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Facilitation is a lot of things: we’d all agree on and understand it as a verb. Many of us would identify it as a profession. But how many of us understand it as a business?Mireille Beumer wasn’t always in the business of facilitation. Yes, she was a freelancer offering facilitation services, but it took a little while longer for her to step into entrepreneurship and create her facilitation business.It might seem like pedantic semantics, but it’s a crucial difference.Learn what it means to create a facilitation business, rather than being a solo facilitator in this episode... and learn how Mireille did it herself! Find out about:●       Mireille's journey of turning facilitation from a verb to a profession to a business●       The building blocks for creating a facilitation business●       Why asking for help brings success, but uncritically accepting advice doesn’t●       How a freelance facilitator operates differently to a facilitation business●       Why it is a folly to try and sell your 'human' services to businesses●       What Mireille recommends if you aren’t sure where to start with entrepreneurship Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!Exclusive offer from Facilitator Cards for workshops.work listeners you can get 15% off your entire purchase at shop.facilitator.cards by using code workshopswork. Questions and AnswersPart one[01:46] What has happened since you were last on the show, late in 2019, and how have you navigated the pandemic?[05:05] How did you come to build your facilitation business? What comes next?[06:56] Would you consider LinkedIn as the main source of your work?[11:36] Who are the clients you attract? And how did this shift in the pandemic?[17:05] How did you first get started as a facilitation business owner? It can seem so huge and impossible to begin, from the outside.[21:44] Did you purposefully create your personal brand and niche, or did it emerge naturally over time?[26:41] Staying consistent and coherent with your branding.[28:20] The need for education, innovation, and evolution rather than revolution.LinksEpisode 30 - featuring Mireille!Mireille’s websiteConnect to Mireille:On LinkedInOn Instagram Share your thoughts about our conversation!Support 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!

In times of strife - whether it’s a global health crisis or our neighbours at war - what role does facilitation play? Can we hope to change the world one workshop at a time? These are challenging questions with wide-ranging consequences, but I can think of few facilitators better equipped to answer them than Quanita Roberson and Tenneson Woolf.Both have been guests on this show previously, but never together. Quanita and Tenneson’s Fire and Water Leadership Journey is a programme that shapes wise leaders, prioritising emotional healing and practices including Being the Circle Way, Story, Art of Hosting, Life Coaching, and Presentations of Learnings.Join us as we explore the ever-increasing need for inner work, what it means to lead, and how we can use facilitation to serve our communities in troubled times. Find out about:●       Understanding the role of facilitation in times of crisis●       How to handle leadership in times of crisis - and how to handle bullies●       Why turning to each other might feel nice, but turning to ourselves matters more●       The dangers of inviting a group to a place that we have not been to ourselves●       Why facilitation tools will always be secondary to presence and inner work●       What happens when we prioritise witnessing, rather than discussing Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.Thanks to our sponsor Deckhive. Click here to find out more about the new platform for using card decks in online facilitation. Use the code workshopswork to get the first month for free. Questions and Answers[02:57] What is the role of facilitation in such troubled times?[05:57] Tenneson contributes his perspective on the same question.[13:57] How much is the global crisis of escalation a reflection of inner strife?[17:54] Does having more comfort in our values and belief systems make us less inclined to explode at things?[19:11] Tenneson responds to the same question.[24:04] Almost nobody wakes up in the morning with a plan to be a bully or an asshole. So how do we facilitate the conversation when it happens accidentally?[34:24] In our daily encounters, we have the choice to avoid escalation - but how do we know when to do so or not?[37:37] What do you rely on to invite a group to turn to themselves before each other?[44:32] How do we get each other to open up and be vulnerable, so we can experience that magical connective power of intimate trust?[49:48] How do we hold and balance space for big topics that might affect some participants more than others?[55:38] What would you say to the audience, as a final reflection of this conversation?[57:10] Quanita answers the same question.[1:00:33] What question would you like the audience to ask themselves as this episode ends?LinksQuanita’s Share your thoughts about our conversation!Support 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 will the most successful teams look like in the future of work? How is consultancy changing? How can businesses improve their knowledge management and sharing?Believe it or not, Marilyn Zakhour and I manage to fit all of these topics (and several more) into this episode.Marilyn is a fascinating person - from her multi-hyphenate career to her ease of conversation.Since 2020, when she left her role as Head of Dubai Opera, she has been working with top executives to help them step into the future of work and prioritise collaboration over co-location.Our wide-ranging conversation about big ideas felt more like a casual chat with a friend - and there are plenty more seats at the table for you to join us.Find out about:●     Why consultancy is increasingly about change and project management●     How the best remote teams embrace newness, rather than replicate tradition●     Why context is an essential precursor to outcomes in a workshop●     What happens when participant hear you use buzzwords and acronyms●     How Marilyn designs her workshop debriefs to encourage long-lasting behavioural change●     What great information management looks like in businesses (including facilitation ones!)Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!Exclusive offer from Facilitator Cards for workshops.work listeners you can get 15% off your entire purchase at shop.facilitator.cards by using code workshopswork.Questions and AnswersPart one[01:35] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator - in fact, do you?[03:57] What's the switch been like between management and facilitation?[09:24] How do you help clients bridge that gap between knowing and doing after a workshop?[11:56] Do you find that all managers receive well the prompt that they've forgotten something?[17:11] When do you determine that a project is finished? And when did your consulting business become an 'interim management' business?[19:23] This sounds a lot like change management - would you say that's accurate?[22:22] How many people affected by the outcome of a workshop can you legitimately include in said workshop? Isn't there a tipping point?[25:44] What makes a workshop or project fail?[27:19] What's the cost of a failed workshop?[27:59] What would your advice be to a facilitator whose workshop has just failed?LinksCosmic Centaurs websiteShare your thoughts about our conversation!Support 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!

