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It was in the arid air of Burning Man that Edric Subur first felt Warmspace flicker in his mind and heart.Connecting deeply, sharing widely, and being radically – Edric wanted to capture the feeling of genuine understanding and connection and bottle it. Or, to be more accurate, automate it.Edric built, iterated, tweaked, and launched Warmspace – a tool that facilitates deep connection through guided video conversations – with that same desire still burning at its heart.Now, a year and a half after starting the platform for human connection, Edric has plenty of lessons, insights, and observations to share about the format for facilitating connections between people… without ever being in the room with them.What a wonderful episode!Find out about:The mechanics of Warmspace and the beating heart that drives itWhy connection is simultaneously a means to an end and an end itselfWhich three guiding principles help Warmspace create psychological safety between strangersWhat it looks like to take the principles and structure of Warmspace into a corporate spaceHow to encourage participants to use their voices when they feel there’s nothing to sayDon’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!Questions and Answers[01:07] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[02:06] What label would you give yourself?[05:01] What is Warmspace?[10:17] What was it about Burning Man that sparked this idea?[14:59] Where would you start with a group of people who aren’t comfortable being vulnerable?[16:21] What effect does physical presence have on these conversations? [18:44] Is there some kind of magic formula for facilitating deep human connections?[21:06] How did you choose the prompts for these conversations?[24:46] How do you hold the boundary between facilitating a conversation and coaching people?[26:55] Do you see connections forming after just a few minutes?[28:07] What makes a workshop fail?[31:09] Do you check in on conversations or do you trust the participants to make their way through it safely and happily?[32:37] Would Warmspace work in a corporate setting?[43:01] What does psychological safety mean to you and how do you negotiate it between strangers?[48:05] Do you have a favourite exercise?[50:39] What is the one thing you’d like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksExclusive invite link to access Warmpsace (or use the invite code WARM)Warmspace on InstagramConnect to Edric:LinkedInShare 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!

Fun, connection, acting without inhibition – it’s all part of the joy of being human… and it’s the subject of Jacques Martiquet’s extensive research.I should stress, Jacques goes by another name: Jacques the Party Scientist!Jacques made it his mission to foster moments of deep human connection in public spaces, to bring strangers together in vulnerability and happiness. You might not be surprised to hear that facilitation is at the heart of its successful implementation!Join me and Jacques in this conversation as we explore the mechanics of human connection, the softer side of herd mentality, and what we can do to help people open themselves up to shared experiences of joy and connection.Find out about:Why synchronicity is fuel to the fire of public joyThe steps Jacques follows to facilitate joy in publicWhat an FIQ is and why lowering the barrier to participation can lie in raising the standardWhy the success of a workshop hinges on the way we engage with disengagementHow incremental, progressive actions can unify a group towards a shared experience they wouldn’t have thought possibleThe surprising impact physicality has on our self-knowledge, openness, and moodDon’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[01:40] Would you call yourself a facilitator?[02:40] What triggered you to become a ‘party scientist’ and facilitating human connection?[04:52] So what does it take to create human connection when we take away social crutches like alcohol?[09:08] What do you do in public spaces to create a container for people? Is it different to how you’d work with corporate clients?[17:10] How do we move from an individual moment of joy to a collective one?[22:25] What makes a workshop fail?[25:47] What would be your advice for someone working with a disengaged group?[32:08] What is an exercise you use to celebrate participants?[34:29] How do you move a group from understanding the purpose of a workshop to sharing a party together at the end?[38:16] What’s your favourite game?[42:05] What would your advice be to someone who wants to bring more joy and ease to their workshops, but doesn’t know where to start?[48:34] Where do you get the confidence from to decide to play a song in your workshops?[50:54] What’s your ritual to slip into a parasympathetic, positive state of mind?[52:46] What’s next for you? What’s your vision?[54:02] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksThe Party Scientist's Lab: a newsletter and podcast for 105Share 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!

