Circles are everywhere: in nature, our biology, our art. There’s something sacred and special about them. So what happens when we introduce them to our facilitation practice?

This week, I dive into ‘circle’ facilitation with Jonathan Hefter, the Head of Experience Design, Facilitation, & Training at Circl.es.

We start by setting a mutual understanding of great facilitation; before diving into the complexities of holding judgements, learning to listen and centre others, and the physical and metaphysical power of gathering in circles; before coming full circle to the tools and tricks great facilitators can use to explore circle workshops.

We cover a lot of deep and challenging topics, but Jonathan has a way with words that makes the entire conversation feel easy and accessible. It’s no wonder he’s finding so much success with Circl.es!

Find out about:

●       Defining facilitation and what best practice looks like in circle workshops

●       What it means to measure and balance energy and flow in a workshop

●       How to help participants own their experiences rather than framing their best-guesses as informed advice

●       Why circles – as a physical arrangement and a facilitation practice – can be so effective at unlocking deep connection and conversation

●       The impact technology can have on our conversations without us realising

●       What the difference is between vulnerability and openness

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And if the idea of NeverDoneBefore 2021, the community of facilitators, caught your attention; click here to explore it in more detail!

A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!

Questions and Answers

[Part 1]

[01:14] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?

[02:11] What’s the difference between a facilitator, a moderator, a consultant, and a guide?

[06:29] What are the key skills that make a good facilitator?

[08:29] How do you distinguish “energy” and “flow”?

[16:45] How can we work on ourselves to avoid judging the group for, say, a lack of creativity?

[21:45] Why people struggle to take the risk of making conversations not about themselves.

[26:08] How can we address and reframe unwarranted advice-giving?

[30:20] What was it about your first wilderness experience that changed you as a listener?

[33:17] Learning to step out of thinking there are ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ things to share.

Links

Video Platform Circl.es 

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LEGO Serious Play is an increasingly popular method of facilitation and one that we’ve explored previously on the podcast, but I wanted to dive into a little deeper and with a slightly more critical lens.

I found the perfect person for the job - Sean Blair, a LEGO Serious Play trainer and facilitator and soon-to-be quadruple-published author on the topic. You could call him experienced in the subject…

And, to my non-surprise, we had the most brilliant conversation. So brilliant, in fact, that I had to split the episode into two parts to keep it at a reasonable length!

We challenge each other, we bring new ideas and possibilities to each other, and we definitely don’t always agree. All of which made for one of the most stimulating and exciting conversations I’ve ever had on the podcast.

Enjoy this episode - there is so much to take away from it.

Find out about:

• How LEGO Serious Play helps us shift our focus from individuals to behaviours
• Why ‘objectifying’ an issue is so effective at helping us communicate difficult things
• Why LEGO Serious Play is effective for any topic, but not all objectives
• Why we must always try to guard against ‘content ownership’ as facilitators
• How to adjust to visually representing our thoughts using a ‘Tap and Tell’ exercise
• What metaphors do to advance conversations and understanding

Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. 

Click here to download the free 1-page summary.

Thanks to our sponsor Deckhive. Click here to find out more about the new platform for using card decks in online facilitation. Use the code workshopswork to get the first month for free. 

Exclusive offer from Facilitator Cards for workshops.work listeners you can get 15% off your entire purchase at shop.facilitator.cards by using code workshopswork.

Questions and Answers

[Part one]

[01:02] When did you first start calling yourself a facilitator?

[02:11] How have you changed from being a “bossy” facilitator and what have you become instead?

[05:05] How do you train other facilitators – especially in the art of dialling up and down their presence in the room?

[09:50] What does it take to create a learning space that encourages and values mistakes?

[13:54] How does speaking with your own voice play out in facilitation?

[18:28] What makes a workshop fail?

[20:55] How would you start a workshop for a group in which you know there is conflict and politics?

[25:13] What is the power in using LEGO to help us talk about difficult topics?

[28:11] Do you use ‘minifigures’ (avatars or representations of people) in your LEGO Serious Play workshops?

[32:01] How do you negotiate the risks of a representation being misinterpreted between participants and creating misalignment?

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When it comes to workshops, we often talk about “making space” for people to express themselves creatively and authentically.

It’s a metaphorical phrase, but there is a lot to be found in the more literal interpretation.

 And who better to explore both sides of that interpretation than Flor Ortelli - an architect-turned-facilitator?

 In this episode, we interrogate the impact physical spaces have on our creativity and collaboration, how to design spaces for collaboration, and why we should always prioritise people and the way they use a space should always take priority over its design.

Find out about:

●     How architecture and facilitation share far more in common than we think

●     Why it’s a fatal failing to build without considering by whom and how the space will be used

●     How Flor is connecting dots between Agile, listening skills, and user-focus

●     Why the pressure to have good ideas threatens even the best workshops – and how to release that pressure

●     Why the value of sharing ideas is inherent, not dependent on our judgements of ‘good’ or ‘bad’

●     Whether the attitude we bring into a space has more of an impact than the design of a space

Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. 

