Open Space on Open Space, Melbourne Dec 10
11 November 2015I’ve just completed two days facilitating open space. And I’m exhausted. Why is facilitating open space – a process where it looks like the facilitator is doing not very much at all – so exhausting? If you’re interested in this question and others about open space come along to our Open Space on Open Space…
What is Creative facilitation?
11 November 2015And how does it differ from any other sorts of facilitation? It took me a long time – literally years of trial and error – to find my own style of facilitation. It was helpful to see how other people facilitated and I would learn lots from them. But I was not other people. With…
Words that drive me nuts
5 November 2015Language, such an interesting topic. I’ve always been keen on plain English – or plain language, if you like. Solid words like nouns and verbs, without the added distractions of adjectives. A travel brochure landed in my letterbox this week and here’s why this particular company is “the only way to travel”. (Really?) A professionally…
What is the purpose of a conference?
26 October 2015“The best part of the conference are the breaks. I put up with all of the other stuff so as I can catch up with friends, and meet new people, during the breaks.” I’ve heard variations of this over the years. I’ve even said it myself, though these days I’m less likely to spend the…
Creative Facilitation in Melbourne Nov 26-27
4 October 2015You might be surprised by the variety and depth of ways to engage people,especially if you’re stuck in a meeting rut, listening to others drone on, and rarely having time to discuss what really matters. I make my living from facilitating, so I’m always on the lookout for new ideas and better, more creative, and…
Rock balancing for mindfulness
2 September 2015My favourite form of mindfulness is rock balancing – introduced to me years ago by my friend Chris Corrigan. His advice about how to balance rocks still stands – you simply have to believe it’s possible. Mongolia is a great place for rock balancing. And mindfulness.
How to start meetings on time
2 September 2015I’m asked this question a lot. Meetings start late, and run over time. It becomes the norm, expected even. Everyone knows, and everyone compensates in their own way – generally turning up late. It becomes part of the way the organisation operates. If this is true for your organisation, or your group, there’s an easy…
Keeping it fresh
1 September 2015With lots of Creative Facilitation training under my belt, the challenge is to keep it fresh. The danger is complacency. Two things happened in today’s training that helped with the freshness. Actually, one happened even before I arrived. I’d decided I’d done enough preparation, so on the train to Melbourne, decided to read the paper…
Back on the horse
31 August 2015I’ve had a break from blogging. Time to restart. Mainly because I forget things, and spend too much time searching for that idea, quote, reference, or activity. I’ve had a mini break (three weeks) from all forms of media too: no internet = no email, blogs, Twitter, Facebook. Nothing. During that time I was travelling…
Nothing is Written – Learning is an Adventure now available
1 June 2015To celebrate a whole new month Johnnie Moore and I are releasing the PDF of our new short book, Nothing is Written. It shares eight simple ideas that guide how we work. Nothing is Written Emotional connectedness Experiences over explanation Shared peril Avoiding the teacher trance The value of loose ends Getting out of our…