workshops work

Magic isn’t stuck in children’s books and feel-good films, it’s here. It’s among us. It’s in our vulnerability, our connection, and our understanding.The moment I met Jan Keck, I knew I wanted to speak to him on workshops work.Jan has spent many years facilitating magical human moments - deep phases of connection and communication between people - and, well, isn’t that what so much of our work as facilitators comes down to?So, join us as we weave threads between psychological safety, experience design, vulnerability, owning our mistakes and imperfections to find, when we look back, that we’ve inadvertently captured so much of what it truly means to be a facilitator.It really is magical.Find out about:What it means to make magical human moments and Jan’s ‘campfire formula’ for themHow to design activities that level the playing field and suit different personalitiesThe power of stating out-of-bounds topics (such as small talk!) before an eventWhy vulnerability is a gateway to connectionHow Jan uses ‘cellphone sleeping bags’ to encourage connection in his workshopsThe power of reframing and how it gives us permission to failWhat happens in the room when the facilitator admits something has gone wrongDon’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[01:05] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[03:41] What do you mean by “making magical human moments?”[04:45] And what is it that makes magical human moments?[10:29] How do you find the right level of vulnerability with which to open a workshop?[15:09] How can we avoid the trap of falling into small talk?[20:14] What’s a question you love to start with that isn’t “what do you do for work?”[22:09] How do you handle the difference between individuals who sign up for a workshop with you and a team whose manager has brought you in for a workshop?[24:05] How do you come up with creative ideas?[26:56] What’s the story behind your ‘campfire formula’ for facilitating magical human moments?[29:42] Explain to us your ‘cell phone sleeping bag’![32:30] Can you talk about the three different types of listening?[36:13] What makes a workshop fail?[40:44] Do you keep a list of the mistakes you’ve made?[42:19] What is your favourite in-person exercise?[47:17] What is your favourite online exercise?[49:40] Was there anything else you wanted to bring to this conversation?[51:35] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksWebsiteCardsShare 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 are experiencing a long-overdue explosion of information and awareness about mental health. Just as we’ve steadily developed great interventions for our physical ills, we are now developing similar solutions for our mental ills.But prevention is always preferable to cures.Developing our mental fitness can have a hugely positive effect on us as individuals, collectives, and professionals, but it’s not yet a prominent part of the public discussion around mental wellbeing.Jodie Rogers, founder of Symbia, mental fitness expert, and published author, is on a mission to make mental fitness a key part of how we live and work. She joins me in this episode to share how we can start practicing better mental fitness individually and collectively.Find out about:What the difference is between mental health and mental fitnessThe evidence behind mental fitness and Jodie’s work in the fieldHow Jodie coaches mental fitness in corporate settingsHow we can all work on our mental fitness independentlyThe common cognitive traps we set ourselves and what we can do to increase our awareness of themHow and why to prime a group before a workshopWhy Jodie thinks it’s important to call out signals of discontentment, boredom, or disagreement in a groupDon’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 “Dancing with Markers”. Click here to get the workshops work discount for Lauren’s upcoming visual facilitation course.Questions and Answers[01:00] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator, if you do at all?[04:20] Can you explain what mental fitness is?[09:07] Would you call mental fitness a growth mindset?[14:21] How do you go about teaching groups mental fitness?[18:08] Does raising this group- and self-awareness improve our understanding of perceptual differences?[19:50] Do you use any specific tools or ideas to help people understand how their attention works?[25:56] Do you have a favourite tool or exercise for applying mental fitness?[29:16] How do you recognise whether a group is mentally available or if there is tension in it?[31:46] How would you advise someone about calling out visible tension in a group?[36:04] What sort of scene-setting do you do to make ‘calling out’ possible in a group setting?[41:03] What makes a workshop fail?[43:26] What would be your advice for showing up even when we don’t feel very mentally fit?[45:20] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksSymbia, Jodie’s companyJodie’s Mental Fitness ScorecardConnect to Jodie: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!