Click here to download the free 1-page summary.

Thanks to our sponsor Deckhive. Click here to find out more about the new platform for using card decks in online facilitation. Use the code workshopswork to get the first month for free.

Questions and Answers

[01:16] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?

[02:38] What made you choose this route, instead of doing what most architects do?

[07:19] What have you taken from architecture that informs your approach to facilitation?

[09:00] And what have you had to unlearn from architecture?

[11:29] What was your strategy for releasing control as you moved from design to facilitation?

[14:24] What is the relationship between physical space and facilitation?

[17:19] What makes an ideation process work – and do you have a favourite exercise for it?

[23:31] In your experience, what makes a workshop fail?

[31:21] What is your process for narrowing down ideas and choosing one(s) to move forward with?

[35:44] Could you share your opinion on hybrid working?

[39:47] If someone wants to build their own ideation room, what would you recommend they include?

[43:48] You are writing a book – can you tell us about it?

[46:14] What is it about Agility that you think is relevant to designers?

[47:46] What is the one tip you would give designers, in relation to your book?

[49:47] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?

Links

Florencia's business

Connect to Florencia

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Chris Bent isn’t creative, he’ll happily admit.

Chris Bent is also the founder of Piccles, one of the best creative platforms I’ve seen.

If that doesn’t quite add up for you, the answer lies in collective drawing and its remarkable ability to help anyone and everyone communicate through creativity.

Since accidentally discovering the power of collective drawing, Chris has taken it in his stride and founded Piccles. Now, he helps groups of all backgrounds and interests access deeper communication through non-verbal creativity.

In this week’s show, Chris shares some incredible stories from Piccles workshops, describes some of the techniques he’s developed to help people access their creativity, and highlights the power of alternative methods of communication.

Find out about:

●       How a self-described non-creative person founded a creative collaboration tool in Piccles

●       The questions we ask that aren’t questions, but subtle challenges or expressions of doubts

●       How drawing can be a tool to bridge the gaps between our thoughts and our expression

●       How Chris sets groups up so they can surprise themselves with their creative abilities

●       The real-world applications of collaborative drawing software – from rock concerts to education to Earth Day

●       Why we often get in touch with our creative side we are when we feel stuck or in a rut – and how to harness that power

Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. 

Click here to download the free 1-page summary.

Our sponsor this week is Facilitator Cards - the pocket-size deck of 60 processes you can use to be more creative and flexible no matter what you facilitate. Check out shop.facilitator.cards and use code WorkshopsWork for free markers for your Facilitator Cards.

Questions and Answers

[01:09] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator, if, in fact, you do?

[01:41] What does facilitation mean to you?

[03:07] What is Piccles? And what is the story behind its creation?

[08:35] What was the reception for Piccles like in a healthcare setting?

[11:41] What becomes possible when a group draws together?

[16:41] How do you help groups to reflect on specific ideas, draw, and then use it as the basis for a discussion?

[21:01] How did the room react when someone drew their superpower as loneliness?

[22:30] How do you then turn these highly personal, qualitative works into a deeper, wider insight?

[27:02] What makes a good – and a bad – prompt for a drawing activity?

[32:37] What makes a workshop fail?

[38:20] Where is Piccles going in the future? What’s your vision?

[43:09] What altruistic purposes could Piccles be used for?

[45:02] If somebody wants to try Piccles for the first time but doesn’t know where to start, what would you recommend?

[47:08] Is there anything you would have liked to share that w

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Meg Bolger is a perfect example of facilitation for good, founding and leading multiple organisations focused on promoting DEI and LGBTQ justice, awareness, and allyship.

On top of their incredible work towards facilitating a fairer, kinder world, Meg also has plenty of entrepreneurial spark, being the brains behind the wildly successful and much-loved Facilitator Cards. 

Meg is a true facilitation geek.

Our conversation basically became a survival guide for new facilitators and a booster shot for more experienced facilitators. Unmissable.

This episode is part 1 of 3, divided as such because our conversation was simply so expansive and interesting that we spoke for far longer than a normal episode of the show.

In this section, we explore the foundations of facilitation through education, development, and practice. Meg shares their thoughts on the different mediums for learning facilitation, the merits (and otherwise) of certification, and the key characteristics and behaviours that separate ‘good’ and ‘bad’ facilitators.

Find out about:

●       The merits and shortcomings of qualifications and certifications in facilitation

●       What the common causes of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ facilitation are

●       Why a ‘failed’ workshop isn’t always a universal failure

●       Meg’s favourite exercises, tools, and DIY fixes to common problems

●       How to debrief yourself at the end of a workshop

●       How and why to shape your workshops according to the energy levels in the room

Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. 

