Enablers of Change
Episodes
Reflecting on our 2025 journey
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As 2025 draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to reflect and thank you for your support this year. See all the details and contribute to the di...
Use rubberducking for better explanations
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever heard of rubberducking? It's a simple yet powerful technique that can help us understand and explain complex concepts more effectively. ...
Reflections on APEN 2025
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re still thinking about the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) 2025 International Conference held in Brisbane in October and what a g...
Changing minds without breaking hearts
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re exploring how to effectively influence others’ thinking, without pushing too hard or creating resistance. See all the detai...
Sparking curiosity to beat overconfidence
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some people most resistant to new practices may know the least but believe they know the most. This knowledge overconfidence has powerful implications...
Seven good practices for effective extension
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re revisiting one of our earlier discussions about good practice in extension and today we’re excited to share our updated seven good extension...
Learner-directed learning trumps adult learning
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re exploring heutagogy or learner-directed learning—a powerful approach that puts learners firmly in the driver’s seat. Se...
Don't let imposter syndrome hold you back
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, we can sometimes grapple with a nagging sense of self-doubt. This phenomenon, known as imposter syndrome, can affect even the m...
Extension resources worth exploring
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re exploring some practical resources that are helping us, as extension practitioners: the RiskWi$e project, the eXtensionAUS platform, and th...
Pair and pause for deeper conversations
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re exploring two deceptively simple strategies that, when used together, can dramatically improve the quality of group conversations: the Think P...
Is AI going to steal our jobs?
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you wondering whether artificial intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT, is going to steal our jobs? The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is ...
Creating psychological safety in extension
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re diving into the concept of psychological safety and how it can help us as enablers of change. See all the details and contr...
Tips for supporting Communities of Practice
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been hearing more and more interest in Communities of Practice (or CoPs) recently, so we thought it would be useful to explore what CoPs are, ...
Extension—a profession or a discipline?
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Extension has evolved a great deal over time and has moved from a profession to a recognised discipline with its own frameworks, research, and methodo...
To phone, or not to phone: that is the question!
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re exploring phone calls and their role in our work as enablers of change. As Shakespeare might say, “to phone, or not to phone, that is the qu...
Uncertain about risk, or risking uncertainty?
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re highlighting the differences between risk and uncertainty, and we’ll discuss their significance in the decision-making processes of fa...
Piloting for success
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ll explore how we can pilot potential solutions to foster on-farm innovation and create lasting impact, as a bridge between ideas and real-world ...
The power of asking more questions
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most underrated tools we have as extension practitioners: asking questions. It’s easy to get caught ...
Using extension design thinking
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re exploring design thinking—a methodology that helps us tackle complex challenges in a structured yet flexible way. See all...
Mastering the double diamond process
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the double diamond process and how it can be used effectively by extension practitioners to enhance o...
Enhancing agricultural extension in Australia
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re diving into a project we recently wrapped up, the Australian Extension Capacity and Capability–A Map and a Gap Analysis, funded by AgriFutur...
Understanding stages of group development
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, we need to understand the different stages that groups move through. So let’s explore Tuckman's stages of group development. ...
A balanced approach to using the Technology Readiness Level
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the concept of the Technology Readiness Level and expanding it to explore the Balanced Readiness Leve...
2024… Thanks for another great year!
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve covered lots of content this year and 2024 has been another great year! And we’re also celebrating five years of Enablers of Change! See all...
Top ten good practices for effective extension
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What's the difference between best and good practice, which one should we refer to, and why is that important? We then share our top ten good practice...
Boosting productivity and impact with ChatGPT
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re diving into how ChatGPT can help us as enablers of change to boost both our productivity and the impact of our work. See all ...
Understanding farm system changes
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We explore a paper that delves into understanding the different changes farmers can make to their systems to adapt to environmental pressures and clim...
Mythbusters… debunking the MBTI assessment
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most well-known personality tests in the world. Let's see why it may not be as reliable as many b...
Exploring the spectrum of feelings
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding the spectrum of feelings can significantly enhance our effectiveness as enablers of change. Sometimes we’re not very good at this, and...
How to use the Cynefin framework
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps like us, you’ve occasionally wondered about whether there are better ways to make decisions. We’ve often done a quick pros and cons list f...
Create infographics in six simple steps
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re going to explore infographics and how we can easily create them in six simple steps. See all the details and contribute to the...
Debunking the 70:20:10 learning framework
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The 70:20:10 learning framework has gained significant traction in the corporate and educational sectors. Let’s delve into the myths and realities o...
Practical ways to apply adult learning principles
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s not a lot of practical suggestions on how to apply adult learning principles as enablers of change, so here are seven practical ways to appl...
The art of asking smarter questions
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We recently talked about asking better questions, and shared the idea of a pyramid of question types from Will Wise and Chad Littlefield. Well, we’v...