Group dynamics are always present in the room, whether or not we choose to acknowledge them.What can we do to understand and manage group dynamics - and our place within them?As an organisational psychologist, vastly experienced facilitator, and insightful thinker, Grace Lau is the perfect person to answer this complicated question.Tune into this episode to get a stronger grasp on group dynamics, explore organisational psychology, and to hear the surprising reason Grace why locks herself in the bathroom during workshop breaks!Find out about:How and why people’s characters flex and flow in different groupsWhy it’s okay to interfere with a group’s dynamic for the sake of the workshop’s objectiveWhy we should reconsider the unnatural (and impossible) idea of neutralityHow changes in dynamics are often the result of patterns, not single eventsStories from Grace’s experience of facilitating workshops on group dynamicsHow social cues have (and have not) translated to online tools, adjusting group dynamics without us realisingWhat impact hybrid workshops will have on group dynamicsDon’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[01:04] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[03:34] How do you apply your background in organisational psychology to your facilitation practice?[05:38] How do you approach psychological safety?[11:39] How do you account for the fact that different personalities have more impact than others in a group?[15:32] Where does a facilitator’s responsibility for group dynamics start and end?[18:12] Can one truly be neutral and facilitate oneself out of unconscious biases?[24:18] When something changes in a group’s dynamic, can we point to the cause?[30:37] In this example of a workshop that the group sees as a ‘tick box’ exercise, how would you add a little friction and interest to proceedings?[34:06] Does the majority of the work that goes into a session happen before the group arrives?[37:08] What makes a workshop fail?[41:08] Is it easier to sense or handle group online?[49:26] Can individual people or moments change a group’s rules – without even necessarily noticing?[53:03] How can we manage two separate conversational spaces (e.g. a video call with a chat function)?[54:53] What should facilitators pay attention to with group dynamics in the hybrid space?[59:53] What is your favourite exercise?[01:04:11] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksCompany site: www.atrain-apac.com 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!

Analogies are a powerful tool - they’re communication kaleidoscopes, reflecting and refracting our ideas into a multitude of new, eye-catching alternatives.It’s a tool that we use regularly. I know in my workshops, I will fall back on helpful analogies to explain complex topics. On this podcast, guests (and I) will use analogies to explain new concepts. In many conversations, you’ll find analogies cropping up.It was about time workshops work dedicated some space to this powerful tool! Thankfully, I was able to speak to one of the best possible analogists - Michael Barrett, founder of Resonance, LLC and multi-hyphenate-careerist.Michael’s thinking is a breath of fresh air and our conversation flowed beautifully. Journey with us as we explore the power of analogies in facilitation. Find out about:Michael’s portfolio career of massage therapy, consultancy, and facilitationHow massage therapy taught Michael to see organisations as organismHow interdisciplinary thinking helps Michael see the world in analogiesWhy we shouldn’t always avoid pain, as it can lead to sustained reliefThe neuroscientific reasons for using analogies when you facilitateKnowing where an analogy’s limits areUnderstanding the ground rules of using analogies effectively in workshopsDon’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[01:38] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[06:52] Where do you see the parallels between facilitation and being a massage therapist?[10:46] It sounds like the environment - making a safe space - matters just as much there?[15:58] Do you think the focus on “fixing” afflicts massage therapists and facilitators equally?[19:45] Can pain be productive and healing - as in massage therapy?[21:33] Do analogies’ power in workshops come from adding personal, experiential relatability?[24:33] How do you usually use analogies in your facilitation practice?[28:28] Does knowing the science behind how analogies work allow you to use them in new, boundary-pushing ways?[30:57] How can you determine what good and bad analogies are?[34:06] Has a participant ever refuted or pushed back on one of your analogies?[38:00] Are there specific moments when you use an analogy, or would you build an entire workshop around one?[40:15] What makes a workshop fail?[45:52] Do you have a favourite analogy?[48:26] Is using analogies effectively a talent or a muscle?[54:02] Do you have a favourite exercise?[57:51] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksResonance FaciliShare 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!

Pilar Orti, a passionate advocate for theatre and podcasting, shares her unique insights on facilitation. She discusses how her theatre background enhances collaborative spaces and the dynamics of audio-only workshops. Pilar emphasizes the value of creative processes, using abstract metaphors to promote honest team dialogues. The conversation reveals the potential of podcasting as a facilitation tool, empowering teams while highlighting the importance of engagement and clarity in communication. Expect laughter and lightheartedness throughout!

It’s not uncommon for guests on workshops work to introduce new and unique angles to the practice of facilitation, but I should have known things would jump to another level when I invited transdisciplinary, systems-thinking, complexity-loving Johanna Tysk to the show!Our conversation was intriguing, challenging, daring, and endlessly enjoyable.Join us in this week’s episode for an exploration of systems thinking, object constellations, modern physics, and many more beautifully intertwined topics.Find out about:Johanna’s background and belief in transdisciplinary designWhat it looks like to disentangle different types of cultureWhat happens when we use our bodies to help us understand, perceive, and solve problemsWhy letting go of our desire for control and embracing emergence will make us better facilitatorsHow Johanna creates safe spaces in workshops for creative self-exploration and -identificationWhy the study of complexity needs communities to really make progressDon’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[01:31] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator - do you call yourself a facilitator?[02:24] What is the difference between facilitating and carrying the identity of ‘a facilitator’?[04:17] Can you talk a little about transdisciplinary design and how it influences your work today?[05:38] How would you define systems thinking?[07:52] How do you approach the different systems within a group and work with them as a whole?[11:51] Why do you think object constellations can be so impactful?[17:31] Are there disciplines that combine particularly well together? How do you find that out?[19:03] How does Chaos Theory come into your work?[23:25] How do you bring people’s deeply personal object constellations together into group work?[31:20] What’s your approach to gently introducing object constellations to a group?[32:54] What do you mean by “bringing your body into the space”?[37:45] What is your process for designing a facilitated session?[41:24] How do you equip people to step out of the safe space you create in your workshops?[45:45] What makes a workshop fail?[49:22] When would you choose constellations instead of another creative medium?[52:37] Are there any red flags you would encourage people to look out for if trying object constellations for the first time?[55:35] Is there anything else you wanted to bring to this conversation that hasn’t come up yet?Connect to Johanna:On 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!

