workshops work

When I first read about AI and facilitation, I was worried the robots were coming for my job… but then I spoke with Laure Cohen van Delft and realised AI is a most welcome addition to our profession!This is because AI, in this context, refers to Appreciative Inquiry – a framework and approach that facilitates purposeful change in organisations. The approach is centred on outcomes that grow in value (Appreciate) and a curious mindset (Inquiry).AI encompasses many facets of other facilitative approaches that are joined together by the belief that every living system has potential for growth.Laure’s explanation of AI is fascinating – a truly unique perspective – and every facilitator can learn something from her.Find out about:How Laure utilises LEGO Serious Play within her workshopsWhat Appreciative Inquiry (AI) isHow AI can be practiced in workshopsWhy AI can be so effectiveThe outcomes made possible by designing a workshop around AIClick here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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[01:44] When did you first call yourself a facilitator?[03:06] What does facilitation mean to you?[06:08] What have you learned from LEGO Serious Play?[09:55] How do you define Appreciative Inquiry (AI)?[14:34] Is there a specific structure to AI?[24:05] How do we put the principles of AI together in a workshop?[38:08] What is your favourite question to ask in a workshop?[42:06] What makes a workshop fail?[48:10] What is one thing you want listeners to take away from this episode?Links to checkDavid L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative InquiryAI CommonsThe 5 principles of AI Essentials of Appreciative Inquiry by David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney and Jacqueline Stavros, 2008Encyclopedia of Positive Questions second edition by Diana WhitnShare 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!

Workshops are arranged for many different reasons, but so often there is something more beneath the surface – a deeper question that needs to be answered or a problem that the client cannot yet articulate.Clients are ‘inside’ the problem, so it is understandable that they might not be able to truly define and understand it.So, how do we cut through the noise and get to the real purpose of our workshops?Britt Andreatta has been asking this question for a long time and has developed a brilliant participant-focused strategy to identify the real topic of workshops that remains true to the client’s needs.Listen in to learn:What Britt believes are key differences between virtual and physical workshopsBritt’s strategy for helping clients define the real purpose of their workshopHow designing psychological safety for the group and for the leader differHow Britt ensures the right people are in the roomWhy asking diagnostic questions at every stage of your workshops will improve themBritt is also offering Workshops Work listeners a free chapter of her book, Wired to Grow. Get your free chapter!Click here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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[01:42] How did you get started in facilitation?[03:49] What are the differences between designing a virtual and a physical workshop?[07:32] How do you help clients identify the real purpose of their workshop?[13:37] What are the differences between designing psychological safety for groups and leaders?[22:21] How do you ensure the right people are in the room?[24:14] What makes a workshop fail?[32:46] How would you describe the future of facilitation?[41:06] What hashtag would you give yourself?[41:48] What do you wish you had known when you started your career in facilitation?[45:19] What is the one thing listeners should take away from this?Links to checkBritt’s business pageBook chapter “Wired to Grow” 30 days LinkedIn learning trialConnect with BrittBritt's websiteLinkeShare 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!

Imagine turning up to a workshop to find there is no agenda.You haven’t walked into a nightmare – quite the opposite, in fact! No Agenda is an innovative approach that Nadja champions to great success.If you want to know how to encourage groups to own their own responsibility to connect, create, and change, then you’ll want to hear more about running workshops with no agendas from Nadja.Find out about:Nadja’s journey to facilitation and the experiences that have shaped her practiceWhy identifying the group’s “why” is the starting point of a meaningful workshopHow to effectively run a workshop with no agendaHow Nadja is navigating the shift to virtual workshopsHow to take the BarCamp structure and apply it in corporate settingsClick here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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[00:52] What’s on your mind right now?[02:36] What helps facilitators cope in a pandemic?[04:39] What have you consciously unlearned from your early facilitation training?[07:13] How do you structure outputs in a workshop with no agenda?[11:47] Do you prepare groups for this?[13:23] How do you make sure every voice is heard?[18:03] What is your favourite exercise to help bring structure to complexity?[21:39] What would your advice be to facilitators who are interested in running workshops with no agenda?[24:38] What makes a workshop fail?[28:10] How have No Agenda workshops coped with moving online during the pandemic?[31:35] Can you explain what a BarCamp is?[34:41] What is the difference between a BarCamp and a world café in corporate settings?[38:29] How do your clients react if you tell them there is no agenda?[40:44] Is there anything else you want to bring up?[42:46] Would you create another version of your WonderCards for virtual facilitation?[46:46] What is one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?Links to checkWondercardsWondercards LinkedInWeekly facilitators remote caféWondercards on SessionLabOpen SpaceShare 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!

