workshops work 119 - Using the power of analogies for your facilitation with Michel Barrett
Analogies are a powerful tool - they’re communication kaleidoscopes, reflecting and refracting our ideas into a multitude of new, eye-catching alternatives.
It’s a tool that we use regularly. I know in my workshops, I will fall back on helpful analogies to explain complex topics. On this podcast, guests (and I) will use analogies to explain new concepts. In many conversations, you’ll find analogies cropping up.
It was about time workshops work dedicated some space to this powerful tool! Thankfully, I was able to speak to one of the best possible analogists - Michael Barrett, founder of Resonance, LLC and multi-hyphenate-careerist.
Michael’s thinking is a breath of fresh air and our conversation flowed beautifully. Journey with us as we explore the power of analogies in facilitation.
Find out about:
- Michael’s portfolio career of massage therapy, consultancy, and facilitation
- How massage therapy taught Michael to see organisations as organism
- How interdisciplinary thinking helps Michael see the world in analogies
- Why we shouldn’t always avoid pain, as it can lead to sustained relief
- The neuroscientific reasons for using analogies when you facilitate
- Knowing where an analogy’s limits are
- Understanding the ground rules of using analogies effectively in workshops
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Questions and Answers
[01:38] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?
[06:52] Where do you see the parallels between facilitation and being a massage therapist?
[10:46] It sounds like the environment - making a safe space - matters just as much there?
[15:58] Do you think the focus on “fixing” afflicts massage therapists and facilitators equally?
[19:45] Can pain be productive and healing - as in massage therapy?
[21:33] Do analogies’ power in workshops come from adding personal, experiential relatability?
[24:33] How do you usually use analogies in your facilitation practice?
[28:28] Does knowing the science behind how analogies work allow you to use them in new, boundary-pushing ways?
[30:57] How can you determine what good and bad analogies are?
[34:06] Has a participant ever refuted or pushed back on one of your analogies?
[38:00] Are there specific moments when you use an analogy, or would you build an entire workshop around one?
[40:15] What makes a workshop fail?
[45:52] Do you have a favourite analogy?
[48:26] Is using analogies effectively a talent or a muscle?
[54:02] Do you have a favourite exercise?
[57:51] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?
Links
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