Teams are embracing hybrid work - which means more asynchronous work, variable communication signals from person to person, and an opportunity for widespread adoption of facilitative skills.It’s a huge opportunity, but it comes with more than a few occupational risks!So, how can we help teams self-facilitate in the age of remote and hybrid work?Ewen Le Borgne is betting on process literacy as the foundation of self-facilitation. Find out why and learn how he thinks we can make it happen in this electric episode.Find out about:How hybrid has been the catalyst for a new level of understanding in teamsWhy humans’ innate decision-making nature means facilitation is a life skillWhat the “magical superpower” is that Ewen believes we all haveThe tools, techniques, and mindsets needed to distribute facilitative skillsWhich facilitative school of thought Ewen believes is “The Silent Revolution”How Ewen asks contributors to manage the running time of a workshopWhy we should all seek a state of ‘confusiasm’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 “Dancing with Markers”. Click here to get the workshops work discount for Lauren’s upcoming visual facilitation course.Questions and Answers[01:06] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[02:49] What is it about the label of ‘facilitator’ that many of us find to be restrictive?[03:42] What do you mean by “the step after the facilitator”?[06:00] Would a self-facilitated structure work for any kind of collaborative work?[06:44] What skills do people need to balance the group dynamics and personalities?[09:41] What do we need to learn – and unlearn – for process literacy and self-facilitation to work?[10:49] Does the sensory nature of communication create a barrier for asynchronous work?[12:58] Does my understanding of process literacy align with yours?[15:44] The idea of “choosing not to decide things” has a fatal flaw, doesn’t it?[17:01] How would you deal with the risk of certain people monopolising a conversation?[20:11] What is your favourite exercise?[25:02] What is the relationship between Liberating Structures and process literacy?[28:12] What do you mean when you say that each Liberating Structure is like a word in a language?[33:27] When and how can Liberating Structures go wrong?[37:31] How do you use participants/contributors as part of your time management process?[46:50] If we see conversations as a competition, do we lose the opportunity for progress?[50:11] When you start distributing tasks throughout the group, do we dissolve the role of the facilitator?[54:01] What makes a workshop fail?[57:30] What is the one thing you would like listeners to 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!

Every organisation has a culture. Whether its leaders pay attention to it or not. Leaving culture untouched is leaving money on the table and employee satisfaction up to chance.That’s why Viren Thakrar founded In The Game - a consultancy that helps organisations build winning cultures, with the helping hand of facilitation.Viren joins me in this episode to share the secrets he’s learned from years of work with team leaders and executives, as well as the story of how coaching junior soccer and selling sociometric training helped him hone his unique perspective on facilitation.Find out about:What it means to have a winning cultureWhat Viren learned about facilitation from junior soccer coachingWhy people leaving a business can actually be a measure of growthHow to track culture’s impact on organisational successWhich games, tools, and concepts Viren uses to facilitate cultureThe multi-faceted connections that make up our experience of work cultureWhere we should focus first if we want to build a winning cultureDon’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 “Dancing with Markers”. Click here to get the workshops work discount for Lauren’s upcoming visual facilitation course.Questions and Answers[01:08] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[03:39] What did you take from that first experience of facilitation that impacts your work now?[04:27] You founded your company – In The Game – what’s the story there?[08:08] What did you learn about facilitation from coaching junior soccer?[10:26] How do you define a winning culture?[12:46] Can something like personal growth be measured like other business results? If so, how?[17:08] When is the moment to start working on culture? How do you start the process?[18:26] What would your advice be to leaders who want their culture to keep growing?[19:38] How would you facilitate the process of growing a better coach instead of a micromanager?[22:41] How do you facilitate such a complex, potentially-harmful process?[25:23] How does connection relate to building culture?[28:54] If there are four key connections, which one would you start working with to develop a winning culture?[34:30] What makes a workshop fail?[35:35] What is this game, Quinks, about?[37:09] How can leaders learn to be better coaches without being told what coaching skills are?[39:05] Can you explain the different contexts of Quinks?[44:32] How do you close out this game?[46:00] How do people start implementing their learnings?[48:00] What skills are needed for a successful one-on-one, rather than a team, meeting?[52:43] Can Quinks be self-facilitated?[55:45] What is the one thing you would likShare 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!