Click here to download the free 1-page summary.

A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!

Special Discount for WorkshopsWork listeners

Get the 3-pack of wet-erase markers that pair with the cards on us with the code WORKSHOPSWORK when purchasing the facilitator cards with this link:  https://shop.facilitator.cards/discount/WORKSHOPSWORK 

 Links

Meg's Business page
Facilitator self-feedback form
Article on ‘Watching your game tape’
Emergent Facilitation video
Unlocking the Magic of Facilitation
Meg’s facilitator hat (watch the video version of the show on YouTube to understand!)

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Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

It was in the arid air of Burning Man that Edric Subur first felt Warmspace flicker in his mind and heart.

Connecting deeply, sharing widely, and being radically – Edric wanted to capture the feeling of genuine understanding and connection and bottle it. Or, to be more accurate, automate it.

Edric built, iterated, tweaked, and launched Warmspace – a tool that facilitates deep connection through guided video conversations – with that same desire still burning at its heart.

Now, a year and a half after starting the platform for human connection, Edric has plenty of lessons, insights, and observations to share about the format for facilitating connections between people… without ever being in the room with them.

What a wonderful episode!

Find out about:

• The mechanics of Warmspace and the beating heart that drives it
• Why connection is simultaneously a means to an end and an end itself
• Which three guiding principles help Warmspace create psychological safety between strangers
• What it looks like to take the principles and structure of Warmspace into a corporate space
• How to encourage participants to use their voices when they feel there’s nothing to say

Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. 

Click here to download the free 1-page summary.

And if the idea of NeverDoneBefore 2021, the community of facilitators, caught your attention; click here to explore it in more detail!

Questions and Answers

[01:07] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?

[02:06] What label would you give yourself?

[05:01] What is Warmspace?

[10:17] What was it about Burning Man that sparked this idea?

[14:59] Where would you start with a group of people who aren’t comfortable being vulnerable?

[16:21] What effect does physical presence have on these conversations?

 [18:44] Is there some kind of magic formula for facilitating deep human connections?

[21:06] How did you choose the prompts for these conversations?

[24:46] How do you hold the boundary between facilitating a conversation and coaching people?

[26:55] Do you see connections forming after just a few minutes?

[28:07] What makes a workshop fail?

[31:09] Do you check in on conversations or do you trust the participants to make their way through it safely and happily?

[32:37] Would Warmspace work in a corporate setting?

[43:01] What does psychological safety mean to you and how do you negotiate it between strangers?

[48:05] Do you have a favourite exercise?

[50:39] What is the one thing you’d like listeners to take away from this episode?

Links

Exclusive invite link to access Warmpsace (or use the invite code WARM)

Warmspace on Instagram

Connect to Edric:

LinkedIn

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Fun, connection, acting without inhibition – it’s all part of the joy of being human… and it’s the subject of Jacques Martiquet’s extensive research.

I should stress, Jacques goes by another name: Jacques the Party Scientist!

Jacques made it his mission to foster moments of deep human connection in public spaces, to bring strangers together in vulnerability and happiness. You might not be surprised to hear that facilitation is at the heart of its successful implementation!

Join me and Jacques in this conversation as we explore the mechanics of human connection, the softer side of herd mentality, and what we can do to help people open themselves up to shared experiences of joy and connection.

Find out about:

• Why synchronicity is fuel to the fire of public joy
• The steps Jacques follows to facilitate joy in public
• What an FIQ is and why lowering the barrier to participation can lie in raising the standard
• Why the success of a workshop hinges on the way we engage with disengagement
• How incremental, progressive actions can unify a group towards a shared experience they wouldn’t have thought possible
• The surprising impact physicality has on our self-knowledge, openness, and mood

Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. 

Click here to download the free 1-page summary.

A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!

Questions and Answers

[01:40] Would you call yourself a facilitator?

[02:40] What triggered you to become a ‘party scientist’ and facilitating human connection?

[04:52] So what does it take to create human connection when we take away social crutches like alcohol?

[09:08] What do you do in public spaces to create a container for people? Is it different to how you’d work with corporate clients?

[17:10] How do we move from an individual moment of joy to a collective one?

[22:25] What makes a workshop fail?

[25:47] What would be your advice for someone working with a disengaged group?

[32:08] What is an exercise you use to celebrate participants?

[34:29] How do you move a group from understanding the purpose of a workshop to sharing a party together at the end?

[38:16] What’s your favourite game?

[42:05] What would your advice be to someone who wants to bring more joy and ease to their workshops, but doesn’t know where to start?

[48:34] Where do you get the confidence from to decide to play a song in your workshops?

[50:54] What’s your ritual to slip into a parasympathetic, positive state of mind?

[52:46] What’s next for you? What’s your vision?

[54:02] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?

Links

The Party Scientist's Lab: a newsletter and podcast for 105

Share your thoughts about our conversation!

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Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!