We meet online, we meet in-person, and sometimes we combine them to host hybrid meetings.But what happens when we bridge the gaps between physical and digital spaces and merge them together?Thomas de Ming is the person to ask - with his ongoing explorations of and research into 'phygital' meetings.The meteoric rise in popularity of the metaverse is plenty proof enough that more and more attention is being paid to what lies beyond 'hybrid'. It's an exciting space with huge potential, but plenty of question marks still to address.In this episode, we explore how to host workshops in liminal spaces, the costs and benefits of doing so, and the practicalities of making this nascent opportunity a common tool for facilitators to turn to. Find out about:●       Why 'phygital' is nothing to do with 'hybrid', despite their concurrent rise in popularity●       The practical realities and common trapdoors when combing digital and physical spaces●       What we're missing when we talk about 'remote' work and why language matters●       Easy introductory exercises to explore 'phygital' collaboration●       How to manage and mitigate a workshop with mandated attendance●       How Thomas uses tangible thinking tools to expand his groups' ranges of perception Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.  Click here to download the free 1-page summary.And if the idea of NeverDoneBefore 2021, the community of facilitators, caught your attention; click here to explore it in more detail!Thanks to our sponsor Deckhive. Click here to find out more about the new platform for using card decks in online facilitation. Use the code workshopswork to get the first month for free. Questions and AnswersPart one[01:20] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[02:10] What have you learned from TV and radio that informs your work today?[08:03] I think of you as the person who comes up with new names - does that feel like you?[12:46] What changes when you facilitate a range process, rather than a change process?[15:32] That brings us to our topic for today: the 'phygital'.[17:58] Can you give an example of a phygital space in action?[21:24] It sounds like a great way to skill-share and to create new levels of abstraction?[23:19] How much syncing work is needed beforehand?[25:17] Could you do this tandem exercise with two people?[26:53] What's the difference here between remote, hybrid, and phygital spaces?[30:12] What is the benefit of bringing physical elements into our solely digital spaces?[35:03] What are we overestimating about hybrid and underestimatong about phygital?[40:45] What is the difference between a digital twin and a humatar?Links-Connect to Thomas:On Share your thoughts about our conversation!Support 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!

Phil Brown, Lead Trainer at High 5 Adventure Learning Centre, specializes in adventure education focused on overcoming vulnerability. He discusses how true adventure education goes beyond physical challenges, emphasizing emotional and social exploration. Phil highlights the importance of fostering trust and risk-taking in shared experiences, and how individual growth is enhanced through collective vulnerability. He also touches on the vital role of play in learning and the facilitators' responsibility in creating safe spaces for deeper connections.

