workshops work

In episode 024 of the workshops work Podcast, I talk to Grazyna Frackiewicz, a stand-up comedian, improv teacher and facilitator about hacks to overcome uncertainty. She will share what she has learned from her career in sales and marketing and how she uses these skills to design a process that helps her to stay in the moment. Grazyna now runs the Living Improv Academy to help facilitators and team leaders to find confidence in uncertainty by applying methods of improvisation theatre. You will learn how to prepare in a way that you will eventually even feel addicted to uncertainty when hosting a workshop.My favourite part of the show happens when Grazyna and I discuss her favourite exercise “count to 20” and what we can learn from it about communication, collaboration, uncertainty and strategy.Don’t miss the part when Grazyna explains how she “thinks on her feet” when she merges her stand-up, improv and theatre acting skills.  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.Questions and Answers[1:29] If you were a Hashtag, what would you be?[2:41] So what's your story? How did you get from sales/ marketing to acting to facilitating?[6:15] what did you learn from your life as a sales and marketing person?[7:49] Would you consider facilitation and communication as a “soft skill”?[12:08] Given your background in improv theatre and your connection to yourself, how do you deal with uncertainty?[14:39] To what extent is it about the facilitator him or herself to get out of the way?[18:50] How much planning do you put into your workshops and how much room do you leave for improvisation and uncertainty?[26:45] How do you help groups to deal with this discomfort of listening to their bodies in front of colleagues?[29:11] There is a large difference with respect to the script between stand-up, improv and traditional theatre acting. Which skill do you refer to when it comes to facilitation?[29:51] What do you mean by “thinking or feeling on your feet”? [31:18] How much “acting” do you apply in a workshop?[33:07] What makes a workshop fail?[35:30] What would you recommend to a facilitator on how to deal with uncertainty?[38:56] What’s your favourite exercise to learn giving up control and being in the moment?[40:35] Is this an intuition that gets us to speak at the right moment?[42:36] Do you see differences between the way teams perform in this exercise as opposed to a group of strangers?[46:23] What shall the audience remember from our conversation? Related links you may want to check out:Grazyna’s business page: 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!

In this episode, I talk to May King Tsang, a social media FOMO ("fear of missing out") creator and live tweeter. May King joined a live event I organised a day before recording the interview so that I could have first-hand insights on how she works and how FOMO works. In the show, we talk about how May King created visibility for a small and intimate event on social media.  In the show, May King shares the steps she took to create visibility: before, during and even after the event. She explains the key differences between the major platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and how we can use the algorithms to our advantage.  Don’t miss the part when May King explains why she doesn't directly refer to the event she creates FOMO for in her very first social media posts. And what she did to help me to increase my number of followers on Instagram by 6% and by 35% on Twitter without me even using my phone.  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. Questions and Answers [2:00] If you had to choose a hashtag for yourself, what would it be? [3:08] Can you tell us a little bit more about your story, making tea and making FOMO while making mistakes. [6:05] What was your approach of creating pre-FOMO for the mastermind even? [13:08] How can we protect us against being tagged without consent? [13:49] We just covered the pre-FOMO strategy. What was then happening at the event itself? [22:42] If we want to be more strategic, what would be the differences of the different approaches on the three different platforms being Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook? [26:54] What is the ideal frequency of posting across platforms? [29:32] Why was it important that you used my phone during the event to create FOMO? [33:17] What is usually the result that you would hope for that you would bring forth? [40:45] From your outside perspective, observing the events you create FOMO for: What makes a workshop or conference fail? [47:09] How do you create post-FOMO? How can we keep the buzz alive after the event? [52:09] What would you like a listener to remember from our interview?  