workshops work

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!

Is ‘facilitation’ the wrong word for what we do with corporate clients? Jordan Bower thinks it might be and proposes a new terminology to better suit our work…Welcome to ‘corporate therapy’!Jordan and I discuss some big questions in this episode, including the future of facilitation, how to focus on individuals when working with a corporate, and whether one-off workshops are a waste of everyone’s time.You might expect a conversation full of intense curiosity and deep questioning might be hard work – in fact, the conversation was full of light and laughter.So, sit back, relax, and let’s dive into some of the big questions of facilitation, its future, and how we can take the profession to another level.Find out about:●     Why facilitation is better understood as an infinite process, rather than linear progress●     How story theory relates to workshops, and why the things we want and the things we need aren’t always the same●     Why the quickest route to failure is to worry about failing●     How abundance and sharing have become the hallmarks of true power●     Sage advice on the process of pitching facilitation services to a new client●     How to help clients lean into their emotions when it doesn’t come naturallyDon’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. 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[00:56] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[07:31] What changed in your mindset and skillset, as you went through this challenge?[09:49] What have you learned about storytelling – and what is something that people continue to get wrong about it?[13:23] How do you help people break out of the vicious circle of shallow ‘wants’ and into deeper ‘needs’?[15:13] How does (what sounds like) a very one-on-one practice translate to work at an organisational level?[17:58] What strategies do you use to get your finger on the pulse of a company? And how do you help them see the stories they tell themselves?[21:48] What do you think has caused this great shift in the function and purpose of organisations?[26:07] Do you think the collective experience of uncertainty with the pandemic has driven companies to look to facilitators rather than consultants?[28:36] Do you think ‘one-off’ facilitation is over? Can we achieve meaningful results in a single workshop?[31:51] What’s the inner game for facilitators in this future of ‘corporate therapy’?[38:10]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!

Some might not expect an introverted, neurodivergent woman like Sharon Leigh to ‘fit’ with facilitation. But anyone can access, practice, and succeed with it – as Sharon knows from personal experience. In fact, Sharon doesn’t just fit with facilitation – she excels at it.Together, we cover a huge amount of ground in the world of facilitation, taking in the sights of inclusion, digital spaces, and holding space for facilitators.We also take some unexpected roads and unmapped routes, traversing the hitherto uncharted territory of workshops and neurodivergence, collaborative living, and knowing how to give someone a mood-boosting hug through a computer screen.This episode is a perfect summary of why I started the podcast. We uncover some incredible insights around the practice of facilitation, but we get there by looking deeply at what it means to be human and how we can connect with each other in simple, meaningful ways.Find out about:●     What it takes – and why it’s so important – for facilitators and coaches to have their own space for reflection●     Finding gold among the heavy rocks and fast flowing waters of the pandemic●     Why going online can make meetings, group work, and connection more accessible to all●     What Sharon has learned about facilitation, boundaries, and communication from collaborative living●     Why great workshops don’t provide great content or solutions, but ‘brain vacations’●     How a pared-down agenda leaves space for the real magic of your workshop to come throughDon’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!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 AnswersPart one[01:24] Before I hit record, you were telling me about a book you’d like to write called “COVID Conversations: Not About Covid, But…”[05:42] Do you think we can keep the extra space we’ve developed for questioning and connection?[07:22] You say that the work from home mandate has been “your time”, what do you mean by that exactly? How have you benefited?[10:37] What’s an applicable truth that you’d share with a neurotypical person, that you’ve learned from trying to ‘fit’ in the world as a neurodivergent person?[17:31] How can we, as facilitators, reach out to include others who might not be so comfortable with being themselves?[20:27] How do you facilitate self-care?[25:23] As coaches and facilitators, how much can we be in service to our loved ones?[31:08] Learning to check in and ask permission, determining the difference between giviShare 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!

Manal Sayid is a fascinating person, speaker, and podcast guest - as she proves in this episode of workshops.work! Her experience ranges from the suicide prevention helpline of Distress Centres Toronto, to all manner of corporate and third sector facilitation roles.And she’s achieved it all without an obvious role model or well-trodden footsteps to follow.We bring all of this together in this episode, discussing the vital lessons in facilitation she has learned in unexpected places and what it’s like to sit in workshops in which nobody looks like ‘you’.The conversation is smooth, surprisingly light despite its sometimes-heavy content, and utterly enriching.Enjoy this standout episode! Find out about:●     Why fear is so powerful and how we can harness it to help us connect, communicate, and grow●     How inclusive facilitation creates a ripple effect●     How to hold uncomfortable conversations about diversity and inclusion●     What happens when we work with our anxieties, rather than against them●     Why we really don’t need to “do” much to help others to step into vulnerability●     How to create workshops and environments that are more inclusiveDon’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. 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[01:13] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[02:49] How did your perception of what a facilitator is change after doing formal training?[05:10] Do you think our development as facilitators is more noticeable to us than the groups we work with?[09:10] What differences have you noticed in your practice between working on the Suicide Prevention Hotline to hosting workshops?[11:37] What do you mean when you say you “normalise the issue”?[17:51] After you open the space for participants’ vulnerability, how do you then close it?[20:54] Do you think there would be even more guilt and shame around experiencing anxiety within a religious setting?[28:06] How does your vulnerability-led approach to workshops translate to your work with corporate clients?[32:29] What has it taken to positively change representation in facilitation – as you have done via your community development workshops – and what do you wish you had known before you started?[34:34] How do you facilitate this empowerment in people – and in yourself?LinksConnect to Manal: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!

