I'm a recovering academic who uses her insights from behavioural economics to develop methods that facilitate collaboration. In my weekly newsletter, I share the summary of my latest interview on the "workshops work" podcast along with an application of facilitation as a life and leadership skill.
Structure, agency and serotonin highs ✨ | Episode 260 with Charles-Louis de Maere
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Dear Reader, Yesterday, I hosted an in-person leadership workshop and the client and the participants had all warned me that they love to speak, have big personalities and egos, and that I will have to be strong and committed if I want to keep them on track. No pressure, then! But to be honest? It turned out to be one of the easiest workshops I have ever hosted, despite the fact that I was on strong painkillers that stopped working two hours before the end. (Yes, I am writing this newsletter a little in pain, unable to move my shoulder thanks to a nasty pinched nerve, but very much on a serotonin-induced high). The magic workshop trick? Structure, structure, structure! If you don't want people to dominate the group, then don't provide them with the stages or opportunities to do so. At the beginning, I rather bluntly shared their warning back to them, inviting them to "listen a bit louder today" than they would usually do. I convinced the client that there would be no inspiration talks, speeches or presentations, and I informed the group that throughout the day nobody would be given more than 5 minutes of uninterrupted speaking time. The biggest challenge was the ‘Braintrust’ activity when we invited small groups to share the results of their discussions, and the whole group to share feedback that they could use to refine the ideas in the next steps. It worked a treat because we added in an important restriction: only questions were allowed and nobody would answer the questions on the spot. The group was sceptical at first - to say the least - but they gave it a try and now plan on making this format a standard in their other meetings! The beauty of this format is that by asking questions, the agency remains with the group working on the task, but provides them with fresh perspectives that may point out blind-spots, that were otherwise hidden. By not putting anyone in a position where they had to answer the questions on the spot, even the most critical ones can be asked, and then, the group had time to reconvene, discuss the questions, and refine their ideas. And finally, are you looking to deepen your facilitation skills and learn a few hacks, tricks and tools? Then please check out my upcoming course ‘Foundations of Facilitation’, which will be held online and in-person! In April, I’ll kick things off online, where we’ll meet over 5 weeks, and in June, I will be hosting the course in Amsterdam over 2 days (June 6-7th). I would love to have you there! Click here to find out more about the online course Please send me an email if the Amsterdam course could be for you. 🎙 Meanwhile, on the podcast… Should facilitators be invisible? What role do questions play in our toolbox? And, is that question vague enough? Charles-Louis de Maere is a master at asking the right questions. He takes a liberating, organic, co-creative approach to his work; rejecting agendas and strict processes, and instead plays with ambiguity and uses the power of questions to initiate exploration, for new possibilities to unfurl, and for a collective building of the outcome. Join our fascinating conversation in episode 260, and learn how to relinquish facilitative control and how to garner more trust in the process. Find out about:
🔖 Click here to download my 1-page summary of the show. 🎧 Click here to listen to the interview Or, watch the unedited interview on Youtube: 📍 Where to find me Tomorrow, together with Thomas Lahnthaler, I will host a workshop for the Butter community: The facilitation spectrum—A profession with a place for everyone. I heard that there are already 300 registrations 😱 Click here to register for free. 📚 Courses and growth opportunities Are you looking to work on your facilitation skills in a live, online environment, learning from some of the most innovative facilitators globally? Then, check out our Marketplace for Facilitation courses. All courses are live cohort-based (no recordings!) 🦄 Join the Community If you enjoyed the conversation and are missing this kind of reflection and exchange in your life, check out our global online facilitation community NeverDoneBefore - The Research & Development Department for Facilitators. It's a yearly membership programme that could be for you! The next cohort starts in May! That's all from my side. I wish you a wonderful week ahead; may it be filled with joy, success, and moments of laughter. Myriam --------------------- Facilitation Courses - Live, online and cohort-based for various levels of experience. |
How can we facilitate collaboration?
Dr Myriam Hadnes
I'm a recovering academic who uses her insights from behavioural economics to develop methods that facilitate collaboration. In my weekly newsletter, I share the summary of my latest interview on the "workshops work" podcast along with an application of facilitation as a life and leadership skill.
Dear Reader, Though each workshop is unique because we are dealing with humans, our role as facilitators can sometimes feel repetitive and, dare I say, even dull. A recent acquaintance of mine made a poignant observation: "As a facilitator, it's rare to improve unless collaborating." This rings true! I'd go as far as to say that trying new approaches or experimenting is equally crucial for our improvement. Both situations demand stepping out of our comfort zones, or else we risk stagnation....
Dear Reader I'm excited to announce some news from the NDB Academy - discounted offers and free opportunities - that I wouldn't want you to miss! 1️⃣ Leadership through Facilitation Course - Second Cohort Discount! Calling all facilitative leaders in APAC and EMEA time zones! Our second cohort of the Leadership through Facilitation course is now open, and we’re offering an exclusive 15% discount until Friday this week. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your leadership skills...
Dear Reader, Last week, I hosted a short workshop with the marvellous Thomas Lahnthaler, and the interest in the subsequent LinkedIn post was amazing - never have I received almost 30,000 impressions and over 360 reactions on a post. I think that we hit a curiosity nerve! We offered a list of facilitation styles and preferences, each on a spectrum between two extreme statements such as: “No structure, no outcome” vs “structure kills creativity” or “The niche facilitator: One method set will...