Related links you may want to check out: Neal Schaffer on influencer marketing Andrew and Pete Jannet Murray Our sponsor Session Lab (affiliate link)  Connect to May Kingon LinkedInFollow her @MayKingTEAShare 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 episode, I talk to Daniel Stillman, a conversation designer and host of the podcast “The Conversation Factory”. We talk about the difference and similarities between facilitation, conversation design and coaching. And, we talk a lot about power dynamics and how you deal with them and take them into account when designing group conversations that shall solve a problem. In the show, Daniel and I discuss a lot about the circumstances that determine our choices of exercises – depending on the purpose of a workshop, group dynamics, and stakeholder groups.   Don’t miss our arguments related to the “Fishbowl Conversation” that led us to explore how to evaluate which exercises were appropriate in specific situations. 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.Questions and Answers[1:43] What’s your story? How did you turn from a BA in Physics into a conversation designer?[5:48] How did the experience of power dynamics impact you and your style of working in designing conversations?[10:43] Is there actually a line between being a conversation designer, a facilitator, moderator and a coach?[25:24] So what's according to you the most effective way to make a decision with a large group?[27:54] To what extent do you believe does the facilitator has a responsibility to protect the group from their decisions being highjacked by the p[roblem-owner?[29:43] What is the key skill according to you, since you are also teaching facilitating managers, what is the key skill that they should learn first?[30:46] Can you learn that? Can you teach that?[33:24] According to you, what makes a workshop fail?[37:48] So how much time do you usually spend on understanding the participants before him?[40:53] I would be curious to hear how you define the experience in the context of a conversation.[43:21] What’s your favourite exercise?[46:49] If someone fell asleep after a minute, just woke up and doesn't have time to listen to the entire show again. What do you want them to remember?Related links you may want to check out:Daniel’s conversation with Robert Bordone (Podcast,The Conversation Factory)Timothy Gallwey “The inner game of Tennis”Barry O’Reilly “Unlearn” Conversation OSThe Fishbowl Conversation (Exercise)Knowle’s principle 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!

In this episode, I talk to Max Brouwer, a change-agent, scrum master and facilitator who also runs a solo consulting business max.co. The core of our conversation is the method of “Liberating Structures” and we dig deep into different exercises (so-called “structures”) and how to effectively apply them in different contexts. We also talk about the role of managers as “facilitating leaders” and how to avoid the “leadership bias” when a senior manager joins a workshop. I was particularly curious to learn about Max’ experience of organizing Meet-up events that bring together groups of unrelated people to learn and experience “Liberating Structures”. Amongst others, I learned from Max a nice add-on to my favourite “premortem” exercise: After a brainstorm on how to fail a goal, he asks participants to highlight those items that they are already doing and challenges them on how to stop doing that. Don’t miss the part when Max shares how he dealt with the situation when a manager started co-facilitating the workshop and questioned the process. And don’t miss our heartful laughs throughout the show (which I decided not to delete just for the fun of it).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.Questions and Answers[1:36] If you were a hashtag, what would you be?[2:26] What is a change agent?[3:43] Can you learn to be a change agent and how do you become one?[6:23] What have you learned from being a consultant about facilitation?[9:09] Must the CEO be present in the workshop? [11:10] Can you briefly explain the concept of “Liberating Structures”?[14:49] Do you usually co-facilitate workshops with other practitioners of “Liberating Structures” (Liberating Structuralists??)[20:05] Can you share the story about the manager who started co-facilitating? [25:33] Can managers become “facilitating leaders”? [28:03] Do you think we can create a “kitchen table” atmosphere at work?[31:00] How do you adjust your string to different topics of a “Liberating Structures” Meet-up?[34:08] Often I came across the method of ‘min specs’ – can you explain to me what this means?[35:50] Which list is usually longer – the list of the dos or of the don’ts? [40:28] How you design a Meet-up workshop for which you most often don’t know the group of participants?[45:53] What makes a workshop fail?[47:08] What shall the audience remember from our conversation?Links to books and exercises we discussed:Lean Coffee (Meeting format)Impromptu Networking (Exercise)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!

