Facilitation tips and tricks for newbies
21 May 2013Today I was a guest with John James for a webinar about tips and tricks for newbie facilitators. Here’s some of what we covered. Why would a group need a facilitator? Facilitation is a form of group leadership that focuses on group knowledge and interaction. If there’s no opportunity in the meeting to use group-generated…
Better meetings
29 April 2013This is such an exciting collaboration – and most of it has happened while I’ve been sleeping! Regular readers will know that I’m pretty keen on bringing meetings to life, and that Johnnie and I have published a book. We also offer face-to-face workshops to share our ideas and approaches (the next one is in London…
Facilitating for engagement in isolated communities
24 April 2013There are ways to facilitate meetings and events of all sorts that encourage participation and engagement. This week, while working in Papua New Guinea and helping community leaders learn how to facilitate in isolated communities, I’ve come to understand the following. Facilitation can help the redistribution of power dynamics in a community Many standard meeting…
Update on planning and pickles – or, pickled planning…
23 April 2013I’ve now completed two of the five-day facilitation training that was occupying my mind (and blog). As I eventually remembered (and knew all along, it’s just that I forgot) most things became clear once I was with the group. There were a number of things I could not have known in advance. The venue is…
Learning facilitation
21 April 2013Warning: This post will be quite rambling as I’m using it to clarify my own thinking. It helps to know someone will be reading this – encourages some level of coherence. Maybe. Here I am in Madang in Papua New Guinea, preparing to deliver a five-day facilitation skills training to local Papua New Guineans who…
Why do groups need a facilitator?
3 April 2013If the job of a facilitator is to get out of the way, why have one in the first place? Because boundaries matter. Boundaries provide safety, and structure, and edges. When the boundaries are clear, it’s easier to play with ideas, to try stuff, to be creative, to be more comfortable with uncertainty. Improvisers know…
It’s all about the numbers – of people
3 April 2013Numbers matter. When designing any group event I like to know the numbers – how many people? I’ve had this rule of thumb, based purely on experience, about selecting activities for a group based on the number of people in that group. (Yes. Yes. There’s also the outcomes, the purpose, the time available etc etc…
I tried something new
3 April 2013I’m prone to trying new things when I’m facilitating with a group. I make stuff up. I create processes and activities. I get an idea and figure the only way to test it is to try it. Does it work? Sometimes. Does it work for everyone? Probably not. Is it scary? Yes. Will I do…
Creative Facilitation – the workshop!
21 March 2013The last one was fun, so I’m doing it again. On May 1st. In Melbourne. Early bird registration closes on March 28th. (Sorry about the blatant self-promotion.) If you can’t come to the workshop you can still download the free book from here.
Sharing information
21 March 2013Increasingly, I’m being asked this question of face-to-face meetings: “How can we make sure people have received our information unless we do a presentation?” It is a well-intentioned question. It is (usually) a genuinely curious question. Those asking it do indeed have important information that they have for others. Sometimes it is potentially life-saving information,…