Belonging is a complex topic at the best of times, but in an age of digital meetings, remote work, and physical distance, many more layers have been added.As facilitators, our job is not to make everyone best friends, but we do have a responsibility to create a space in which participants feel open and accepted.Which, in other words, means a sense of belonging.I was delighted to speak with Jahnvi Singh in this week’s episode of workshops work, as she has some fascinating and unique perspectives on fostering belonging in digital spaces.Jahnvi’s decade of experience at the intersection of design, heritage and culture, and learning makes her the perfect person to speak on this topic, as her work so often touches areas tied up in a deep sense of personal belonging.Find out about:Understanding the four distinct spaces of belongingHow we can weave the spaces for belonging into our workshopsWhy Jahnvi believes boundaries and disagreement are key to successful workshopsWhy ‘calling in’ our differences is foundational to our feelings of belongingHow Jahnvi approaches the delicate issue of cameras on or off in digital workshopsHow to build in a layer of accountability and equity into group reflection activitiesDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.Click here to read Sara Huang's article that has inspired Jahnvi's visual diamond shape framework. And if you prefer to watch our conversation, click here for the Youtube video. 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[01:13] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[05:11] Could it be said, then, that you are often designing for two clients at once – the educator and their participants?[06:31] What are the differences you see between facilitating and hosting a group?[09:01] What is your concept of belonging?[16:23] Can belonging be created, or is it some magical force beyond our control?[19:28] If we are creating identity in a group, how do our differences fit in? Are they just as important as our similarities?[24:34] Is the tension in the ‘camera on/camera off’ issue a good example of this?[27:51] What is your experience of facilitating with cameras on or off?[31:10] Do you have a particular exercise that helps to forge a sense of belonging?[35:57] How do we juggle our awareness of our similarities and our differences at once? They can feel like such opposing forces.[42:04] Where do you draw the line between being open and oversharing or domineering in a shared space?[4Share 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!

Founder of NeverDoneBefore facilitation festival, Myriam Hadnes, discusses the festival's origins, trial-and-error process, community building, balancing clarity and novelty, and the importance of trying new ideas. The episode explores the evolution of the festival from a one-time event to a thriving community, emphasizing collaboration and peer learning. It also delves into mentorship programs, personal growth experiences, and the transition to online facilitation events during the pandemic.

Games are fun, silly, not based in reality…We can take our serious selves into games and embrace playfulness, but it’s a lot harder to take the playfulness back with us as we return to the ‘real world’.But what if we see that ‘real world’ as a game itself?What if we saw every interaction as a game?We could press certain buttons, move certain facets, and play with expectations and beliefs that change everything. When a meeting is a game, when an interview is a game, and when relationships are a game, we can have fun – we can open up possibilities and find new meanings within established systems.Join me and Lily Higgins in this week’s episode as we explore game design, facilitation, and the spaces in between.Find out about:How to see life and its constituent parts as a gameThe six elements of game design that we can apply in non-game situationsWhy playfulness can be so powerfulHow different players see games differently and what we can take from that knowledgeWhat urban games are and how they can be facilitatedWhy Lily likes to start sessions with an ‘Orchestra of Misery’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[01:01] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[02:00] Do you recall what caused you to shift to finally calling yourself a facilitator?[06:06] What inspires your work? Is it a particular school of thought or practice?[07:57] What’s the difference between game thinking and gamification?[10:47] What are the helpful, deeper ways we can apply game thinking to create intrinsic motivation?[14:13] Do you have to draw a line between seriousness and fun when applying game thinking?[20:17] How much of the background, the rules, the detail do you share with clients?[22:07] What tools are there within game thinking that help flatten the room?[33:24] What are your thoughts on finite vs infinite games?[36:14] What makes a workshop fail?[37:08] What is an urban game?[43:45] What did you take away from this urban game in Central Station that you apply in professional spaces?[46:30] What would the equivalent be in an office?[48:25] Do you have a favourite exercise?[56:28] Was there anything else you wanted to bring today that you haven’t yet been able to?[01:05:51] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksLily's businessLily's 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!

