ToP® Training · Foundational Course
Build the skill set underneath everything else you do.
Build the skill set underneath everything else you do. Two days. Two proven methods. A skill set that enhances every meeting you'll ever lead.
TFM is the entry point into the ToP® training path — and the only course on the path with no prerequisites. Every other ToP® course assumes you speak this language.
Why This Course
Most meetings produce another meeting.
Every leader runs meetings. Most of those meetings don't reach their aims. The difference between a meeting that produces something and a meeting that produces another meeting isn't luck — it's skilled facilitation.
ToP® Facilitation Methods is the foundational course for becoming that skilled facilitator. You'll learn two methods that form the backbone of participatory practice worldwide — the Focused Conversation Method and the Consensus Workshop Method. These are the same methods I use with client organizations across the Great Plains and nationally.
The aims are the point. The meetings are how we get there.
What You'll Leave Able to Do
Concrete skills. Ready Monday morning.
You don't just leave with notes. You leave with specific capabilities you can use in the meetings you're already leading.
Lead focused conversations that reach insight, not just opinions.
The ORID method (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional) gives you a repeatable structure for any conversation that needs to move a group from data to decision.
Design and facilitate consensus workshops.
Help groups develop shared understanding and commit to action — even when they came in with very different views. Consensus Workshop is the method underneath most meaningful participatory decision-making.
Design meetings that reach their aims.
Whether the aim is alignment, problem-solving, planning, or conflict resolution — you'll leave with a repeatable design logic you can apply to any meeting on your calendar.
Apply these methods immediately.
Not "understand the concepts." Apply. You'll practice on your own real content during the course and walk out ready to use the methods the following Monday.
Who This Is For
Built for the people who lead the work.
Leaders who regularly run meetings
Consultants and external facilitators
Planners — urban, regional, strategic
Nonprofit staff and executive directors
HR, learning, and organizational development professionals
Project managers and program coordinators
Anyone who works with groups on anything that matters
The Format
Two full days. In person. Small cohort.
You'll practice both methods on real content from your own work, get feedback, and walk out the second day with methods you can use the following Monday.
What's Included
Everything you need — during the course and after.
Your registration includes three things that stay with you long after the course ends.
The official ToP® Facilitation Methods manual
A comprehensive reference you'll use long after the course ends — methods, designs, templates, and examples in one place.
One hour of coaching with one of your course trainers
Scheduled within 90 days of course completion. Bring a real challenge you're working on — a meeting you need to design, a planning session you're leading, a group dynamic you're navigating — and we'll work through it together.
Access to the Great Plains ToP® Community of Practice
Quarterly gatherings of ToP® practitioners across the region. Keep your skills sharp, learn from others, stay connected to the work.
Credentials & Continuing Education
Counts toward the credentials that matter.
CTF Pathway
ToP® Facilitation Methods is a core requirement on the path to the Certified ToP® Facilitator (CTF) credential — the international professional standard for ToP® practitioners.
Continuing Education Hours
Prerequisites
None. Bring yourself.
TFM is the foundational course in the ToP® path. It assumes no prior facilitation experience and no prior ToP® training. If you run meetings, you have enough context to benefit from this course.
What Participants Say
From people who took this course.
“
This course is the foundation of everything I do as a facilitator now. The methods are that fundamental.
Past TFM Participant
“
I came in skeptical that a two-day course could change how I run meetings. It did, and the change has held up for years.
Past TFM Participant
Tiered Pricing
Priced by what your organization can carry.
Four tiers based on organization type and budget. Pick the one that fits honestly — no verification beyond the student discount.
Corporate · Large Nonprofit
$1,250
Organizations with budgets over $5M
Public · Government
$1,050
Public agencies and government staff
Individual · Mid-Sized Nonprofit
$950
Individual professionals or nonprofits $1–5M
Small Nonprofit · Student
$650
Small nonprofits under $1M; student ID required for student rate
Tiered pricing, not sliding scale. If the price is a barrier for your organization, please reach out — there may be other options.
Upcoming Cohorts
When you can take this course.
No public cohorts are scheduled right now. Join the waitlist and you'll be the first to know when the next TFM course opens for registration.
If you'd like to run this course in-house for your team, I also offer that — get in touch to talk about scope, dates, and pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions people ask before they register.
Do I need prior facilitation experience to take TFM? +
No. TFM is the foundational course — it's designed for people coming in cold. If you run meetings, you have enough context to benefit from the course. Past participants have included first-time leaders, long-tenured executives, solo consultants, and people who have never formally facilitated anything.
How is ToP® different from DISC, Working Genius, or the 5 Behaviors? +
Those are assessment tools — they help a group understand itself. ToP® is a facilitation methodology — it gives you the structures to design and lead meetings that reach their aims. The two categories complement each other. ToP® methods work with or without any assessment tool in the mix.
Does this qualify for continuing education credits? +
Yes. TFM qualifies for 13.5 hours of CHES/MCHES credit, 14.5 hours of AICP credit, 12 hours of ICF credit, and 14 hours of PDU credit. Documentation is provided at the end of the course for your records.
Is TFM offered virtually or only in person? +
All public TFM cohorts are delivered in person across the Great Plains region. I also offer in-house training for teams — in-house can be delivered in person or virtually. Contact me for in-house scope and pricing.
What's actually included in the registration price? +
Three things beyond the two days of instruction: (1) the official ToP® Facilitation Methods manual — a permanent reference you'll use long after the course ends; (2) one hour of coaching with one of your course trainers, scheduled within 90 days of course completion; (3) access to the Great Plains ToP® Community of Practice, a quarterly peer gathering of regional ToP® practitioners.
How does the Certified ToP® Facilitator (CTF) credential work? +
CTF is the international professional credential for ToP® practitioners, awarded by ICA's credentialing body. TFM is one of two required courses on the pathway (the other is ToP® Strategic Planning). Beyond coursework, candidates submit documentation of facilitation experience and sit for a peer review. TFM alone doesn't grant CTF — it's the first step. We can talk through the full pathway during your course coaching hour.
How large are the cohorts? +
Small by design. We cap enrollment so every participant gets practice time, feedback, and real attention during the two days. This is a working classroom, not a lecture.
What if the course I want is full or not scheduled for my region? +
Join the waitlist (button below) and you'll be the first to know when a new cohort opens. If you have a group of 6+ who want the training, in-house is often the right answer — it gives your team shared vocabulary and saves on travel.
Ready to lead meetings that actually reach their aims?
TFM is the best two days of professional development most participants say they've ever had. The methods you'll learn are the foundation of every ToP® practice worldwide — and they'll change how you run every meeting for the rest of your career.