Leanne Hughes, a coach and guide to facilitators and host of the First Time Facilitator podcast, explores the unique challenges of audio-only workshops. She discusses how the absence of visual cues affects communication and collaboration, highlighting hidden cultures that can emerge in these spaces. Leanne emphasizes strategies for effective facilitation, such as creating conversational rules and responding dynamically to participants. She also addresses the importance of psychological safety and adaptability in fostering engaging discussions.

Sara Huang’s ‘three R’s’ of facilitation make for a reliable North Star in workshop environments.And, in our age of sometimes-online-sometimes-in-person-sometimes-hybrid meetings, having a reliable and familiar formula to fall back on can be a huge relief.This episode is, ostensibly, about online facilitation and how things have changed since Sara and I last spoke (episode 60) at the outbreak of the pandemic. But, as is common with this show, we end up touching the edges of so many challenging and energising topics.We explore the thin line that divides honouring our authenticity and finding agreement, fight or flight reactions in the face of discrimination, and the societal structures that influence workshops.So, if you’re looking for an episode to warm your cockles, brighten your spark of inspiration, and push you to step further into growing as a facilitator… Enjoy! Find out about:●       Why a black and white view of online vs. in-person events is reductive and harmful●       The three ingredients that can make or break online workshops●       How Sara prioritises the ‘three Rs’ of facilitation in her workshop●       Why we need to be mindful of organisational and societal pressures at play in all workshop●       How to combine digital tools to create a flow of sensitive and emotive information Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!Questions and Answers[02:27] Over the last two years, what has emerged for you about facilitation? Has anything changed?[05:48] How do you bring everything together and clear the distractions when facilitating online?[10:23] How do you choose or moderate your energy for a group - do you decide straight away or is it responsive?[12:04] Is this energetic modulation instinctive, or is it something you've learned?[15:50] Sara shares an incredible - and personal - story about experiencing and negotiating hostility and a 'heated' discussion.[23:33] How and where do you draw your line of personal autonomy and authority vs. the rest of the room?[28:14] How did you handle this situation in what was a relatively new online space (Zoom)?[34:19] How do you negotiate an environment in which everything is welcome, but certain behaviours aren't accepted?[38:47] What was the reaction when you questioned this person on their tone?[43:29] What would you like to carry forward from the last two years into the future of facilitation?[48:31] Was there anything else you wanted to share that we haven't discussed yet?Linkswww.bureautwist.nl/englishConnect to Sara:Share your thoughts about our conversation!Support 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!

Nicole Dessain is a consultant, Design Thinker, and proud ‘recovering perfectionist’ - and sees those three labels as closely related.Her work in HR consultancy is informed by her training in Design Thinking. In turn, this has taught her to value process over perfection.Through Design Thinking, Working Out Loud, and facilitation, Nicole has found brilliant insights into HR - some breakthroughs, some roadblocks.In this episode, Nicole eloquently explains her key learnings so far.Combining facilitation and HR can produce some fascinating results and has some surprising applications. I highly recommend taking this crash course in HR, facilitation, and Design Thinking!Find out about:How and why the spotlight has fallen on Human Resources since 2020Why a shift of focus from ‘resources’ to ‘humans’ has become imperativeWhat it looks like to apply Design Thinking to HR and how Nicole does itHow Design Thinking asks us to challenge the judgement mindset HR can demandWhy the number of workshops in a Design Thinking project will shift depending on an organisation's cultureHow to present the results of a Design Thinking process in a memorable narrative structureDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.Exclusive offer from Facilitator Cards for workshops.work listeners you can get 15% off your entire purchase at shop.facilitator.cards by using code workshopswork.Questions and Answers[01:11] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator - if you do?[03:39] What mindset changes are needed to adopt a Design Thinking approach?[06:17] What's your history with Design Thinking - when did it begin?[08:01] Does Design Thinking change when we apply it in different settings?[09:40] Has your perception of Design Thinking changed over time?[11:26] Why did it take a pandemic to get HR a seat at the decision-making table?[15:58] How do you use Design Thinking specifically within an HR context?[22:27] How do you account for the inevitable biases in HR teams?[29:46] What do you recommend to HR professionals when it comes to interviewing their peers?[31:45] How about when we interview colleagues?[33:46] Do HR teams conduct more interviews after working with you?[39:25] How do you bring to life the results of a Design Thinking process and sell it into leadership?[41:58] What’s the easiest way for an HR team to start using Design Thinking?[46:16] Rethinking the HR function.[51:16] What makes a workshop fail?[52:31] How much of the Design Thinking workshop process can be done asynchronously?[54:08] What would it take for design thinking to become a normal tool for HR?[55:17] Will facilitation become a key part of the HR professional's skillset?[59:04] How did you ovShare your thoughts about our conversation!Support 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!

