Kimberly Dark will teach “How to Facilitate a Meeting” for the Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, in Building 388, room 103, at Hawaii Community College in Hilo.
Kimberly Dark will teach “How to Facilitate a Meeting” for the Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, in Building 388, room 103, at Hawaii Community College in Hilo.
“The word ‘facilitate’ comes from the Latin root facil, to make easier,” said Dark. “That’s just what a good facilitator does — makes it easier for a group to achieve its highest aims.
And ironically, when a facilitator is highly skilled, the group hardly even knows it’s been helped.”
This community workshop provides a half day of skills-building for anyone who is in a position to “run a meeting”—at home, on the job, on boards or in community settings.
Participants will learn how to help a group prepare with clear materials, supplies, and room set-up; best use the time allotted to work toward a goal; clarify its mission and people’s roles; and minimize conflict and still handle difficult issues.
Dark teaches how to bring out people’s hidden talent, skills, and creativity. She also teaches how to develop an awareness of power relationships that will help the group move skillfully from one issue to the next, incorporating new participants as needed.
“If you participate in public meetings like school boards or the county council, or want to sidestep conflict by helping people informally organize their aims, or help a group work methodically toward a long-term goal, then this workshop is for you,” Dark explained.
She has been consulting in conflict resolution and facilitation for more than 20 years. Her first training in 1987 with the Colorado Institute for Conflict Resolution focused on group and family problem-solving. She completed mediator certification with the National Conflict Resolution Center in 1996, and served on the San Diego Mediation Center Community Justice Advisory Board from 1997 to 1998.
For 11 years, Dark served as principal for Current Change Consulting. Her consulting specialties included community facilitation, training, and group conflict resolution. Tuition is $50, with group discounts available. To register, contact Ku‘ikahi Executive Director Julie Mitchell at 935-7844, ext. 116, or julie@hawaiimediation.org.