Barbara MacKay
When things don’t go your way…. what to do about it!
Sometimes a blog topic feels very challenging for me to write. I don’t really know how or even what to say about the thoughts “brewing”‘ in my mind. Yet those thoughts have been “hanging out” long enough to know that it is time for them to be written. Blogging is one of the ways I…
Facilitator Reflections From Northern B.C.
Today’s blog is a story of an epic journey I took recently. I weave the importance of creating a sense “journey” in our facilitation design throughout my storytelling. You may have read some of my blogs over the past few decades. You’ll notice that I enjoy taking my personal (especially those in nature) experiences and…
The Power of Self Reflection: Why and How
In 2017 ish, I was invited to contribute to the book called the “Power of Facilitation”. Kimberly Bain, the editor and master-mind of the book project had seen me do the PATH process for individuals and groups. And thus she asked me to write a chapter about the power of self reflection and self facilitation….
Becoming a Social Entrepreneur After a Facilitation Career
Over the last 3 months I’ve conducted, with the help of about 10 beloved and skilled facilitation colleagues, 4 Focus Groups and 2 interviews of women doing eco-work. We are calling these women eco-femmes, because they are women leading the way in planetary healing. Our Damiana ecosystem is meant to nourish, resource and uplift women…
Six Ways to Use ToP Facilitation Methods in Training
Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in a training workshop for Indigenous community leaders. They were learning new ways to lead in climate change resilience. A key component of this was to navigate land transfers that would help them deal with severe coastal erosion and permafrost thaw. I was invited to facilitate a few…
Can you help? Damiana is Coming to Life!
Facilitators today, more than ever need to be able to help groups envision a better world. Part of this better world obviously has to be equity changes and protecting those who are most endangered by global warming, biodiversity loss, and severe climate events. As you can tell, I am moving more and more in this…
Facilitator dilemma and opportunity: How much effort is needed?
All my life, I have watched how the level of effort varies in my life and work practices. “How much energy, time and effort do I have to devote to this task?” I would wonder. “Oh dear, this client job is taking a lot more energy that I had not planned for“; “oops, I put…
Facilitating Resilience and Conflict – Conference Highlights
Last week we had over 150 people in San Diego, CA attending the IAF Conference of the Americas for the first time in 5 years! Every workshop I attended was provocative, insightful, and timely in terms of what the world needs now to change rapidly and strategically. There were speakers and participants from 22 different…
Using Insight Dialogue Method to Facilitate Difficult Topics (Such as the Israel-Hamas War)
Recently I had the honour of facilitating using the Insight Dialogue method on the topic of the Israel-Hamas war. We were a group of peer facilitators who had worked together for many years. It was a profound experience and gratifying to see how well we did as a group. This blog is to help you…
How to Facilitate a Community River Clean-up (when you are not a facilitator)
In our 2023 year end blog, we look at how a leader without facilitation training can help a community do an important sustainability project. I admit it would be easier and likely more efficient, if you can get a facilitator to help you do this. But imagine, you are a leader who uses your skills…
