ENFIELD, CONNECTICUT— Sue Walden of San Francisco, the founder of ImprovWorks! and the author of Working with Groups to Enhance Relationships and Yes And Your Mental Agility, will lead a workshop called “You & the Glue” on Oct. 16 and 17 at the Holiday Inn.

The focus of the presentation is helping other group facilitators hone their skills. Those who would benefit include trainers, professional speakers, facilitators, psychologists, human resource professionals, managers and CEOs, social workers, entrepreneurs, trainers, coaches and consultants.

Walden spends the majority of her time leading workshops in Europe, and Trevor Smith, founder of Blue Sky Consulting of Northampton, said it is rare to see her on the East Coast. Smith met Walden through the Applied Improvisation Network (AIN) and attended one of her workshops at the AIN conference last November. Because of his personal interest, Smith is organizing Walden’s Connecticut workshop.

“I am familiar with Sue’s work, and I found her trainings to be empowering and full of ‘Aha’ moments and strategies that have helped and enhanced my skillset as a facilitator,” Smith said.

Walden has a bachelor’s degree in education and spent 25 years producing, directing and performing improv theater. She worked in a business setting for the first time in 1980. She has developed a specialty in adapting and widely applying improvisation principles and skills for corporations, coaches and individuals worldwide.

Her two-day workshop will encourage active involvement in the self-reflection that inspires new learning; core facilitation skills will be taught to increase effectiveness of working with groups of any size.

“The workshop will help participants gain a sense of how they come across in terms of confidence and credibility. Is their manner, the words they use, and the way they use them, encouraging people to participate?” asked Walden. She added that they will anchor the learning through objective, constructive feedback.

The second day of the workshop will be more focused on the “glue,” or the many little things that people may forget when working with groups. “I’ll offer concrete tips for making facilitation seem effortless and smooth,” she promised.

“We will use simple and effective exercises, games and activities that will add to the facilitator’s tool kit,” Walden said. “It’s a good combination program because you get to blend the information learned on the first day with actual implementation on the second.”

For more information or to register for “You & the Glue” workshop, email Trevor Smith at tsmith@blueskyconsulting.us or call (413) 204-8308.