There’s no room for frivolities like board games in the boardroom… Right?Not so, says Janek Panneitz!  Janek is a facilitator, trainer, moderator, and a certified board game superfan and, as with so many guests on this podcast, has found a fascinating way of joining dots between his professional and personal passions.Janek has been exploring and experimenting with the serious implications and effects board games and game mindsets can have in professional settings and how we can harness these learnings to create better workshops.We discuss his flourishing experiments, the mechanics of bringing game mindsets into workshops, and how professional identities are an act of role-playing.Pull up a seat at the table, choose your figurine, and let’s play! Find out about:●       Why there can be a disconnect between problem-solving for fun and for work●       The three layers that make up a board game and a gamified workshop - and how to use them in your designs●       Why converging our expectations is essential for the success of a workshop●       How a lack of context can sometimes be a boon to your workshops●       Why it's better to aim too high than too low in your aspirations for a workshop●       The surprising 'flattening' power of board games in established hierarchies Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.  Click here to download the free 1-page summary. And if the idea of NeverDoneBefore 2021, the community of facilitators, caught your attention; click here to explore it in more detail!Thanks to our sponsor Deckhive. Click here to find out more about the new platform for using card decks in online facilitation. Use the code workshopswork to get the first month for free. Questions and AnswersPart one[01:05] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator - if you do?[02:19] How do your sessions change if you are wearing your facilitator, trainer, or moderator hat?[06:58] Can you share more about your background in organisational psychology - and how board games interact with that?[09:39] What does self-determination theory mean, in simple words?[12:48] What's your theory for how a site like Wikipedia has developed, grown, and maintained itself through voluntary contributions?[18:03] How much of what we bring to board games reflects who we are in private and at work?[21:50] What makes a board game night - and a workshop - fail?[25:23] Even if you have set expectations about an activity, how can you account for the different personalities that engage in playing a game?[30:15] To what extent is gamification an act of manipulation?[32:10] What are the other two layers that make up good board games and gamified workshops?LinksWebsiteShare your thoughts about our conversation!Support 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!

David Mead is made for this podcast - and not because he's a speaker, consultant, and communicator...David's commitment and insights into leadership have taken him across the world, where he coaches teams and leaders towards closer relationships, stronger cultures, and genuine trust.In this episode, we explore what it means to build trust, create consistency, and stepping up into our responsibilities.David is an inspiring professional speaker on company culture and leadership today - and you get to enjoy an hour of his wisdom for free.  Find out about:●       How dissonance between our words and actions sow the seeds of distrust●       Why leaders need to double down on integrity and responsibility●       How to design workshops that set and meet your participants' expectations●       The three character traits we display that signal we are trustworthy●       What it means to "show up to give" and why this changes everyone's experience of your workshop●       How to find inspiration and prompts to implement behaviour change Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.  Click here to download the free 1-page summary. A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!Questions and Answers[01:10] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[02:26] Does your facilitation practice sit alongside your work as a trainer?[03:50] What (and when) was it that changed your mindset from trainer to facilitator?[06:08] What do you think the 'old' you as a salesman could learn from you as a facilitator?[07:44] And is there anything you've learned from training and sales that applies to your facilitation?[10:41] What's the story behind your interest in 'the trust gap' - what actually is it?[17:07] How do you approach bridging the trust gap? Lowering expectations or doing the hard work?[28:48] How do the traits of leadership apply to facilitation, if we feel our workshop has not delivered on its intentions?[33:00] Where do you draw the line when it comes to taking responsibility for a workshop's success?[37:49] What makes a workshop fail?[40:09] Can we train ourselves to carry more leadership traits, or is it a matter of maturity and time?[44:43] Do you have any exercises that someone can practice to develop these leadership traits?[49:11] What is your 'why'?[49:30] What would be the one piece of advice you'd give to facilitators, leaders, and coaches about bridging the trust gap?#[52:14] Was there anything else you wanted to share that we haven't discussed yet?LinksDavid’s LinktreeConnect to David:On Share your thoughts about our conversation!Support 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!