Co-facilitation feels like a wonderful, secret club.Those who’ve experienced successful co-facilitation understand the impact it has on outcomes, as well as the experience of participants and facilitators alike.Those who haven’t often look at it as a ‘nice to have’, rather than an essential tool in the facilitator’s toolkit.Shoba Chandran, co-owner of The Innovation Matrix and vastly-experienced facilitator, is firmly in the first group – and she’s eager to see more co-facilitation.It just so happens that I feel the same way, which leads us perfectly to this knowledge-filled episode of workshops work.Listen in to explore what it takes to successfully co-facilitate, how to start if you’ve never tried before, and what to strive for and avoid in co-facilitated workshops.Find out about:●     Identifying the boundaries, limits, and benefits of co-facilitation●     Why successful co-facilitation starts from practically the first conversation●     What the nuances of the co-facilitator dynamic are and how they show up●     Why personal connection tends to supersede professional competency●     How to align with your co-facilitator and set yourselves up for success●     What to consider if co-facilitating with a someone from the client’s organisationDon’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[00:57] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[03:57] How did you facilitate innovation in such a command and control environment as the Ministry of Defence?[06:18] How did you spread the facilitation mindset?[07:36] And how did you break the command and control mindset – in fact, did you at all?[09:17] What were your key learnings from this period?[11:48] What does co-facilitation mean to you?[14:35] Do you always work with the same co-facilitator? If not, how do you select the ‘right’ person?[16:47] What is ‘a good attitude’ in relation to co-facilitation?[20:42] What are some of the glitches or roadblocks you encounter when co-designing a workshop?[22:58] Do you have a process or a template that you use for co-designing workshops?[25:35] Have you ever realised after a ‘norming’ conversation that a co-facilitator isn’t aligned with you?[27:38] Does the co-facilitation dynamic develop in the same way a team dynamic develops?[34:15] Why do you think so many early-career facilitators resist co-facilitation?[36:23] Would you say Singapore has more of a culture of co-facilitation?[38:03] What advice would you give to a new facilShare 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!

Psychological safety is a bastion of facilitation, collaboration, and connection.But has it reached a tipping point?As the phrase permeates more corners of consultancy and the echelons of management, is it depreciating into another buzzword, losing its groundbreaking origins?Gustavo Razzetti, acclaimed workplace culture consultant, will gladly admit that this is a controversial topic, but there are few better equipped to address it – and that’s what we set out to do in this episode of workshops work.Join us for a challenging, inspiring, and rewarding discussion about the merits and limits of psychological safety.Find out about:●     Why a top-down focus on psychological safety has a fatal flaw●     How reflection and action at an individual level form true psychological safety●     Whether personal integrity is a more valuable metric to measure●     The Catch 22 of psychological safety and the tension between safety and conflict●     How subcultures influence and make up wider company cultures●     Healthy, manageable ways to introduce risk and conflict into workplacesDon’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!Questions and Answers[01:48] Where do you see the paradox when it comes to psychological safety in organisations?[03:18] What does psychological safety really mean? And what have people taken it to mean?[09:44] Is it the leader that sets the tone and models psychological safety to their team?[14:29] Do you think the desire of some leaders to return to the office is rooted in their desire for safety?[17:19] How can leaders create psychological safety for themselves?[20:46] Is it a mistake, then, to look to the leader to create psychological safety?[24:18] How can we feel confident enough to speak up if we don’t feel safe? This is the chicken and egg situation![30:03] Would we be better placed discussing integrity? Why is there such a dearth of discussion around integrity in the corporate world?[34:29] Can we feel psychologically safe if we operate from a position of defensiveness?[39:44] How important is the art of asking questions and giving feedback? Is it something we can learn?[42:46] If we need smaller groups to truly create psychological safety, how do we avoid silos?[47:24] What happens if subcultures don’t trust each other?[49:38] Is a lack of collaboration among middle management a structural problem or an issue of incentives?[52:24] If we want middle management to change, would that be a problem for leadership to solve?[54:10] How, then, would middle managers create an alliance if they all feel in competition with one another?[56:29] How can we transform silos into subcuShare 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!

