Years ago, I was on a Board of Directors for a local charity. Another board member always brought her knitting to our meetings and when someone asked why she did this, she simply responded, “It helps me concentrate.” After 30 years of meetings, trainings, and other convenings — in the role of facilitator, teacher, participant, member, Chair, Secretary, leader, professor, or facilitator
Many of us are back on the road facilitating in-person events. It feels great! We can move around the room to engage with content and each other, we can sit in a circle for personal sharing, and we can touch, add and move ideas around to co-create meaning as we stand at a wall or move around a table.
As learning event designers and facilitators, we wield an array of tools to understand our audiences. A pre-event meeting with a participant, the 6 core principles of adult learning, and collaborative guideline-setting before each session are a few of these tools,...
If you facilitate events, training or meetings, chances are you have had to navigate conflict or tough conversations. These are normal and unavoidable. And, they are not easy.
So, how do know when to shut them down and when to invite them in? How do we know how to ensure enough safety and respect for all present?
I am a visual learner so I tend to prioritize visual learning when designing learning experiences: showing what I mean using diagrams and pictures, drawing on visual metaphors to invite new connections, and calling on learners to draw tables, flow charts, and diagrams that demonstrate causal or relational links from one idea or action to the next.
This is about you taking ownership of your growth and learning. Each individual is unique with their own interests, skills and preferred ways of doing things.
Years ago, I received an email from a course participant thanking me for the transformative experience. It turns out she wasn’t thanking me for the learning (although she assured me that too was profound); she wanted to share that the experience had helped her become...
Most groups will have a range of literacy represented. When you are working with a group that has low literacy, consider the tips below to make sure everyone feels included and able to learn. Use language that is familiar to the group. In general, everyday language is...
Download the Tip Sheet Just as many of us got used to meeting and facilitating sessions online, we are back in-person. You may be asking yourself: Do I still remember how to do that well? What have I learned in this virtual space that can be applied to the in-person...
A well-selected technique can deepen dialogue, increase engagement, generate meaningful ideas, and make work easier. Speed dating is one I love using.
For many of us, wondering aloud can take tremendous courage. This is especially true if it is not invited. The technique “I like, I wish, I wonder” offers a multi-layered process for hearing and collecting input or reflections that are nuanced, fresh, and exciting.
Have you participated in a meeting or event lately where, instead of starting with an overview of the agenda, you started by taking breaths together? If you haven’t yet, you might soon.