Bolder Conversations
19 July 2016I’m riffing some ideas here based on the four themes we’ve been exploring for Creative Leadership: Having bolder conversations Connecting more deeply Engaging the resistance Staying alive None of us like to feel uncomfortable when talking with others. Sometimes it’s easiest to stay silent. Yet staying silent, especially on important topics, can have ramifications…
Taming self talk
21 May 2016Sometimes, when talking with someone, it’s obvious that they are elsewhere. They have gone into their head. While we can’t know what the other person is thinking, it’s usually pretty obvious that they are not listening to us, maybe even no longer aware that we are there. It can range from slightly annoying to downright rude.…
A morning with David Whyte
1 May 2016First, two confessions. I’d never read, or listened to any of David Whyte’s work. And I didn’t know what genius loci meant. Nor did I know to what extent both might influence me. After yesterday morning, neither is no longer true. I was impressed with the rhythm of David’s performance, the strength, and loudness, of the silences, and…
But what would you do instead?
19 February 2014That hoary (yes, I like to use archaic words sometimes, it sets the scene for the post I’m writing) old saying (and yes, I know hoary and old mean the same thing and so this is a tautology – it’s about emphasis) , “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is often used as an…
Difficult conversations
16 January 2014Summer, and holiday time, is a great time to people watch. Families and friends find time to get together. This past twelve months I’ve had two summers – one in the UK and now here in Australia. I’m interested in how people interact. I love listening to people talking in a language I don’t know…
Courageous conversations
18 February 2013Sometimes I’m asked how I know about various facilitation approaches, how I know what to do, and what not to do, that sort of thing. One of the ways is to put myself in the shoes of a participant and notice my own reactions, and also learn from the others I’m with. I’ve signed up…
Perspective and the echo chamber
28 September 2012There was a moment last week at the Applied Improvisation Network Conference where I felt particularly despondent. We’d been listening to people talk about what they are doing in taking improvisation skills and practices out of the theatre and into the world. We’d heard of using improv to treat post-traumatic stress in war veterans, in…
Listen up. R U OK?
10 September 2012Some of us are better at noticing than others. Facilitators get a lot of practice at noticing. Noticing is not the same as knowing. I might notice someone frowning, but that doesn’t mean I know the reason why. I need to ask, and there needs to be enough trust for the person to answer honestly.…
Promotion is not a conversation
7 September 2012This post falls in to the old and grumpy category, so you are warned! I’m fed up with lists, discussion groups and everything else that purports to be a vehicle for conversation (albeit, on-line conversations) being hijacked by advertisements for this course or that workshop. Oh yes, I’m guilty too. Couldn’t we just have more…
3 tips for science communications
16 August 2012It’s National Science Week here in Australia. I’m quite fond of science and scientists: I’m married to a scientist; I even studied science once; I dabbled in science communications; I failed to get a Churchill Fellowship to explore science communications; and I love just about anything to do with space exploration. I’m a big fan…