Tips and tricks for easily organising meetings
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here are some simple work hacks that we hope will save you time. We’ll share our ideas about easy ways to schedule meetings. See all the details and...
How to ask better questions
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The ability to ask better questions is crucial, particularly in our work as enablers of change. By focusing on the types of questions we ask, we can b...
Are you struggling with survey fatigue?
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve recently been hearing how hard it is to get a decent number of responses to a survey. So we wondered whether survey fatigue is really true and...
What’s the best online collaboration tool to replace Jamboard?
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re going to explore some of the alternatives to Jamboard as an online collaboration tool, what we’ve tried and what we’ve dec...
Kotter's 8-step process for leading change
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kotter’s eight steps provide a framework for groups and organisations to navigate and implement change effectively. As enablers of change, extension...
Using Appreciative Inquiry in extension
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re going to discuss AI… not Artificial Intelligence, or even Artificial Insemination, but the other AI, Appreciative Inquiry! ...
Teams vs Zoom: which is better for online workshops?
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the best online platform for workshops? Especially with farmers? Is there any data on this and what’s it telling us? In this episode, we’...
Using an unconference to boost innovation
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, let's dive into something exciting and unconventional that can truly shake up the way we do things – the unconference approach. S...
Working backwards to achieve greater impact
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Usually when we start a project, we start at the beginning and move forward, but here’s an interesting approach used by Amazon that turns that on it...
How learning science can help improve our impact
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can we design and deliver learning activities that are effective, engaging and relevant? Let's look at how learning science can help us improve ou...
Using AIDA to boost marketing impact
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We explore how we can use one of the oldest tools in the marketing arsenal—the AIDA principle: attention, interest, desire, and action. See all th...
Understanding causation and correlation
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, we sometimes find ourselves navigating the interesting landscape of evaluation and data analysis. Within this space, two founda...
Another fabulous year... wrapping up 2023!
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When we started out four years ago, we had no idea how this adventure was going to play out. In this episode, we’re wrapping up another successful a...
What is the ADKAR model of change?
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We recently came across the ADKAR model of change, so we’re going to unpack what this model is all about and how we can use it as enablers of change...
Unravelling double-loop learning
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some of us may have heard about double-loop learning, and wondered what it meant beyond the jargon phrase, and others may not have heard of it at all!...
How Theories of change and logframes differ
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll explain how Theories of change and logframes differ and how they can be used effectively in different contexts. See all the d...
Seven tips for effective co-design
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll dive into the exciting world of co-design and explore seven tips to ensure a successful and inclusive collaborative design proc...
Communicating and connecting with our audience
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll share some tips from actor and science communicator, Alan Alda, on how to express our thoughts and ideas so that everyone will ...
How framing can help us enable greater change
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, we know that effective communication is a vital skill in our work. We need to communicate clearly and persuasively with farmers...
Let’s say ‘could’ instead of ‘would’
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like to hear about a simple way to improve how we solve problems, especially moral dilemmas? It’s as simple as changing the words we use! ...
Seven suggestions for making better use of ChatGPT
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re going deeper, and we’re sharing our top seven suggestions for making better use of ChatGPT to improve our efficiency and im...
At last, a model of practice for extension!
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many disciplines (such as nursing and teaching) have a model of practice to guide how their work should be undertaken. So isn’t it about time that a...
Understanding the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve covered several change models in recent episodes, and now we’re going to discuss a model that was designed to unite them all: the Unified Th...
What is the Technology Acceptance Model?
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been exploring various change models and in this episode we’re going to look at the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and see how it can hel...
Celebrating 100 episodes of Enablers of Change!
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello and welcome to this special episode where we are celebrating the 100th episode of Enablers of Change! We’re so excited to have reached this mi...
How to network effectively without feeling foolish
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, attending conferences is an important way to keep up with the latest research, trends, and practices in our field. However, for...
How we can use the Theory of Planned Behaviour
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, we’re always looking for new ways to understand and promote positive change in the behaviour of farmers and other key stakeho...
Seven simple life hacks for enablers of change
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you looking for some quick tips to improve your life as an enabler of change? In this episode, we’re sharing our top seven simple life hacks tha...
Using Participatory Action Learning as enablers of change
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re going to further explore what Participatory Action Learning is and how we might use it as enablers of change. See all the deta...
What should we know about the Theory of Reasoned Action?
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, it’s helpful to understand the different ways people have characterised change. In this episode we’re exploring one of the ...
How is the Information Integration Theory useful?
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, it’s helpful to understand the different ways people have characterised change. Today we’re exploring one of the earliest m...
Is there a best method for doing extension?
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what method or approach is best for a successful extension program? There is some evaluation work done on individual extension ...