In this episode, I talk to Rein Sevenstern, a facilitator, coach and managing partner of Experiential Learning, a consulting firm that designs and facilitates experiences for people to leave their comfort zone in a safe environment, to unleash learning. Since Rein has lived and worked in many different countries, such as India, Malaysia, US, Belgium and the Netherlands, we talk about the impact of cultural differences on workshop preparation and facilitation. The core of our conversation is the question of how we can create experiences in various workshop contexts and how we can take participants out of their comfort zone while protecting the safe space. We also speak about ego and about trust and what it takes to transform groups of colleagues into teams. Don’t miss the part when Rein guides us through the beautiful workshop experience “The valuable object” that gave me goose bombs from just listening. ✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter for 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✨✨✨ Questions and Answers[1:31] If you were a hashtag, what would it be?[3:58] What have you learned from the cultural differences while living and working aboard?[5:32] Would you adjust your facilitation style to the different cultures where you conduct workshops?[9:25] What would be your warm-up exercises depending on cultural differences? [13:47] What is “experiential learning”?[18:40] What makes the difference between a group of colleagues and a team?[21:40] How important is it for the team building that each person discloses their own agenda?[25:16] Do you build a ritual around the exchange of the “valuable object”?[31:23] How do you bridge the gap between taking participants out of their comfort zone while still creating the safe space in which they can connect?[41:58] In our briefing you shared about a leadership program of yours where you bring team members to a developing country to collaborate with NGOs. Can you tell us more about that? [49:58] How do you assure the sustainability of the experience once managers come back to daily work? [52:57] What makes workshops fail? [54:30] What shall the listener remember from the show? Related links you may want to check out:Rein’s business page: https://experientiallearning.biz/The “trust equation” by David Maister Our sponsor Session Lab (affiliate link) Connect to Rein on: LinkedIn Share your thoughts about our conversation!Support the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

In this episode, I talk to Charles Burdett, a UX Designer and the founder of Workshop Tactics, a card deck with exercises for workshop facilitators. I reached out to Charles after I saw examples of his early alpha version on Instagram. And, I was lucky enough to get him to honestly share his experience of developing a physical product for workshop facilitators.   In the show, we discuss the needs of newbie and professional facilitators in terms of tools that make workshops work, what we can learn from UX Design about workshop participants. And, we speak about the difference between workshop exercises, tactics and strategies, namely how wording can impact participants’ engagement in workshops. Don’t miss the part when we make up the workshop hierarchy of needs that could fail your session despite high-quality content, precise tactic preparation and world-class facilitation. ✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter for 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✨✨✨ Questions and Answers[1:53] You have a background in UX Design and developed Workshop Tactics. What’s your story behind this idea?[7:44] What have you learned from UX for workshop facilitation?[9:45] How does UX works when we think of workshop participants as users?[11:34] You mentioned in a previous call how you knew an exercise similar to the “premortem” for design workshops. Could you run us through?[15:15] What are the skills a facilitator needs to make workshops with internal and external stakeholders work?[19:33] Can you briefly explain the concept of OKR?[23:33] What are the prerequisites for a facilitator to be able to use your card deck?[25:24] What would be your advice for someone who uses your card deck for the first time?[28:20] Where do you think this ‘eye-rolling’ when speaking about workshops comes from?[30:11] What do you understand by tactics when you speak about workshops?[33:32] As a facilitator, what do you need to do before starting the tactical part?[40:17] Do we need creative rooms to host workshops that work?[44:05] What’s your favourite exercise?[49:15] What do you want the audience to remember from our conversation?Related links you may want to check out:Charles' business page: www.workshoptactics.comRadical Focus by Christina WodtkeLean UX by Jeff Gothelf and Josh SeidenOur sponsor Session Lab (affiliate link) Listeners of the workshops work podcast are prioritized for the beta testing! Sign up here!Episodes mentioned in the show:Alison Coward on Workshop Culture (Episode 013) Jeremy Akers on Mindset ManShare 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!