Being a facilitator is one thing, but Stephen Berkeley is on a mission to live a facilitative life.This idea is incredibly intriguing - can it be done? How do we walk the line between staying curious and ‘coaching’ our relationships? Is it possible to use silence as a tool in our day-to-day lives?Stephen joins me in this episode to explore all of the above and much more. We wind our way through the edges of facilitation and find ourselves at the heart of what it means to be human, to hold space for others, and to be present in every situation we encounter.Find out about:Understanding the difference between facilitating and being facilitativeThe special things that happen when you start a workshop in silenceThe three-question process Stephen follows to reflect on his workshopsWhy a ‘bad’ or ‘failed’ workshop is a matter of perspectiveHow to nurture our natural curiosity so it easily extends into all facets of our livesStephen’s advice to anyone who is curious about living a more facilitative life 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[01:16] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[03:51] What is the difference between being facilitative and being a facilitator?[07:02] How can we detect our innate facilitative skill?[11:37] What does it mean, to you, to live a facilitative life?[13:02] How can we avoid ‘overfacilitating’ non-workshop situations and creating friction?[18:32] Is there a possibility that having experienced such high-intensity crises, you risk underestimating crises in a workshop?[21:47] What three questions do you answer to help you reflect on a workshop you’ve delivered?[24:52] Have you ever come to the conclusion that a workshop failed?[32:38] Do you use silence in other areas of your life or work?[37:08] What happens if we apply more silence in our daily conversations?[43:12] As facilitators, we listen and reflect all day. Does our capacity to listen outside of our work diminish as a result?[46:07] How can we nurture our facilitative nature so that asking questions, being curious, and listening come naturally to us and don’t require us to put our ‘facilitator hat’ on?[51:01] If someone in the audience would like to start living a more facilitative life, what would be your advice to them?LinksLink to the book including Stephen’s chapterConnect to Stephen:On LinkedInOn Twitter 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!

There are a few questions that come up every week - no matter who the guest is, no matter what our topic of conversation is.One of them - and possibly my favourite - is:“What makes a workshop fail?”We learn so much more from our failures than our successes, which makes this section of the podcast a veritable goldmine of facilitation advice and learnings.It’s only sensible, then, to share answers of 20 of the most appreciated podcast episodes.Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. 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.Answers to the Question00:48 (026) Gustavo Razzetti02:54 (027) Tenneson Woolf05:38 (030) Mireille Beumer06:20 (029) Bernhard Ferro 06:48 (042) Dave Mastronardi08:28 (002)Margreet Jacobs09:33 (037)Marjolijn de Graaf10:08 (058) Mary Alice Arthur11:38 (072) Laura Beckingham12: 38 (070)Elke Wiss13:59 (059) Nisaar Jagroep16:38 (054) Eugenio Moliní 18:38 (063) Laure Cohen van Delft20:36 (057) Coline Pannier22:51 (032) Matthew Kelly 24:13 (047) Tim Ferguson 25:05 (010) Dirk Verburg  25:13 (064) Bastian Küntzel 26:03 (060) Sara Huang 26:59 (049) SunShine Céline BenBelkacemShare 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!