How enablers of change might use ChatGPT
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you heard about ChatGPT… the state-of-the-art conversational artificial intelligence (AI) system that can generate human-like text based on a g...
Switch to this change model for greater impact!
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you change things when change is hard? Do we rely on the same way of doing things or are we going to be brave and try something different? In t...
Thanks... and wishing you a merry Christmas!
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wow, can you believe it’s December 2022 already… how did that happen? We want to say thanks, to you, our listeners of Enablers of change!
How can we better integrate extension into research projects?
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can we get greater adoption of the outcomes from Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) projects? This question has perplexed us for decades, ...
What is the COM-B model of behaviour?
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recently we came across the COM-B model of behaviour. We thought this was a useful approach to understanding behaviour change so in this episode, we’...
It’s time to start journaling!
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us are struggling with anxiety, depression and being overwhelmed. Would you like to know about a proven, evidence-based approach to improve yo...
What motivates adoption?
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change, it’s important that we keep up-to-date with the latest extension research. But sometimes it’s hard to get the journal artic...
Using CBSM to enable greater change
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re going to delve into a particular area of behavioural science called community-based social marketing (CBSM).
How we can use motivational interviewing
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recently we came across the idea of motivational interviewing and we wondered—just what is this and how can we use it? In this episode, we’re goin...
Using picture cards as facilitation resources
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes as enablers of change, we just need a few more ideas to help us plan, design and run our activities. As we’ve been facilitating online and...
Will your extension project fall into the chasm and die?
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you heard about the chasm? It’s that gap in the diffusion of innovation curve where many projects curl up and die a quiet death! In this episod...
How to use the third space effectively
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you struggle with the transition between a busy day at work and then engaging effectively at home? It is hard to be truly present with your partner...
What other factors affect adoption?
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We recently explored the factors that affect the adoption of innovations and in this episode we're going to consider the social factors that affect ad...
What are the factors that affect adoption?
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We often hear people talk about the factors that affect the adoption of innovations, but there seem to be several conflicting lists, so which one is r...
Is co-design the same as co-innovation?
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How is co-innovation different from co-design? We’re going to explore these concepts, and then propose a model for better collaborative project mana...
Let’s stop offering so many choices!
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We like to think that more is better, but that is not the case when it comes to helping people make choices. In this episode we’re going to talk abo...
What is action learning?
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, we’re going to briefly explain action learning and point you to some great resources if you’re interested in learning more. ...
10 tips for running effective online focus groups
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Here are our top 10 tips for running effective online focus groups! See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Flipped learning... how to get people to do the pre-work
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re going to suggest some ways to encourage everyone to do the flipped learning pre-work. See the show notes and contribute to th...
Boosting communication impact with the rule of three
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is the simple, proven, powerful rule that we can use to boost the impact of our communication? In this episode we’re going to share with you th...
How adoption pathway analysis can help us
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As enablers of change it is important that we keep up-to-date with the latest extension research. But sometimes it can be hard to get the journal arti...
Reducing our biases
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all have biases that affect aspects of our lives and the lives of others with whom we interact—but it turns out there are ways to at least minimi...
Using VR and AR in extension to add an extra dimension
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you heard the acronyms VR and AR before? If you’re like us, you might be saying yes, but I’m not really sure what each of those really means—...
Boosting survey responses
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a recent episode we talked through designing a decent survey, but of course that is only one part of the bigger picture. To boost the number of res...
Designing a decent survey
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Surveys seem to be a constant in life at the moment! Like the old quote about the only certainties being death and taxes—it seems that everyone (and...
Make a real difference this year!
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you wondering how best to start the year and make a real difference? We’re not big fans of New Year’s resolutions, but we do like to pause and...
Thanks and wishing you a merry Christmas!
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We cannot believe it’s nearly the end of 2021! It has been a pretty huge year for us all, with the continuing disruption from Covid-19, meaning that...
Stop brainstorming… use the 6-3-5 method instead
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Having lots of people shouting out ideas over the top of each other may seem exciting, but brainstorming doesn’t generate the greatest number of use...
How to better understand our target audience
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can we better understand our target audience? We'll explore what we can discover about our target audience, often without even needing to speak wi...
What is a Theory of change?
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In one of our recent episodes we covered designing an extension program. While putting that together, we realised that there were other important as...
Let‘s do more experiments!
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We think it is easy for us to keep the status quo, and keep doing the same things day in, and day out. It’s comfortable, it’s easy to plan, and we...
Using adult learning principles in webinars
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you think, like some others, that adult learning principles sound like an old, outdated approach - something that was dreamed up in the 1970s and 8...
Designing an effective extension program
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We need an extension program! For those of us working as enablers of change, this can be something we hear when our colleagues are designing a new pro...
Five useful facilitation resources
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes as Enablers of change we just need a few more ideas to help us plan, design and run our activities. Where do we go when we want more resourc...