When an island is sinking, whose responsibility is it to save? What approach do we take, and who foots the bill?Big, high-stakes climate conversations always share the same goal: to save the planet. But when a diverse group of stakeholders bring their own interests to the table, tensions naturally arise between the polarity of priorities - and that’s when things start to get a little complicated.Thankfully, Barbara Oliveira is a master at helping everyone to win. As a lawyer in a past life, she now seeks solutions to Wicked Problems in the climate space, harmonising the rigidity of formal negotiations with the softness of human connection and open exchange.A thoughtful and motivating conversation, with lots to double-click on, muse upon and learn from Barbara.Find out about:Facilitation through the lens of high-stakes, multi-stakeholder climate conversationsPowerplay, policies and principles: how to navigate multilateral conversations and negotiations with careWhat lies between the space of Facilitation and Chairing in the climate spaceWhy building resilience can keep us present and help us to self-regulateLinks:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Barbara Oliveira: LinkedInWebsiteSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

Listeners, what an adventure it’s been! 300 episodes. 300 guests. 300 soulful, wise, curious, facilitation-affirming conversations - each one, a gift! To celebrate my podcast tercentenary, I sit down with my microphone for an introspective, behind-the-scenes episode, just me, myself and I, to reflect on the years as a podcast host and facilitator.Episode 300 is a celebration - of facilitation, of journeys, and of learnings. I share my story, the things I’d tell my younger podcast-self, and the wisdom nuggets I’ve collected along the way.Thank you for sharing this journey with me!Find out about:My motivation for starting the Workshops.work podcast and its evolutionThe key to selecting brilliant podcast guests - and my selection criteriaMy growth as a podcast host and why I shifted my focus to celebrate human dynamicsWhy engaging conversations lie in chemistry, gut feelings and authentic curiosityTo become a better facilitator, we must never stop participating!Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Myriam Hadnes:LinkedInWebsiteSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

What does it *really* mean to meet people where they’re at? What can happen when we surrender to the serendipity of life? And how do we become aware of our own edges?This episode is punctuated with some big, beautiful questions that Maggie Coulter so eruditely explores with me through the lens of trauma-informed, inclusion-based facilitation.Join us as Maggie shares her life’s experiences, unravelling everything from boundaries to blindspots, and the inner work we must do to not only avoid stepping on emotional landmines - but to handle them with the utmost care and respect. A vulnerable and enlightening conversation - I thank you, Maggie!Find out about:How Maggie’s experiences have informed her own practice as a trauma-informed coachProjecting our own ideas: how to separate our stories from the group’s traumaWhy we must heal ourselves first, before we can hold space for othersHow to recognise and appreciate the vulnerability of participants opening upThe power of options in trauma-informed workThe importance of considered word choice and recognising nuanced body languageDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.And download the free 1-page summary, so you can always have the key points of this episode to hand.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Maggie Coulter:LinkedInWebsiteSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

What does it mean to unbuckle ourselves from certainty and step with both feet into the space between question and answer? It means to be a facilitator, of course! To trust in the process, to find structure in the spaciousness, and to shapeshift as new technologies emerge.It’s something Mark Tippin has learnt over years: the answers come when we accept that we don’t need them all to begin. It’s a commitment to curiosity that he’s nurtured along the way.Join us for a macro look at facilitation and a micro look into the AI petri dish, as we ask: is it killing our curiosity or curating it? Full of wisdoms from Mark, stories and nuggets of advice.Find out about:How to let go of the need for certaintyWhy empathy is not a facilitation skill, but a responsibilityThe role of AI in facilitation, it’s help, and its hindrances for humansThe feed our curiosity as facilitatorsHow to make learning a lifelong endeavour that embraces adaptationThe importance of trusting in the latent genius of the groupDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.And download the free 1-page summary, so you can always have the key points of this episode to hand.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Mark Tippin:LinkedInSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

The author of the indomitable Liberating Structures joins me in the podcast chair this week - a book that has offered wisdom to facilitators from all four corners of the world, and built organisations from the ground up - the one, the only Henri Lipmanowicz!So simple they feel alchemic, Henri’s 33 microstructures are a field guide for transformation. Small, no-nonsense shifts in how we work together, his methods set free ideas, build trust, and enable creativity and collective intelligence - so often stifled by conventional complexity.Henri’s expertise is invaluable for every leader, facilitator, workplace, or community ready to change how they collaborate. Learn from the master himself in episode 297!Find out about:The story behind Liberating StructuresHow LS create the conditions for emergence, innovation, collaboration and inclusivityWhy conventional structures produce top-down meeting dynamics and limited participationHow LS can transform virtual meetings by engaging and including every participantThe importance of allowing intuition to organically guide a groupDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.And download the free 1-page summary, so you can always have the key points of this episode to hand.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Henri Lipmanowicz:LinkedInWebsiteSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