Alignment would be one of the first words added to the facilitation dictionary, but the concept can sometimes suffer with a reputation as a ‘washy’ or ‘soft’ topic.Lindsay Uittenbogaard is leading the mission to change that perception completely, with a data-focused, scientific interpretation of what it means for teams to be aligned… and misaligned.Join us in this episode as we explore what it means when a team is misaligned, how we can measure and improve alignment, and why – in the end – absolute alignment should never be the goal.Sharpen your skillset by spending an hour with Lindsay – you won’t regret it!Find out about:How data can assess, measure, and predict convergence and divergenceWhy conversation is not always the best way to discuss alignmentWhy data is essential to understand alignment, but is not enough on its ownHow frameworks and systems offer us an entry point for improving alignmentThe difference between agreement and alignmentThe idiosyncrasies of misalignment in a remote working worldTips for listeners who are interested in working on team alignment 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 “Dancing with Markers”. Click here to get the workshops work discount for Lauren’s upcoming visual facilitation course. Questions and Answers[01:09] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator? If you don’t, what do you call yourself?[02:15] Is alignment measured in quantitative or qualitative data?[07:22] How do you measure the ‘severity’ of misalignment?[10:15] What makes starting to work on our misalignments so complicated?[13:07] Is there a Catch 22 when it comes to addressing misalignment?[18:46] Can you convince someone to align, even if you can’t convince them to agree?[23:03] What’s an example of a situation in which misalignment is normal and fine to leave as it is?[30:12] Can you ‘overalign’ by going too granular and focused in the work?[33:33] Have pandemic-enforced remote work amplified the issue of misalignment?[36:10] How can we demystify alignment and give people a clearer definition of it?[42:39] What three questions would you advise a team leader ask their team to get an alignment ‘temperature check’?[43:09] What are the risks in trying to align a team when you don’t know how to do so?[44:40] What leads to increased frustration in teams, related to misalignment?[48:05] Do you have a favourite exercise?[49:21] What is the threshold for ‘acceptable’ misalignment and problematic misalignment?[52:48] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksMirrorMirror AlignmentConnect to 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!

Facilitation has many intersections, but one I didn’t ever think I would discuss on this podcast is that of Taoism and facilitation.Yet, here we are, and it has proven to be an eye-opening, enriching experience.This week, I am joined by Dov Tsal. Dov is a Scrum Master, coach, and transformation expert with an exceptional and unique perspective on facilitation.Join us as we explore the shared roots and surprising similarities between this ancient Eastern religion and the practice of facilitation. I think you will be amazed by the connections Dov makes.Find out about:●       Dov’s connection to Taosim and how it complements and enhances his work●       Why emotional energy is so important if we want to achieve transformation●       How Dov differentiates between Taoist Agile and Agile●       Dov’s secret to ‘always being right’●       Why great facilitation comes from deep preparation that is loosely held●       Why Dov believes so strongly in the value in emergent facilitation●       How we can use silence in our workshop design●       Negotiating our narratives about the past and future to help us be presentDon’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 “Dancing with Markers”. Click here to get the workshops work discount for Lauren’s upcoming visual facilitation course.Questions and Answers[01:06] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[05:15] What other schools of thought have inspired you as a facilitator?[07:21] If we are like neurons in a brain, what is our equivalent  to synapses?[09:05] When was the moment you connected Taoism with your work?[13:02] What is something that people get wrong about what agile actually is?[18:47] What does harmony look like in an organisation?[21:13] What – if any – difference is there between Tao Agile and ‘normal’ Agile?[23:41] How do you teach people to always be right?[28:27] Could you read a short Tao poem for us?[30:26] How do you relate this idea – of removing the self and accepting the whole – to facilitation?[32:41] How do you prepare for a workshop?[37:25] How would you normally start a workshop, if you have not prepared for it?[41:48] What is the real role of a facilitator if a group can conclude a workshop without us?[46:13] What makes a workshop fail?[55:46] How do we negotiate workshops when people enter them with ‘history’ or preconceptions?[58:57] How do you create space for participants to be fully present?[01:05:02] Does the opening exercise of asking ‘why are you here?’ help to create that space?[01:13:15] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?LinksDov’s Podcast - 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!