

workshops work
Dr Myriam Hadnes
Welcome to “workshops work,” the podcast that transforms how professionals engage, inspire, and lead groups. Ranked among the top 5% most popular podcasts globally, it is hosted by Dr Myriam Hadnes, a behavioural economist and facilitation expert. Each episode delves into the techniques and mindsets that make workshops truly impactful.Join us every week as we sit down with world-renowned facilitators and uncover their secrets to creating psychological safety, fostering collaboration, and sparking innovation. Whether you’re a Facilitator, L&D professional, HR leader, manager, coach or trainer, you’ll find practical tips, inspiring stories, and actionable insights to elevate your group dynamics.From navigating conflict to unlocking creativity, “workshops work” blends theory with practice, ensuring you walk away with tools you can immediately apply. Dr Myriam Hadnes doesn’t just interview; she facilitates enriching conversations that shift perspectives and deepen understanding.Subscribe now to change the world, one workshop at a time.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 8, 2025 • 1h 13min
316 - Walking Your Story: A Somatic Path to Connection and Purpose with Jimmie White
What does facilitation have in common with quantum physics? What do organisations have to do with molecules? And why when you ask a question, are you playing around with someone’s mind?All will be revealed this week with Jimmie White! A seven-times best-selling author, an indomitable facilitator that has trained The Peace Corps and supported NASA with somatic integration, and in a past life, a teacher of ballroom dancing.It’s perhaps not surprising then, that Jimmie’s facilitation is alive with somatic movement, storytelling - and even neuroscience. It’s something Jimmie calls ‘Walking Your Story’: a physical navigating of group narratives, helping us to rewrite our stories, explore multiple outcomes, and bond with others in the steps we take.Press play for an incredible, expansive conversation!Find out about:Jimmie’s ‘Walking Your Story’ method, and how it can foster deep reflection, transformation and connectionThe Observer Effect of Quantum Physics and what it means for facilitationHow physical movement can change our relationship with past storiesThe methods of somatic storytelling and socratic thinkingThe importance of fostering psychological safety in personal storytellingDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Jimmie White:LinkedInWebsite"Designing & Leading Life-Changing Workshops: Creating the Conditions for Transformation in Your Groups, Trainings, and Retreats" by Ken Nelson, Lesli Lang, David Ronka, Korabek-Emerson and Jim WhiteShare 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!

7 snips
Apr 1, 2025 • 1h 22min
315 - Beyond the Quick Fix: Holding Space for What Wants to Emerge with Quanita Roberson
Sometimes, just sometimes, you meet someone who is a balm to the soul, who speak words of wisdom, magic, and nurturing depth. Quanita Roberson has this gift - and she returns to the show to share it with us once again!Mingling spiritual intelligence with raw human experience, Quanita guides us generously through the messy yet beautiful terrain of healing, as we trace emotions back to their source and learn how to step away from adolescent adulthood.She brings us into the heart of questions like: how do we grieve? What does courage really mean? And why do people find it easier to talk about gender than race?Find out about:Why shame, blame and guilt are not emotions, but rather where we go to hide from themThe initiations of our life, and why we must embrace crumbling to make space for the newThe importance of going inwards to find our wisdom to help the worldWhy there aren’t different ways to grieve, but rather different ways to avoid itThe importance of embodying our emotions, allowing them to move through usDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Quanita Roberson:LinkedInWebsite 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!

Mar 25, 2025 • 1h 1min
314 - Connection Before Content: A New Approach to Museum Learning with Claire Bown
A pair of flimsy plastic headphones, a voice in your ears bombarding you with dates, names and historical periods, and a momentary pause at each work of art as you side-step the seemingly disinterested guided tour.If this sounds familiar, then museum facilitator and author Claire Bown is here to bring the museum alive for you! She reimagines the experience by making space for curiosity, conversation and participant-led interaction, turning passive presentations and fleeting glances into a treasure trove of stories, deep connection and meaning.Join Claire to slow down, welcome in a little more wondering, and discover what museum exploration can teach us about the art of participation.Find out about:The role of the museum environment in facilitating the experienceStrategies for engagement, from visual thinking to slow lookingWhy we must give space for observation, before jumping into explanationHow to achieve equal participation by re-designing group formationHow to acknowledge and invite in existing knowledge from the groupDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Claire Bown:InstagramLinkedInPodcastNewsletterBookShare 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!

Mar 18, 2025 • 1h 12min
313 - Digging into the Future: The Art of Future Archaeology with Markus Iofecea
Can we explore the future as if it were an archaeological site? Instead of predicting trends or following hype cycles, future archaeologist Markus Iofcea uncovers artifacts - fragments of possible futures - that help us rethink what’s to come.Future archaeologist, co-author of the book Zurück zur Zukunft, and all-round inspiring mind, Markus Iofcea, is here to tell us that yes, the future can be ours to create! He digs in the future to see what treasures he can find in its vast archeological site - except his artefacts aren’t the rare remnants of a civilisation gone-by, but rather inventions we are yet to make. Inventions that could change the world!From there, he hypothesises his discoveries infinitely - helping organisations to philosophically explore contexts, variations and parameters to test if an innovation will work well beyond our current, limiting reality.This was one of those rare, fascinating conversations that you won’t want to miss - thank you for setting my mind alight, Markus!Find out about:What future archaeology is and how Markus explores the possibilities of the futureFuture artefacts: what they are, how to dig them out, and how to innovate themThe importance of removing an artefact from our current context to prepare for the unknownWhy we must ‘dig’ at an innovation for as long as possible, interrogating its logical componentsHow Markus helps the corporate world to excavate innovations, free from limitations and predictionsDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Link to his book Connect to Markus Iofcea:LinkedInWebsiteShare 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!

