Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register for an open enrollment class?
Choose a session from our upcoming course dates and register online, or contact us for a personalized recommendation on the class that’s right for you.

Where are open enrollment classes held?
Open enrollment classes are held in person in major U.S. cities, such as Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Washington, DC, and as live virtual classes. Locations are subject to change, so please confirm your class location before booking non-refundable travel. See upcoming course dates for current locations and our Locations and Accommodations page for details.

What times do open enrollment classes start and end?
In-person classes run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. local time. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early. Virtual class times are listed with each session, and most run 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. If you need to arrive late or leave early, please let your instructor know.

Do you develop customized classes and hold them onsite?
Yes. We customize our facilitation and leadership courses for your organization and deliver them onsite at your location or virtually. Contact us to discuss a private class.

Is breakfast or lunch included with an in-person class?
Yes. Coffee, tea, juice and pastries are available in the morning, a working lunch is provided, and an afternoon break includes soft drinks and snacks. Some locations can accommodate medically related dietary needs, such as food allergies, Crohn’s, celiac disease or diabetes, if requested several days in advance. If you have special dietary preferences, you may need to bring your own meals.

What is the dress code for an open enrollment class?
Dress is business casual. Slacks, sweaters, open collars and casual shoes are encouraged; business suits and sweat suits are equally discouraged.

Do you offer CEUs or PMI PDUs?
Yes. Our courses offer continuing education units (CEUs). PMI credential holders can also earn up to 24 Professional Development Units (PDUs) for The Effective Facilitator.

What is the cost of an open enrollment class?
Registration fees are based on class length and are listed with each session on our upcoming course dates page.

When is payment due for an open enrollment class?
Payment for open enrollment classes is due at the time of registration.

Do you accept credit card payments?
Yes. We accept all major credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

Do you offer special pricing for government organizations?
Yes. Government organizations can purchase through our GSA schedule. Please visit our GSA Pricing and Policies page for details.

Are you a certified minority-owned supplier?
Yes. Leadership Strategies is nationally certified through the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). Cert # AT01451.

What is your cancellation, transfer and refund policy?
Cancellation requests must be received in writing (by replying to your confirmation email) at least 30 days before the class starts to receive a full refund. Refunds are not available for cancellations less than 30 days before class, but the fee can be applied to any future class within six months of the original course. Rescheduling is allowed one time only. Participant substitutions are accepted. Failure to attend without notice forfeits the class fee.

We make every attempt not to cancel a scheduled class. If a cancellation is required, participants are notified 10 calendar days before the class by phone and/or email and may apply the registration fee to a future class or request a full refund. When we cancel a class, we also reimburse airfare cancellation or change fees up to $100 with a receipt.

What is facilitation, and why do meetings fail without it?
Facilitation is the practice of guiding a group to a result through a structured process: a clear purpose, an agenda built around the outcome, and techniques that get every voice heard and build consensus. Meetings without facilitation tend to drift, get dominated by a few voices and end without decisions or owners. A trained facilitator keeps the group focused, manages dysfunction and closes with clear next steps and accountability.

Which facilitation course should I take first?
Most people start with The Effective Facilitator, our flagship course. Project managers often start with Facilitation Skills for Project Managers. Facilitators who want to bring AI into their practice can follow with the Certified AI-Enabled Facilitator program. Not sure which fits? Contact us for a personalized recommendation.

What is The Effective Facilitator course?
The Effective Facilitator is Leadership Strategies’ flagship facilitation course, taken by more than 25,000 participants. Over four days, you learn 10 facilitation principles and more than 100 techniques for preparing sessions, building agendas, keeping groups focused, managing dysfunction and building consensus, then put them into practice in a video-recorded session. It is offered in person in select U.S. cities and as a live virtual edition. Learn more about The Effective Facilitator.

What is the Certified AI-Enabled Facilitator (CAEF) program?
The Certified AI-Enabled Facilitator™ (CAEF) is a two-day, live virtual workshop that teaches facilitators to use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini before, during and after a session, from stakeholder mapping and agenda design to turning discussion into themes and action items. It is built on Leadership Strategies’ CRAFT-Q prompting framework. Participants can attend to learn, or pass an optional assessment to earn the CAEF credential. Explore the CAEF program.

Do you offer virtual facilitation training?
Yes. The Effective Facilitator, the Certified AI-Enabled Facilitator, Facilitation Skills for Project Managers and Strategic Thinking are offered as live, instructor-led virtual classes, and private team courses can be delivered virtually. See upcoming course dates for current virtual sessions.

Can you train our whole team?
Yes. We deliver our courses privately for your organization, onsite or virtually, and customize the content, examples and exercises to your industry and goals. Contact us to plan a team training.

How can my organization host a public class and earn free training?
Organizations that provide a training room for one of our public courses can earn benefits such as complimentary seats in the class, free private training for their team or free facilitation services, and their employees attend locally without travel costs. Learn more on our Host a Public Training page.

What industries do you work with?
Leadership Strategies works with corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Our facilitators lead strategic planning, cross-functional and board sessions across sectors, including healthcare strategic planning, cross-functional meetings, nonprofit board retreats and nonprofit leadership training.

How do I make facilitation skills stick after training?
Skills stick when you use them right away and often. Pick one technique from training and use it in your next meeting, build practice into real sessions every week, ask a colleague for feedback, and use a standard agenda and process template so the skills become habit. Leaders can reinforce this by asking team members to facilitate key meetings. Read more on building consistent facilitation skills.

Can I access recorded webinars if I missed the live event?
Yes. Everyone who registers for a live webinar receives a follow-up email with a link to the recording. You can also access our on-demand webinars by completing a short form.

How do I become a certified facilitator?
Experienced facilitators can prepare with Leadership Strategies for the Certified Master Facilitator™ (CMF) designation from the International Institute for Facilitation (INIFAC). The CMF recognizes facilitators highly skilled in 30 sub-competencies. We suggest starting with The Effective Facilitator followed by our Facilitation Prep class; both are integrated with the 30 CMF sub-competencies.

To earn the CMF, you submit four items for review:

• Documentation of at least 30 distinct facilitated sessions in the three years before you apply. (Certified Competent Facilitators and Certified Professional Facilitators receive credit for 15 sessions.)
• Reference letters from at least five clients.
• A written submission on your knowledge and experience across each of the 30 Master Facilitator sub-competencies.
• A written facilitator guide and a video of you facilitating a session on a topic, with participant role-plays, provided by INIFAC. Two INIFAC-certified assessors review your package.

The IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator (CPF) is a separate designation from the International Association of Facilitators for members who demonstrate its Core Facilitator Competencies. Learn more on the IAF CPF page.

How do I become a facilitator for Leadership Strategies?
Send us a note through our contact form and mention that you’d like to facilitate with us; our Training Services team will follow up with next steps for sharing your resume. We select facilitators for the characteristics that separate expert facilitators from less experienced ones, and for broad experience serving business, government and nonprofit clients.

Facilitators selected for our full-time or Core Team complete an in-depth certification process with practice sessions, structured one-on-one feedback and supervised facilitation, so every session meets the same high standard.

What is the typical price of a one-day meeting facilitation assignment?
Facilitation, consulting and course customization are billed at the daily rate of our facilitators and consultants, which varies by skill level. Community-based nonprofit organizations receive a 20% discount off standard rates. Contact us for a quote.

How can I contact you after normal business hours?
Call our main number at 1-800-824-2850 or 770-454-1440 and choose the extension of the person you’d like to reach to leave a voicemail. An emergency extension is also available. You can also send us a message anytime through our contact form.