A game is just a game - silly, playful, and only useful for breaking the ice, right?Not if you ask Sophia and Jed Lazar, who have designed a card game that helps participants share, listen, and connect in a deep way.Cozy Juicy Real has been tried everywhere from kitchen tables to corporate board rooms and its founding partners attest to the same results - strengthened connection and communication.So, how have they done it? What are the misconceptions about games that they’re proving wrong? And can a board game really hold space for people to share their true selves?Listen in for the answers to these questions - and many more! Find out about:Jed & Sophia’s journey into facilitation, facilitating together, and creating Cozy Juicy RealHow a game can be designed to hold space for a groupHow Jed and Sophia have learned to incentivise deep listeningWhy asking questions is a muscle we can grow, not an innate talentHow Jed and Sophia safeguard participants whilst creating space for deep, emotional connectionDon’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[01:21] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator – and do you?[03:56] What do a protest and a workshop have in common?[04:41] What’s the story behind Cozy Juicy Real and when did you first start facilitating together?[07:22] What’s one of your favourite questions in the game?[10:56] Can a game hold space for a group and what does it take?[15:03] How do you design a structure that incentivises deep listening and communication?[17:09] What are the mechanics behind creating cozy, juicy, and real questions and how do they come together to help people connect deeply?[19:51] What makes a good question? Is there one question in particular that gets people to connect?[23:18] Do you think people can learn to ask more meaningful questions by playing the game?[24:26] Can you learn to ask questions and, if so, how?[28:35] What’s your favourite question?[33:25] Do you have a question that turned into a gift for you?[36:30] What are your observations from playing the game with friends?[40:24] How do you manage judgement when it appears in a group?[42:00] How do you create a game that allows for people to communicate deeply without risking trauma triggers and offence?[45:56] What’s your role as the host – and could anyone do it?[47:39] How do you handle check-ins and check-outs? Do you have favourite exercises for each?[49:10] What makes a workshop fail?[53:33] Is there anything that you’d like to share with the audience that we haven’t covered yet?LinksShare 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!

A nickname like “The Box Guy” belies Jimbo Clark’s effervescence and brilliance. In fact, Jimbo has spent many years trying to help us open the boxes we put ourselves in (or put over ourselves).And this mindset shift sits at the heart of our conversation in this episode - understanding the boxes we operate in and under, exploring what it means to step outside of them, and seeing what changes when facilitators adopt an unboxing mindset.Jimbo is an exemplary facilitator and a wonderful podcast guest, bringing light and charm in abundance to accompany his razor-sharp expertise. Find out about: ●       Why we need to look at, in, and around our own ‘box’ before we ask anyone to look at theirs●       The importance of taking what’s on the inside and displaying it on the outside●       How to help a group visualise their own box and physically create it – so they can escape it●       The many reasons why facilitators need to have an ongoing relationship with self-awareness and self-development●       Why we can’t lose sight of the client’s purpose in a workshop – and how that can present difficulties●       What facilitators have in common with midwives 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, the community of facilitators, caught your attention; click here to explore it in more detail!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 AnswersPart one[01:23] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[03:06] What makes Larry Philbrook your facilitation ‘godfather’, rather than ‘mentor’?[07:21] What makes a ‘world class’ facilitator?[12:11] So, what makes you ‘The Box Guy’?[15:48] What do you take from leadership’s reaction to ‘boxes on heads’?[20:41] At what point does the magic occur with this exercise – is it through the process, or at the end result?[25:23] You used the phrase “open box” not “outside the box”[27:05] What is ‘reboxing’?[30:58] How do you facilitate the ‘me to we’ moment?[38:03] A recent experience of mine has been to ask what I can do less of – to reduce and delegate.LinksJimbo’s Business: box.innogreat.com Connect to Jimbo:On LinkedIn 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!

From reframing problems to taking tips from MacGyver, Thomas Lahnthaler is full of great advice for anyone who has to manage a crisis.And as our conversation in this episode revealed, facilitators are never far from a crisis – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.Thomas’ second time on the podcast brought just as much value as his first (episode 39), as we dive into the depths of crisis management, resourcefulness, reframing, creative activities, and why it’s so important to keep things person-centred rather than problem-centred.Enjoy this exploration of facilitation and crisis management, you might be surprised by how much is relevant to you and your work!Find out about:●     What we fatally misunderstand about the order of importance in our crisis management●     Why crises are, before anything else, a human issue●     How to bring a group back from the brink of crisis●     Why resourcefulness is the superpower of the crisis manager●     Why knowing what the opposite of a crisis feels like will help us prevent future crises●     How we can use playful, creative activities to talk about difficult or personal issues 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. 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[01:12] Are you still calling yourself a facilitator?[01:55] What has changed over the past two years?[03:01] Are there one or two learnings in particular that you feel are especially important?[06:29] When we experience a crisis, do we tend to hold onto harmful behaviours we presume will help?[11:51] Why is resourcefulness so important - and why does it seem to appear so often - in a crisis?[17:01] Why is there such power in letting go of certain mental models?[19:19] How do you communicate that crisis can be a good thing – and how do you even define ‘crisis’?[23:12] You said that, in the pandemic, you started writing more?[26:50] Do Crisis Managers and Change Managers have a lot in common?[28:43] How can we use our creative energy in a moment with what's actually serious?[33:52] What is the impact of culture and expectations from the outside world on our mental models?[39:32] How do we get a group to slow down and think creatively?LinksThomas’ company (Crisis Compass) blogThomas’ MediumConnect to Thomas: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!