Everyone who steps into our workshop room brings their own experience. An emotional backpack of mosaic stories, hardships and histories - some, more traumatic than others.But the weight of trauma demands a special kind of care: far beyond empathy, we must show up with a deep sensitivity and respect that fosters non-triggering, inclusive spaces.Rachael Dietkus knows this better than most. As a social worker-designer and the first trauma-informed subject matter expert at the White House, she’s been at the helm of understanding some big, complex social issues - from masked gun violence, to how racism shows up in healthcare.This week, Rachael teaches us her craft of trauma-informed design, peppered with brilliant anecdotes, thoughtful insights and guidance - there’s lots to learn, think about, and apply. Find out about:What it means to facilitate with trauma sensitivityThe importance of rejecting rigidity to make space for deep, meaningful conversations The key difference between therapy and facilitating therapeutic exchangesThe importance of eliminating the element of surprise when dealing with complex issuesHow to foster safe spaces that don’t demand a vulnerability of participants Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.And download the free 1-page summary, so you can always have the key points of this episode to hand.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Rachael Dietkus:LinkedInWebsiteSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

What can we learn about ourselves when we silence the world outside, quieten our voices, and make peace with discomfort, in the knowledge that everything in life is impermanent?At the end of October, I stepped into my fifth silent Vipassana retreat to ask myself that question once more. I left my voice, my phone, my negativities, and my niggling thoughts at the door for 10 days, committing my mind and body to the ancient Indian practice of ‘seeing things as they really are’.Come with me for a special, soul-searching episode, as I bring you into the inner workings of my mind during the retreat. I share the wisdom I found along the way, and why practising mindful, non-reactive observation forms the roots needed for effective facilitation, leadership, and life! I hope you enjoy.Find out about:The ancient 2500-year-old method of Vipassana meditationWhy leaders and facilitators who do the inner work can face conflict with confidenceWhat Vipassana can teach us about managing our personal triggersWhy letting go of sensation, emotion, desire and the need to control, builds a resilience for lifeDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.And download the free 1-page summary, so you can always have the key points of this episode to hand.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Myriam Hadnes:LinkedInLearn about VipassanaSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

Burning Man is the ultimate expression of radical, creative trust. As 80,000 people from all over the world gather in the Nevada Desert, they join together on a blank canvas to co-create a utopia of art, community, culture and human spirit - leaving no trace that the event ever happened.In this sprawling temporary city of interactive installations, music, dance and expression, how do you grant creative freedom with the trust that everyone will keep the cultural essence of Burning Man alive?Rob Blakemore, the regional contact for the UK tells us all in this fascinating conversation! With collaboration, emergence and participation at the heart of this enigmatic event - facilitators, get ready to be inspired.Notes:The 10 principles of Burning Man that defined its ethosWhat facilitators can learn about the event’s experience designHow Burning Man embraces a culture of participation, radical enablement and experimentationHow to foster trust in people while giving them the freedom to exploring new ideasThe concept of non-transactional, non-judgemental giftingDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.And download the free 1-page summary, so you can always have the key points of this episode to hand.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Rob Blakemore:LinkedIn Burning Man Mind BlownSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

Are facilitators just salespeople in disguise? We’re not on commission, we’re not driven by a desired outcome, we don’t have a product, and nor are we in a numbers game… and yet, the longer I spoke to Alan Versteeg this week, the more I realised just how much we have in common.And if you still don’t believe me, Alan is here to change your mind - after all, this is where he shines! Alan has been selling perspectives to people for many, many years, inviting them in to  realise new ideas - rather like that of a facilitator.Learn how Alan masters the influence of persuasion, how he’s perfected the art of authenticity to build trust, and why he believes the buy-in of a group is actually your secret sales pitch.Find out about:The intersection of facilitation and sales: from trust to perception and psychologyAlan’s 26-year sales experience in selling perspectivesWhy leaders need to master buy-in if they are to inspire new perspectivesThe importance of appealing to someone’s values - not their idealsThe 6 Ps of persuasionDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.And download the free 1-page summary, so you can always have the key points of this episode to hand.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Download the 6P Cheat SheetConnect to Alan Versteeg:LinkedInWebsiteSupport the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

Jutta Weimar, founder of the Berlin-based Facilitation Academy, shares her profound insights into the art of facilitation that prioritizes authentic connections. She explores how personal growth and self-awareness are pivotal in creating spaces of healing and commitment. Jutta discusses the balance between structure and freedom in workshops, the significance of understanding participants' obstacles, and the importance of being one's true self to foster authenticity in others. Dive into a sincere conversation about empowerment, trust, and navigating the inner journey of facilitators.