Mar 11, 2025 • 1h 11min
312 - From Mapping to Meaning: Co-Creation Through Jobs to Be Done with Jim Kalbach
Facilitation isn’t just about guiding a process—it’s about creating meaning. And in this episode, Jim Kalbach, author of The Jobs To Be Done: Align Your Markets, Organization, and Strategy Around Customer Needs, shares how facilitation and Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) go hand in hand.We dive into the art of moving from insight to action, exploring how facilitators and leaders can use JTBD to break through assumptions, foster collaboration, and design experiences that truly serve the people they’re meant for.Jim shares his own journey—from journey mapping to facilitation—revealing how shifting the focus from solutions to human needs changes everything.Find out about:Why facilitation isn’t just about neutrality—it’s about shaping meaningful outcomesThe power of customer journey maps as tools for conversation and sense-makingHow Jobs to Be Done helps teams focus on real human needs, not just solutionsWhy co-creation leads to better collaboration, alignment, and decision-makingHow to avoid “workshop amnesia” and keep momentum alive after a sessionPractical ways to embed customer-centric thinking into everyday workDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Jobs to be Done ToolkitConnect to GUEST:Jim on AmazonLinkedIn 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!

Mar 4, 2025 • 53min
311 - Facilitating Courage: A Deeper Look at Psychological Safety with Myriam Hadnes
It’s an art form, but it’s not rocket science. It’s courageous, but it’s not not cushy or comforting. And it’s saying no in meaningful ways, rather than saying yes to everything.Psychological safety is as much about what it’s not, as what it is. It’s a phenomenon that’s nuanced, ephemeral and often misconceived, asking all of us - facilitator and participant - to hold out our arms to discomfort, take risks, make mistakes and dance in our humanness.But to achieve it, and then keep it alive for everyone, takes great self-awareness, emotional regulation - and for us facilitators to feel safe first. Join me for a special solo episode - an hour dedicated entirely to the art of psychological safety!Find out about:My 4 practical tips for leaders to create psychological safety around youAnd 4 ways leaders can build psychological safety for themselvesBeyond the buzzword, what does it really mean to achieve psychological safety?Why small mistakes can evolve into bigger risks when safety is absentMaking every voice count, and feel safe, with the power of using “Yes, and ___”The importance of cultivating your own emotional literacy and setting boundariesDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Myriam Hadnes:LinkedInWebsiteShare 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!

Feb 25, 2025 • 1h 10min
310 - Listening Deeper: Finding the Questions That Need to Be Asked with Akshay Kapur
Akshay Kapur, an executive coach specializing in workshops and meetings, shares his insights on the power of silence and the art of asking the right questions. He emphasizes creating spaciousness for reflection and dialogue, bridging the gap between coaching and facilitation. Akshay discusses how understanding group dynamics fosters effective communication and the nuances of virtual engagement. He also explores the emotional dynamics at play in workshops and the importance of preparing for deeper connections and meaningful discussions.

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 15min
309 - Resourcing the Room: The Art of Holding Space for Healing with Louise Marra
Louise Marra, a trauma resolution expert and facilitator, shares her insights on healing through indigenous wisdom. She discusses how trauma affects group dynamics and offers strategies for holding safe spaces for participants. Louise highlights the significance of recognizing organizational trauma and the 'rupture and repair' process for personal and collective growth. The conversation also delves into fostering emotional awareness and the role of intuition in decision-making, emphasizing the value of vulnerability in leadership and group facilitation.

21 snips
Feb 11, 2025 • 1h 4min
308 - Navigating the Emotional Landscape of Facilitation with Kerri Price
Kerri Price, an experienced facilitator, shares her journey from casual workshops to a successful business, revealing the importance of embracing unexpected detours in facilitation. She discusses overcoming imposter syndrome and the joy of rediscovery, emphasizing self-awareness and authenticity in her approach. Kerri also highlights how the pandemic transformed perceptions of facilitation, advocating for inclusivity and collaboration. Most importantly, she explores the emotional landscape of facilitation, urging facilitators to set the right emotional tone and prioritize self-care.

Feb 4, 2025 • 1h 17min
307 - From Sober Raves to Corporate Joy: Facilitating Connection Across Contexts with Jacques The Party Scientist
If joy was an episode, then it would be episode 307. Welcome back, for the third time, to Jacques The Party Scientist, sober rave host, and social norm disruptor!I’ve witnessed Jacques’ journey for quite some years now as he’s facilitated joy, spread his natural antidepressants, and created experiences that unite people through the hedonism of human connection.He joins us with a party bag of life-affirming, inspiring ideas; from the natural forces of neuroscience, to taking social risks, and being misunderstood - but doing it anyway. Feel the flood of neurochemicals with Jacques, as he brings his goofy, gorgeous, full-of-life self.Find out about:How Jacques facilitates joy and creates the mental health tonic of human connectionThe 3 Cs of Joy: Cultivate physiological state, Celebrate social risks and Co-create communityExpressing our needs through the liberating act of Radical HonestyHow Jacques designs psychologically safe spaces that allow people to push past fear Sober raves, consensual hugging and platonic intimacy Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Jacques Martiquet:LinkedInWebsiteShare 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!


