Facilitator Development

Keeping the Faith – The Last 2 Stages of the Facilitator Journey

There is an old song by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, called “Keeping the Faith”. I have always liked that song. A few blogs ago, I wrote about the seven stages of the facilitator (See link in Resources below) hinting that there were more stages to come. Well, here are my “musings” or “ponderings” on the…

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5 Big Differences Between Training and Facilitation

Why this topic? The reason I’m addressing the topic is that many of us think that training done interactively is very close to or even the same as facilitation. It can feel like that but there is an essential and critical difference. This blog will cover those differences, talk about the benefits and when to…

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The Facilitator’s Best Friends – ToP Methods and Sticky Walls

Today is ToP tribute day. ToP® stands for the Technology of Participation. I am designating it ToP tribute day because exactly 21 years ago, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in December I took my first ToP class. ToP has officially reached adulthood in my life. Over the last 21 years, it has revolutionized my life, my…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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….

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