The Facilitation Studio

I don’t understand what you want from me. Have you ever sat in a room full of people who are busily working away and felt like you’re outside the loop? Like you missed the memo and don’t know what’s going on? It’s disenfranchising and disengaging. People in this situation often draw into themselves and go silent, or they take control of events and turn them into something they do understand, which can pull everything off track for you. Here are five (and a bit) ways you can avoid falling into this trap. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

We all share a fear of the "difficult" collaborator. In this mini-series of three issues, we'll cover the top three reasons a collaborator might not play ball. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

You know that awkward pause when you open the floor for discussion? The one where everyone looks at you blankly, and you’re not sure if you’ve made a horrible error, you’ve totally misunderstood something fundamental, or perhaps you aren’t actually speaking the same language as your collaborators. Today we’re going to talk about how to avoid that moment. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

Since you're reading this, I suspect you also think workshops are an excellent way to bring people together to collaborate, address complex challenges, and come to impactful conclusions. However, as we all know, a great workshop takes more than throwing people in a room with a vague direction and expecting them to make magic happen. Without clear aims and objectives, workshops can quickly become unfocused, with much of that latent potential being wasted. To avoid that, there is one question that will set you off in the right direction. "What will you be able to do after?". Nine times out of ten, the answer is something along the lines of "The whole team will be aligned". You'll notice that this doesn't answer the question. Today we will look at how you can lay the foundation for success by defining your goals and building towards your outcomes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

Good decision-making starts with understanding the criteria you’re using to make your judgements. In this issue, we will walk through the process of defining your criteria with a case study. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

In this issue, we'll explore how you can select the best workshop activities for your session by grouping them into four categories: Dream, Map, Distill, and Prioritise. You can set different cadences and rhythms to achieve your workshop goals by focusing on these four categories. Instead of being activity-led, ask yourself what you're trying to achieve and use that to select from the plethora of tools available. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

In his funny and fantastic 2008 TED talk Benjamin Zander talks about his job as a conductor. The link with facilitation and leadership gives us plenty of insight to take away. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

In the previous issue, I introduced Edward de Bono's six-hat thinking tool, a powerful technique for exploring multiple perspectives and generating new ideas. In this issue, we will dive deeper into how to apply the six thinking hats in the structure of a project retrospective. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats is a tool for guiding teams through complex conversations and achieving specific outcomes using six different thinking styles. In this episode we run through the six hats, the theory and two ways you can apply the tool to decision making and ideation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

In the last issue, we discussed five essential elements of successful workshop facilitation and how to start including them in your work. Today we’re coming from the other angle; five things you can watch out for and how to avert them if they happen to you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

In this edition, you'll learn about five essential things to consider when planning your workshops. These key elements will help you and your collaborators achieve your goals while avoiding common pitfalls. Best of all, each one includes something you can immediately put into action. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com

Hi there! I’m John Sunart, a Design Strategist and Facilitator, and this is the start of the Facilitation Studio. If you’re wondering what that means, and I’m pretty sure you will be, let me explain... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit facilitationstudio.substack.com