How can we facilitate meaningful change in a sector that is infamous for being rigid and slow-moving? (Though I am not sure I agree with that position!)Sara Huang is the person to ask – so that’s exactly what I did! Sara is an expert in facilitation within the public sector and governmental organisations.Join me in this episode of Workshops Work, in which Sara and I discuss the differences in facilitation within the public sector, the secrets to success in this field, and what all of us can learn from this unique perspective.Find out about:What it means to ‘twist’ in the public sector and why it produces great resultsThe importance of play if we want to create movement and possibilityHow to encourage creativity and open-mindednessWhen transparency can be useful (and not)How to flatten the room in an organisation with strict hierarchiesClick here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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[01:21] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[03:44] What’s the difference between being a facilitator and an advisor, and where does neutrality come into it?[06:23] Can you explain the name of your company?[08:02] How does your vision of ‘twisting’ fit into working in the public sector?[10:39] What do you mean by ‘play’?[12:25] Do you work with visual facilitators?[14:25] How do you encourage a workshop mindset in a rigid public sector environment?[18:24] Is it true that, in government, people like to conform and, if it is, how do you challenge that to encourage new ideas?[21:19] How do you encourage people to assess every side of an argument?[27:14] How do you facilitate when there are so many layers to decision making processes in the public sector?[30:02] How transparent are you about the limitations within an organisation?[31:19] What is your favourite exercise?[34:19] How do you flatten the room in a patently hierarchical organisation?[37:19] What makes a workshop fail?[43:12] Is there anything else you wanted to share today?Links to checkSara's websiteMastermindConnect with SaraSara's TwitterSara’s InstagramShare 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!

It is my pleasure to bring you this episode of Workshops Work, featuring Nisaar Jagroep. Nisaar is a master of Agile (though is too humble to call himself that!), and a leading proponent of Conscious Leadership.In his interview on Workshops Work, we dive into the details of Agile workshop design, the importance of having “the right people” in the room, and what Conscious Leadership looks like in organisations and hierarchies.It was a real delight to learn more about these topics. I hope you will feel the same by the time the episode is over.Find out about:Nisaar’s journey to facilitation via coaching and Agile, and how the three intermingle in his practice todayWhy making processes small makes change more achievableHow to flatten the room, with an Agile twistWhat Conscious Leadership is, how we can apply it in organisations, and why it’s so importantWhat Nisaar believes the future of facilitation isClick here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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!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[01:17] Did you call yourself a coach or a facilitator first?[03:39] What do you understand by ‘Agile’?[05:44] How do you make work “as small as possible”?[09:20] How do you use Agile to design a workshop?[11:33] What is your favourite tool or exercise?[19:28] How would you design a workshop when you have big differences in hierarchy?[23:56] What makes a workshop fail?[26:50] Who are “the right people” to have in a workshop and how do you make sure they are in the room?[31:19] Can you explain Conscious Leadership?[41:24] What is the future of facilitation?[43:44] How would meetings change if every participant had an awareness of facilitation?Links to check Patrick Cowden on episode 001The Workshops Work Virtual MastermindAgileScrumConscious LeadershipShare 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!