After a year and a half of panicked, rushed remote and hybrid work, we are long overdue a calm presence - a voice of reason. Someone to steer the ship and settle the stormy waters, to help us see sense and chart a path towards a more successful, enjoyable, and thriving hybrid work environment.We need Cliff Pollan!Cliff’s been navigating the depths of hybrid and remote work for decades – having penned articles about video calls before Zoom was even a noun and worked in hybrid-first companies before the internet even existed!I invited Cliff to hold a conversation about hybrid work, what we need to take on (and leave behind) to make it succeed, and the role of facilitation in that success.This conversation truly opened up a world of possibilities, perspectives, and positive ideas for me – I hope it will do the same for you!Find out about:The deeper-than-expected roots of hybrid workExamining and overcoming the linguistic traps in “remote work”Why agency is at the heart of successful hybrid teamsUnderstanding hybrid work as a space, rather than just a collection of toolsNavigating the ‘laws’ of video calls, visibility, and presenceFacilitation as an essential professional and life skillWhy we need to abandon the idea that the physical space is ‘the centre of the universe’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[01:02] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator, if you do?[01:33] How would you describe the ‘craft’ of facilitation?[03:15] What makes a workshop fail?[05:41] Can you explain a little about Welo, the tool you’ve developed?[11:00] How did you perceive and experience hybrid work pre-pandemic?[16:29] What role does agency play in making hybrid work succeed?[20:13] How do ‘office hours’ work in a virtual space?[27:17] Do you have a favourite icebreaker or interaction-promoting exercise?[32:27] What role does video play in hybrid work?[35:58] Did we need to collectively experience ‘Zoom fatigue’ to find the right frequency for video calls?[40:23] How important is it to share your reason for having your camera off?[43:44] What does it take to equip people with the skills to facilitate better, more equitable discussions?[46:31] Why have we not yet had the watershed moment of widespread facilitation training?[52:22] What merit is there in having on-site staff share the same space in a hybrid meeting?[55:48] What is it about sharing a physical space that feels special?[58:28] If your team sits across time zones, how can you account for the impact on group dynamics?[59:36] WhShare 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!

123 episodes later, we return to where it all started.In truth, I believe I could have recorded 124 episodes exclusively with Patrick Cowden and we’d still have another 124 episodes’ worth of discussion in us.Anyone who has met Patrick - whether in our monthly NeverDoneBeore ‘spa’ sessions, in a client setting, or in passing - can attest to his warmth, vision, and energy.We sat down to explore his much-loved and much-lauded method for establishing human connection - his ‘interaction protocol’. We also explore why appreciation is the universal building block and how we can understand the domino effect of interaction, connection, and collaboration.And, if that wasn’t enough, you can hear us practice the interaction protocol ‘live’ on the show! Find out about:●     What it means to embody ‘beyond’ in life and work●     The magical 90 second protocol that helps people find themselves and each other in a conversation●     A live enactment of Patrick’s interaction protocol – between the two of us!●     What Patrick has learned from over 3,000 sessions using his protocol●     Why Patrick prioritises appreciation over listening and reacting●     The fatal tension that Patrick sees in our push for hybrid work●     Patrick’s advice for anyone who wants to start using the interaction protocolDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.Click here to watch the conversation on Youtube And if the idea of NeverDoneBefore 2021, the community of facilitators, caught your attention; click here to explore it in more detail! Questions and Answers[01:35] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator – if, in fact, you do?[03:08] When did you start calling yourself a ‘beyonder’ and what does it take to move from facilitator to beyonder?[05:58] Are there some key skills or mindsets that we should practice to help groups go ‘beyond’?[09:29] What does it take to have your curiosity? How do you get there?[12:51] What happens in the 60 to 90 seconds of your interaction protocol?[20:50] How do you create the space or people to follow the interaction protocol? How do you articulate the invitation to speak this way with each other?[27:04] What have you learned about the protocol, about people, and about yourself after 3,000 sessions?[36:36] Why is the three-minute (90s each) window so powerful – what does it permit us?[44:11] Why are we seeing such a push towards hybrid working right now?[01:00:58] What would your advice be to anyone who wants to take the first step towards practicing the interaction protocol?LinksPatrick’s company pageThe NeverDoneBefore Facilitation FestivalConnect to PatrickShare 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 this engaging discussion, Quanita Roberson, founder of Nzuzu Consulting, dives into the transformative power of facilitation. She emphasizes the importance of addressing grief as foundational in group dynamics and discusses the necessity of clearing emotional hurdles before sessions begin. Quanita also views fear as an invitation for growth, rather than a warning. Her insights link personal experience with community healing, highlighting how understanding privilege and cultivating vulnerability can lead to authentic connections and impactful workshops.