First Time Facilitator FTF 219: Jo Fitzgerald Shares How Deliberate Planning Creates Presence in Your Workshops
In this episode, host Leanne Hughes welcomes Jo Fitzgerald, from Jo Fitz Consulting to discuss intentionality in your workshop design.
Jo shares her insights and experiences from her career, highlighting the importance of creating a supportive environment and sharing responsibility for a successful workshop, as well as techniques for being present and managing moments (rather than automatically trying to fix issues).
They discuss the challenges of facilitating and the ongoing learning process involved. Jo also shares a personal story about a negative workshop experience and how it shaped her approach as a facilitator.
What You Will Learn:
- The similarities between teaching children and working with adults in a workshop setting
- How to use an intention sheet to be intentional and disciplined in your facilitation, reflecting on your desired presence and impact on the team.
- Ways to cultivate a sense of energy and avoid exhaustion after workshops, including the practice of staying in the room
- How to create a dynamic workshop environment that is engaging and fun, even for serious topics, by incorporating tools like check-ins and movement activities to promote physical engagement and foster creativity.
- Creating a holistic learning experience by considering participants' backgrounds and community context
- The importance of establishing connection and allowing participants to take ownership of their learning
- Managing the mindset of wanting to continuously improve and reflecting on workshop outcomes
About Jo Fitzgerald:
Jo is a facilitator and leadership coach based in New Zealand. With a background in teaching and senior leadership roles in the public sector, Jo has extensive experience in bringing diverse teams together to achieve positive outcomes.
She has been a senior leader in the public sector working on big, hard, important programmes that aimed to make things better for people. Throughout her career, she's always tried to work with other people by finding areas of agreement even when there may have seemed to be insurmountable disagreement.
Jo prioritises collaboration and continuous learning, aiming to help leaders and teams better understand themselves and each other.
Jo is a Gallup certified strengths coach and is passionate about facilitating workshops that empower participants to reach their full potential.
Connect with Jo Fitzgerald:
- Website: jofitzconsulting.co.nz
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jo-fitzgerald
Join the Conversation:
Join the global community of facilitators in The Flipchart, a free Facebook group with over 2,000 members. Connect with like-minded professionals, share insights, and continue the conversation about facilitation.
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(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).