The Art of Hosting is a beautiful embodiment of many of the features of facilitation, combined with its own set of unique approaches and concepts. Mary Alice Arthur is an international steward of the Art of Hosting network and a person whose input I value hugely.Mary Alice joined me for this episode of Workshops Work to talk about the Art of Hosting in general, but also about how we can apply it amid our current circumstances of lockdown and social distancing.Our conversation was packed with curiosity and “aha” moments, and it felt like we connected a lot of dots together. I hope it will be the same for you. In this episode, find out about: The art of hosting yourself and others in normal circumstances, and during crisesWhy our individual and collective stories hold so much powerHow to use challenges and potentially destructive tools to inspire great changeWhy Mary Alice values resonant learning and collective wisdomHow to direct our energy away from fear and towards excitement Click here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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[01:15] What makes the mindset of a facilitator?[05:58] How do you balance the two meanings of the word ‘fire’?[10:40] How do balance making the process easy with making the struggle easy?[17:03] How do you bring people to the same point in their shared story in a workshop?[23:17] Why is it so important to hear other perspectives, even if you are an expert?[26:13] Why do some virtual meetings thrive and others struggle?[28:05] How can we create and tell the story?[31:06] What are the opportunities in virtual meetings?[35:36] What makes a workshop fail?[40:43] What is the one point you’d like people to take away from this conversation?    Connect with Mary AliceMary Alice's websiteMary Alice's FacebookMary Alice's TwitterMary Alice's InstagramMary Alice's 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!

We can find inspiration for our work as facilitators in the most surprising places. I would have said that game design is one of those surprising sources, but after speaking to Coline Pannier, the similarities and interconnections were abundantly clear.Game design is the path to mastery in a controlled environment.While we might look for convenience and facilitate in a way that creates ease, game designers approach tasks from another angle. They create interesting challenges that help players to develop a skill. In a workshop environment these challenges are small frictions or imaginary environments that make it interesting for the group to solve a problem together.Learn about: What video game design and workshop design have in commonWhy humility is essential for facilitatorsThe power of frustration and challenges, and why we should embrace them in workshopsHow restriction boosts creativityWhat facilitators are responsible for, what they can control, and what they should leave behindClick here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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[01:28] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[03:03] How do you combine enjoyment of creating with enjoyment of facilitation?[04:23] What do you think other educators can learn from facilitation?[06:16] How does humility fit into education?[08:24] What from game design can we apply to workshop design?[10:23] Can facilitators purposefully introduce challenges to our workshops?[15:23] How can we use obstacles that already exist for participants?[17:17] How do you define, as a game designer, the right amount of challenge?[19:50] Would you reframe existing challenges in a new way?[22:58] What would be a nice, meaningful obstacle that you would create in a workshop?[26:39] Can you give an example of creating a loop between ‘levels’ in a workshop?[30:28] What can we learn about sprints from game design?[34:02] How do you know that you ‘went in the wrong direction’ outside the game environment?[36:42] Do you share with the group if you feel something has gone wrong in a workshop?[38:04] What would the signs be that a group is getting a process wrong?[39:18] What is a failed workshop?[41:43] Can you give an example of taking on a job for the wrong reasons?[44:08] Is it possible to use game design to structure an organisation?[51:19] What is your favourite exerciseShare 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!

