Courses / ToP® Focused Conversation
ToP® Focused Conversation · A one-day start
Ask better questions, get real answers.
Most conversations stall in one of two ways: people jump to solutions before anyone agrees on what’s going on, or they talk around the issue and never land. In one day you’ll learn a simple way of asking questions that carries a group from what they notice to what they’ll do.
Next public course
Registration opens on top-training.net, run by the Institute of Cultural Affairs, the national home of ToP training. You’ll get your confirmation and course details from them.
Length
1 full day, in person
Price
Up to $650, tiered by organization type
CE credit
ICF 7 hours
Prerequisite
None
What changes on Monday
Every conversation has a shape
Four steps: what we notice, how we react, what it means and what we’ll do (known as ORID).
Quiet people start talking
Without anyone being put on the spot.
Meetings stop going in circles
Discussions land on a decision or a next step, often in 10 to 30 minutes.
You can plan a conversation in minutes
For a staff meeting, a debrief, feedback or a tough topic.
Is this for you?
→ You want a real taste of facilitation without committing to two days.
→ You lead, supervise, coach or teach, and you want conversations that go somewhere.
→ Your organization uses ToP, and this is part of your training.
→ Someone you trust told you to take it.
What the day looks like
One method, practiced until it’s yours
You experience a focused conversation as a participant, see how it’s built, then design and lead your own on a real topic.
You leave with a conversation ready for your next meeting.
What people say
“ORID should be where I start and end conversations. It is a way of being.”
Derek · ToP Facilitation Methods participant
“This course was effective in helping me to ask the right questions in order to gain a deeper understanding in my interactions with others.”
ToP Facilitation Methods participant
Where this leads
FC is a first step. Most people take one of these next.
Professional development
Getting your organization to invest
Your supervisor will want three things: the cost, what you’ll be able to do, and which credentials it counts toward. The request letter puts all three in one email.
Five or more people?
Bring a course to your team
I can bring FC to your organization as a staff development day, built around your real conversations.
Questions people ask
How is FC different from TFM?
FC teaches one method in one day. TFM teaches it alongside two more, for reaching agreement and planning action, over two days.
Can I use this outside of work?
Yes. People use it with boards, community groups and around the kitchen table.
What’s included?
Course materials and an invitation to the Great Plains ToP Community of Practice.
Get notified of new dates
Leave your email and I’ll let you know when the next course is scheduled.