This is my first solo show and I speak about the science behind workshop design and facilitation. Namely, I share how I use evidence from behavioural economics to come up with ideas that will help participants to experience meaningful progress during their working session. Before founding idayz I had a career in higher education – as a researcher, lecturer and strategic advisor. From all these roles I learned about human behaviour and how to best facilitate their collaboration.   In the show, I share the rationale behind my workshop design and some of my favourite exercises and I answer my own questions: How can we help participants to open up and engage despite hierarchical differences? How can we use the energy of nay-sayers for creative ideation and is courage one of the most important skills of a successful facilitator? Don’t miss the part when I explain why I bring M&Ms to every meeting ✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter for 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✨✨✨Questions and Answers[1:59] What would I be if I was a hashtag?[3:30] Why do I call myself a “behavioural economist” and what does that mean?[6:33] What’s my story? How did I get from a career in higher education to become a facilitator? [10:59] Why did I call my business idayz?[15:21] What have I learned from my previous roles in workshop design and facilitation?[22:13] How do I use insights from behavioural economics to design workshops?[29:22] What’s my favourite exercise and how do I use behavioural insights to design exercises?[30:55] Why do I bring M&Ms to every meeting and workshop?[32:54] What are the most powerful check-in exercises I use and why do they work from a behavioural perspective?[41:45] Why do I brainstorm failures instead of successes?[43:00] How do I help participants to cluster their ideas after ideation?[45:41] Why do workshops fail?[46:26] What shall my listener who missed the entire show remember? Related links you may want to check out:My business page: www.idayz.nlDaniel Kahnemann: “Thinking fast and slow”Cognitive BiasesVipassana silent meditation retreatPat Flynn’s concept of “unfair advantage”Patrick CowdenJean Marc FandelMy blog post on check-in exercisesTeresa Amabile: The prShare 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 episode, I talk to Derek Bruce. He is a Leadership Development Director, and has worked in HR, Learning & Development and is also an expert keynote speaker and event moderator and host.Derek and I speak about the importance of engaging the audience - whether it is in a workshop, meeting or at a conference. When our audience feels engaged, they will listen to us and interact, they will feel enabled to act upon the content we try to bring across.  Besides engaging the audience, Derek and I touch on a million other topics: the skillset of managers to survive the “future of work”, the impact of preparation on our mindset and the workshop atmosphere, and: why you may want to ask your audience to take a selfie. Don’t miss the part when Derek shares his lessons learned from facilitating a workshop where half the participants were physically present and the other half joined via video call. Tune in to learn how to assure that the virtual participants are as engaged as if they sat in the same room…. ✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter for 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✨✨✨Questions and Answers[1:32] If you were a hashtag, what would it be?[1:53] What is your story? Where does your energy and your skill to engage the audience come from? [2:56] What have you learned from your roles in HR and Learning & Development about facilitation? [4:34] Where do you see the challenges and benefits of being a corporate versus an external facilitator?[8:02] What is your experience in collaborating with an external facilitator?[8:52] How do you measure success?[10:32] What does it take to engage an audience? [12:54] To what extent does seating matter and how do you set up the room?[14:06] Do you use different approaches to engage the audience depending on whether it is a meeting, workshop or conference? [19:50] When you say that engagement starts within the first minute and you often use humour. What have you learned from improv or stand-up comedy about engagement? [22:59] Stand-up is scripted whereas improv is not. Would you script your first joke when coming on stage?[24:41] So, does “humour” boil down to “authenticity”? [25:35] What makes for you a good facilitator? [28:26] Do facilitators of e.g. Design Sprints need different skills than facilitators who teach groups?  [31:18] How did you connect the virtual and physical participants in the beginning? What were the exercises? [33:41] For anyone who hasn’t facilitated a partly virtual workshop – what would you advise? [35:40] What is your opinion on the statement that in the future of work, every manager must develop facilitation skills?[38:22] What’s the difference between soft and emotional skills?