Prototyping is a mainstay of the tech world, but nothing exists in a vacuum anymore. Disciplines are increasingly cross-pollinating and useful strategies from disparate fields are finding new life in places we may not have expected.Prototypes are one of those strategies, and my guest on this week’s podcast can attest to that. Douglas Ferguson sits at the intersection of tech users and tech teams, with the workshops he leads creating positive outcomes and outputs for both parties.But how does he integrate prototypes into workshops and what can we, as facilitators, learn from this traditionally tech-focused technique?Start prototyping your understanding and dive into this fascinating episode of Workshops Work!Learn about:The prototyping mindset and how almost anything can be prototypedHow the interface between users and tech vs. teams and workshops share similaritiesWhy you need to embrace either fidelity or ambiguityHow to spot and manage typical issues that arise in prototypingWhat designing for frustration and managing expectations looks likeWhy labelling emotions build connection and empathy in a roomClick here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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] What led you write your book, Beyond the Prototype, and would you call yourself a facilitator?[05:29] What do you understand by the word prototype? Is there something you cannot prototype?[09:36] Are there prototypes that are prone to fail? How would you characterise them?[16:36] Would you say you work at the interface between the user and a workshop?[19:20] Can you give an example of a low resolution prototype?[23:20] What are the minimum requirements for a prototype to survive the ‘beyond’ phase?[28:54] How do you rebuild or maintain the excitement after the first prototype, especially if it is not well-received?[32:43] Are expectation management and careful design the key factors in reducing frustration for teams developing prototypes?[39:09] How would you distinguish the need for facilitative leadership versus the need for an external facilitator?[42:06] At what point do you hand over your Design Sprint to the in-house leader?[44:57] What are the key ingredients to help organisations keep momentum and move beyond the prototype?[49:36] At what point do you craft the design narrative and how do you do it?[50:38] What would be the strategy you use to design thShare 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!

As part of the Virtual Collaboration Campus 2020, we invited all participants to join an inclusive Fishbowl conversation (similar to the one for Episode 50) around the question “What makes virtual workshops work?”.A total number of 73 participants joined the Zoom call and we covered many topics around virtual workshops and virtual collaboration: What works and what doesn't? What are our best practices?The questions we asked and answered: What makes virtual workshops work?  What are your opinions on showing your personal space or having an artificial background? What kind of workshops can we only do in the analogue world that we cannot do in the virtual space? What can we learn from this crisis that would help us to have a better future? How can we use our facilitation skills to help to navigate the crisis? What rules do we need to make a “global society” instead of a “global economy” work?  Although I highly recommend keeping a pen and paper at hand to take notes, you can also just download mine!And, don't miss the next show: Subscribe to my newsletter and check your favourite podcast player to subscribe to the show. 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!Links to checkThe Workshops Work "Virtual Mastermind"The Virtual Collaboration NetworkShare 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!

Beauty appears in different ways – with our intention or entirely without provocation – but how can we purposefully create beauty in our workshops, and what effect can it have on the outcomes of our practice?Eike Niclas Schmidt believes beauty is an essential component of a successful workshop, and that it can be encouraged and created in simpler ways than you might imagine.As an Art of Hosting specialist, Eike is acutely aware of the impact our spaces and presence have on the people we share them with. The perfect person for me to speak to, then, in my investigation into beauty and its role in making workshops work.In this episode, find out about:How the Art of Hosting and facilitation have combined perfectly for Eike’s practiceWhat it takes to hold space as a facilitatorHow to make people shineWhether it is possible to facilitate beautyWhere in our work it is most important to curate and encourage beautyClick here to download the free 1-page summaryDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.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 [01:27] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?[02:42] Is there a difference between holding space for children and adults?[03:20] Do you recall a mistake you made early on that taught you a lot?[05:48] What was it that made you feel at home when you found the Art of Hosting tribe?[07:24] What does it take to hold space as a facilitator?[10:23] What does it mean to make people shine, and how do you facilitate that?[13:00] Are there ways of creating connectedness, or shine, without physical contact?[18:10] What does it mean to create a beautiful space to you?[22:53] Is beauty something we can facilitate?[24:36] What does the Art of Hosting mean?[27:24] How do you make outcomes visible?[31:06] How important is the beauty of the tangible materials we use (such as flip charts, notes, or recordings)?[34:29] What is it about circles that makes magical connections?[37:02] What makes a workshop fail?[40:30] What is your favourite exercise?[42:11] How do you think facilitation can contribute to planting seeds for the future?[45:27] If someone fell asleep after the first minute of this podcast and has just awoken, what would you like them to take away?Links to checkEpisode 047 with Tim Ferguson on Outputs and OutcomesShare 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!