and Negotiation: Resolving conflicts and integrating differences.

Week 8:    Techniques for embracing diversity – working with different roles in groups.

Week 9:    Working with emotions effectively – ‘difficult individuals’, defensiveness, process resistance

Week 10: Creative ways of practising evaluation and follow up of group decisions.

Course Lecturer:

Thomas Riedmuller Hns BA (Conference Interpreting), originally from Germany, has been in Ireland since 1998. Thomas is working as a Teacher, Communication Trainer and Mediator specialising in conflict resolution and group facilitation. Since 2001 he has been actively involved in primary and secondary schools in Cork County and City teaching creative and non-violent ways of communicating and dealing with conflict. He has been teaching evening classes about Leadership and Mediation at UCC and training courses for teachers and youth workers. Since 2004 he has been teaching the FETAC/QQI modules ‘Community Leadership’ and ‘Conflict Resolution’ which he designed. As a mediator he is also helping individuals, couples and organisations sorting out issues and dealing with conflict. Thomas is a certified member of the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland. He is also a co-founder of The Hollies Centre of Practical Sustainability http://thehollies.ie.

 Entry Requirements:

 Applicants must be at least 18 years old at course commencement.

 Contact Details for Further Information:

Email: shortcourses@ucc.ie 

 Please note our refund policy as follows