[40:40] Are these emotional skills then also the ingredients you need to engage the audience? [47:59] What’s your silver bullet exercisShare 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 episode, I talk to Tamar Broadbent, a comedian, writer, improviser, award-winning musical songwriter, and: my first improvisation theatre teacher! In our super fun talk, we speak about improvisation theatre and what facilitators can learn from improvisers. I claim that every facilitator who is serious about getting to the next level should take improv classes! In the show, Tamar shares the ground rules of improv and how they apply to live off-stage, we talk about listening, connection, and creating safe space through authentic positivity. Don’t miss the part when Tamar shares her experience working with teams in a business setting and how she prepares for these. Along our conversation, we draw analogies between on- and off-stage scenarios that will surely inspire you to design a new setting for fun workshops that work by delivering results. 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.Questions and Answers[1:33] Let’s start with your story. Where did you pick up all of these skills? [3:21] As not everyone in the audience might be familiar with improv and long-form Chicago style. Can you give us the nutshell of what all of that means? [5:17] Can you share with us the ground rules of improv and why they are so important?[7:45] What makes a good scene partner in terms of shared responsibility?[11:41] What did you learn for off-stage life? Do you still ask people how they are doing?[13:13] Has improv helped you to become a better listener off-stage?[17:33] Can you explain how we can say “no” in an improv scene without compromising on the rule of “yes and”? [25:02] How important is authenticity for you as an improviser on stage? Can you be authentic or is it just a role you play?[27:19] Playing improv is extremely vulnerable in the beginning, as a teacher, how do you create a safe space for your students?[36:02] What’s your favourite game/ ice-breaker?[38:05] When you do workshops with business teams where participants might not have signed up for improv voluntarily, how do you get them to “warm up”? [41:47] Your classes were always incredibly structured. What was your approach to link the exercises to the general topic and goal of the class? [46:03] What makes a workshop fail?[47:50] What transformation do you observe in students who enrol in your improv course?Related links you may want to check out:Tamar’s website: https://www.mynameistamar.comImprov theatre glossaryOur sponsor Session Lab (affiliate linShare 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 episode 015, I talk to Wouter Smeets, a rocket scientist, former innovation manager and (co-) founder of two companies, Glimpse and Prototype You, Wouter has worked on human-machine interaction and now focuses on human-human interaction to help individuals to pursue their dreams and change-makers to realise their vision of a better world. In this episode, Wouter shares how we can use workshops as a framework to apply innovation principles for solution development. Don’t miss the part when Wouter praises the role of facilitators and emphasizes their importance in the solution development process! This will give you the right arguments at hand to get the budget and deliver workshops that work. ✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter for 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✨✨✨Questions and Answers[1:49] I tend to say that workshop design and facilitation is no “rocket science”. What is your view as a rocket scientist? [2:43] What’s your journey from being an innovation manager to becoming a founder?[7:03] What have you learned from your time working on human-machine interaction for the work on human-human interaction that you are doing today? [9:35] What makes the use of templates on workshops so powerful?[11:47] How do you make sure that the groups solve the right problem?[16:26] Can templates be too narrow in the sense that they don’t leave enough room for creativity?[20:41] How do you deal with the situation when participants rank all ideas high in importance and urgency? [23:14] How do you prioritize ideas?[28:51] Who needs to be in the workshop room to drive solution development?[30:32] What is so important about the facilitator?[32:52] How do you make sure that the decision maker [aka workshop sponsor] doesn’t invite “yes-sayers” to the workshop? [34:28] Who decides on the way to vote (whether it’s democratic or the leader who decides)? And, how do groups react to different scenarios?[36:59] How do we know that the group arrived in developing “the” solution? [39:47] When you run several workshops to develop the solution, what is the responsibility of the facilitator that the group does “their homework” in following up?[42:20] What information must be present on the final template to make sure the team can work on the next steps?[45:06] Do you have a better way of reading the room and guiding the group than gut-feeling? Related links you may want to check out:Wouter’s business pages: www.glimpse.nl and www.prototypeyou.nlThe Mom TestEisenhower MatrixWSJF (Weighted ShorShare 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!