Facilitator Development
Want to open the door of dialogue? Don’t use closed questions!
Someone asked me the other day in the ToP facilitation skills training: “Aren’t closed questions sometimes more efficient and effective?” The answer to that question, is yes! Often closed questions get you the speedy response YOU want. The real question is what is the impact of a closed question on the person you are talking…
The 7 Stage Facilitation Journey – Which One Are You On?
This blog is for you! Whether you are just figuring out what process facilitation is or whether you have reached the pinnacle of your career as a professional facilitator. It is for you if you occasionally lead team meetings in your own organization and want more OR if you have your own business as a…
Warning – Your Approach Is NOT Working!
Sometimes a situation gets SO bad, you just want to opt out of it. This applies to almost anything in life but what I am talking about today – a need for radical change – is about working with groups you lead. Given the current situation in the USA, some feel like opting out now…
Keep Flipcharting From Becoming a Dying Art!
Happy Facilitation Week! My question for you today is a basic one. Is flipcharting a dying art? I still love to flipchart! There is something very creative and satisfying about making a beautiful flipchart before an event and there is something also beautiful and humbling about capturing participants exact words as they speak. I felt…
If you love your client, you will…
Recently, I’ve been realizing that I really love my clients. How do I show this? There may be a couple of things that you are already doing but I’ve decided I want to be more conscious about what I do and will share that with you now. I’m going to talk about the top 5…
The Power of Presence and the Theory U Framework
In our recent preconference co-facilitated with Jackie Chang, at IAF Asia in Taiwan September 2016, we introduced five facilitation frameworks which use the concept of presencing implicitly or explicitly as part of their value system. In this blog, we share the one that most explicitly incorporates it. It is called Theory U. But first let’s…
The Ultimate Equation for Deciding on a Facilitation Job
Last week I attended the IAF Asia 2016 conference and it was, as usual, mind blowing! The feel of the Asian conferences is a little indescribable. I would have to say that there is so much energy and enthusiasm because people are in someways just discovering this amazing profession and all it has to offer….
Four Ways to Introduce Yourself and Your Work as a Facilitator
Often people struggle with best ways to describe what they do as a process facilitator or how to market facilitation as a service to both internal and external clients. Sorry, there are really no easy ways to synthesize the complexity of what you do in the typical elevator speech format. However, let me give you…
Ten Tried-and-True Team Building and Trust Building Techniques
The point of having a good synergistic team is so that when times are tough, the team really pulls together and are able to pull themselves out of tremendous challenging situations. Other reasons for having team and trust building activities as a regular part of your meetings and or organizational culture initiatives include: – People…
Neutralize Whining and Complaining Behaviors in Groups!
Why am I talking about the topic of whining and complaining behavior in groups? I realize that many people adopt whining or complaining behavior as a normal course of their day. I do this myself sometimes when I am tired and discouraged. You may have someone at work, in your family or circle of friends…
