Chairing Skills Training

A lively, interactive session for councillors who want to feel more confident and calm in the chair.  We’ll look at how to deal with tricky members and outspoken attendees without losing your cool, keep meetings on track and on the right side of the law whilst making sure everyone gets a fair say and the business actually gets done. You’ll pick up practical tips, share experiences, and leave ready to chair with confidence, balance and a touch of zen.

It covers:

• Different types of meetings
• Constitutional requirements
• Responsibilities before, during and after formal meetings
• Working with officers
• Agenda setting and time management
• When and how to intervene with different types councillors
• Key skills needed

Agenda for a typical two hour online workshop:

• Welcome and framing (5 mins)
• Different types of meetings (10 mins)
• Keeping your meeting legal (15 mins)
• Getting the business done (30 mins)
• Break (10 mins)
• Ensuring fairness (20 mins)
• Key skills (20 mins)
• Quiz and Top tips (10 mins)

This workshop can be delivered online, in person or hybrid. It is typically 2 hours with a short break, but can be condensed to 90 mins or expanded by including chairing practice sessions.

It can also be adapted to the specific council requirements and attendees, including their level of experience of chairing, with more advanced options for cabinet members available.

It is delivered by Liz Green, a very experienced chair of various formal and informal council meetings including full council, cabinet, committees, audit, planning and community forums. 

This workshop is designed for councillors with a mixture of experience of chairing, with each getting different aspects out of it. 

Those who are new to chairing, or yet to chair, learn the basics of legality and practicalities; those with some experience expand their knowledge with techniques to deal with tricky councillors or public; those used to chairing appreciate the tips on ensuring fairness.

If it is being run for specific levels of experience only, it can be adapted to ensure they benefit.

The cost varies depending delivery such as online, in person or hybrid and level of adaptation required. We always offer value for money as we know council's have tight budgets.

As an indication, a 2 hour online workshop, without adaptations, would cost £750, but please contact us for an accurate quote.

"Such a good training session with Liz.  The training was pitched perfectly to the level of the audience.   The roles play sessions were great fun, entered into with gusto by all participants and were as much therapy as training. When you do the role play, ask for 'two hats Liz', a great way to understand how to manage a difficult meeting."

Bespoke session for London Borough top team

 "I found Liz Greens presentation the most useful. I now know I need to do some work on my skills, knowledge and read the constitution in particular." 

General chairing skills workshop

 "Liz combines expertise with an engaging style that makes her training sessions  practical and enjoyable." 

General  training session

Like the famous motorbike road trip, chairing well takes care, attention, and balance. Philosophy meets practicality. 

●Classical view of analytical – the motorbike as an assembly of parts to be understood ●Romantic view of intuitive and emotional – focused on the experience and feeling of riding. 

When the mechanics, the road and the balance come together using the right tools, meetings run with a quiet sense of quality — and that’s what we’re aiming for.