Posts

Stop Wasting Everything You’ve Learned About Facilitation

I pulled a book off my shelf today by Susan Jeffers, “Embracing Uncertainty: Breakthrough Methods for Achieving Peace of Mind When Facing the Unknown”. The title is totally relevant to what I call facilitation design. (Ms. Jeffers also wrote “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway”).   In this blog, I’m going to talk about a model…

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To Certify or Not To Certify

Many people ask us whether to certify as a process facilitator or not.   In this brief video blog, I’m going to answer “Why” facilitator certification is invaluable and highlight “What” 3 different processes will require. Do You Remember? Here are my top 3 reasons to start your journey towards facilitator certification: It’s an invaluable experience…

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Let’s Talk About My Mistakes

Making mistakes.  We all make mistakes yet it is fairly painful to talk about them.  It also potentially compromises our credibility.  I listened to a radio show last night about a Canadian doctor who shared a TedTalk about the biggie mistakes he had made.  Wow! Doctors talking about mistakes! Then I heard Brene Brown talk…

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Just Say “Yes” to Small Groups

I heard some birds chirping outside my window while I was meditating the other morning. I am supposed to just notice the chirping and then go back to my breath. But instead I took a moment to really enjoy those sounds. Unfortunately, I digressed even further because it reminded me of my childhood. I used…

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Calling All Gen X & Y Facilitators – We Need You!

You’ve been thinking about becoming an independent, solo facilitator for a long time.  You have a good job and you’re a little reluctant (or a lot reluctant) to give up the security of your job, the camaraderie of your colleagues and/or perhaps the prestige of your position.  I faced this decision in mid-1990’s.  I was…

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An Amazing Journey – Triumph in Hong Kong

It is important to know our stories as facilitators, coaches, mentors and facilitation trainers. What are the diverse pathways we take? Our confidence and spirits are boosted by hearing about how others’ triumph over challenges and the pathways they take to have profound impact in the world. A few months ago, we featured three Three…

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I Don’t Know What to Ask My Client – Tips for a Successful Interview

A Coaching Model to Help Us Interview Our Clients Awhile back I spoke about a Danish colleague who presented at the International Association of Facilitators Conference in the USA. (See “Space: The Final Frontier of Facilitation”) His name is Jens Lillebaek. He is an IAF certified professional facilitator (CPF©), a coach and a chief advisor…

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Just Say “No” to Icebreakers

Over the last few months, I’ve had many opportunities to work with a variety of teams and I’m beginning to get a sense of some overarching “things to do” to ensure a stronger unified team.  In the past, I’ve been well aware of the need to create comfort for the group early in the game. …

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The One Stop Shopping Tool

Ever since I started facilitating 25 years ago, I’ve come to rely on scanning tools to help me begin well with a group. We all have some of these tools I am sure. They are called environmental scan, trend analysis, wave analysis, wall of wonder, journey wall, historical scan, lessons learned exercises and story telling. …

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Top 12 Suite of Tools for the Competent Facilitator

In my 24+ years of running a facilitator business, I feel there are 12 top skills you require as a facilitator to meet the needs of your clients. When you develop these skills, you grow in your own ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Below I offer my brief thoughts of…

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