Unprofessionalism

168 - How to Build your Real-Time Community Space with Daniel Liebeskind

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Community is on the rise. It was just a few episodes ago that I spoke with Anamaria Dorgo about facilitating communities, but in this episode I’m lo...

167- The Art of Process Design - A live conversation

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Process is a personal thing. We all have different ways of preparing workshops and designing their structure and flow.When process design is so specif...

166 - Scribing: A Social Art and Facilitative Practice with Kelvy Bird

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kelvy has been a scribe for almost 30 years - there are few people better placed to share insights and reflections on the discipline & its impact ...

165 - How to Design and Facilitate Thriving Communities with Anamaria Dorgo

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Creating, maintaining, and growing a community is not for the faint-hearted. It’s an ongoing process of trial and error that requires a huge amount ...

164 - Facilitating the Emergence of Possibilities & Breakthroughs with Kimberly Wiefling

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We all hope to facilitate breakthroughs - those “a-ha” moments when participants have a lightbulb over their heads, ideas synthesise, and new idea...

163 - What do we facilitate for? A philosophical conversation with Dov Tsal

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we facilitate? Who are we, as facilitators? Is shared understanding a goal?Dov Tsal - Tao-inspired coach, mentor, and facilitator - is not one ...

162 - Facilitating Self Development at Work with Prototype You with Kristiaan Hartmann and Wouter Smeets

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Supporting employee self-development isn’t a sacrifice for organisations. In fact, it is often a precursor to the organisation’s own growth and pr...

161 - Workshops are the Conflict Playground for Real Life with Ez Bridgman

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Intersectionality is a fundamental part of facilitation - and a common topic on this podcast - but, usually, we discuss it in relation to other profes...

160 - How to Build a Facilitation Business with Mireille Beumer

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Facilitation is a lot of things: we’d all agree on and understand it as a verb. Many of us would identify it as a profession. But how many of us und...

159 - The role of facilitation when the world seems to fall apart with Quanita Roberson and Tenneson Woolf

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In times of strife - whether it’s a global health crisis or our neighbours at war - what role does facilitation play? Can we hope to change the worl...

158 - Facilitation Beyond the Workshop with Marilyn Zakhour

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What will the most successful teams look like in the future of work? How is consultancy changing? How can businesses improve their knowledge managemen...

157 - Beyond Hybrid: Facilitating in the Phygital Space with Thomas de Ming

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We meet online, we meet in-person, and sometimes we combine them to host hybrid meetings.But what happens when we bridge the gaps between physical and...

156 - Adventure Education means Facilitating Vulnerability with Phil Brown

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you think of adventure education, do you imagine rock climbing, swinging from trees, and kayaking down flowing streams?For Phil Brown, Lead Trainer...

155 - Facilitating and Moderating Audio-only Rooms with Leanne Hughes

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We communicate with our words, our bodies, our facial expressions, our posture, our movements, and much more.So, what happens if a workshop is reduced...

154 - Embracing Responsibility, Resilience and Relationships with Sara Huang

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sara Huang’s ‘three R’s’ of facilitation make for a reliable North Star in workshop environments.And, in our age of sometimes-online-sometimes...

153 - Transforming HR with Design Thinking with Nicole Dessain

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nicole Dessain is a consultant, Design Thinker, and proud ‘recovering perfectionist’ - and sees those three labels as closely related.Her work in ...

152 - Facilitating the ‘Board Game’ with Janek Panneitz

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no room for frivolities like board games in the boardroom… Right?Not so, says Janek Panneitz!  Janek is a facilitator, trainer, moderator...

151 - Building Culture by Bridging the Trust Gap with David Mead

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

David Mead is made for this podcast - and not because he's a speaker, consultant, and communicator...David's commitment and insights into le...

150 - Re-Thinking Facilitation: A Means of Corporate Therapy with Jordan Bower

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is ‘facilitation’ the wrong word for what we do with corporate clients? Jordan Bower thinks it might be and proposes a new terminology to better s...

149 - Holding space for those who hold space with Sharon Leigh

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some might not expect an introverted, neurodivergent woman like Sharon Leigh to ‘fit’ with facilitation. But anyone can access, practice, and succ...

148 - Using facilitation to give a voice to the voiceless with Manal Sayid

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Manal Sayid is a fascinating person, speaker, and podcast guest - as she proves in this episode of workshops.work! Her experience ranges from the suic...

147 - How to live a facilitative life with Stephen Berkeley

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Being a facilitator is one thing, but Stephen Berkeley is on a mission to live a facilitative life.This idea is incredibly intriguing - can it be done...

146 - How to make a workshop fail? Insights from 20 podcast guests

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are a few questions that come up every week - no matter who the guest is, no matter what our topic of conversation is.One of them - and possibly...

145 - Asking better questions to get cozy, juicy or real with each other with Jed & Sophia Lazar

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A game is just a game - silly, playful, and only useful for breaking the ice, right?Not if you ask Sophia and Jed Lazar, who have designed a card game...

144 - From out of the box to unboxing: A mindset shift to facilitation and life with Jimbo Clark

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A nickname like “The Box Guy” belies Jimbo Clark’s effervescence and brilliance. In fact, Jimbo has spent many years trying to help us open the ...

143 - Why Facilitators are Crisis Managers with Thomas Lahnthaler

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From reframing problems to taking tips from MacGyver, Thomas Lahnthaler is full of great advice for anyone who has to manage a crisis.And as our conve...

142 - Changing a Meeting Culture from Within, at Scale with Sonja Hanau

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sonja Hanau is the person 99% of working professionals have prayed for at one point or another.For Sonja is a Meeting Designer. In fact, Sonja is one ...

141 - Insights about Facilitation: Conversations at the NDB Festival

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Friday 19 November, 2021 marked the second NeverDoneBefore Festival.In keeping with the spirit of the day, I elected to do something unique and, admit...

140 - How to use Applied Improv to Enliven your Workshops with Shannon Hughes

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Using “yes-and”, following the flow, and focusing on the process as much as the outcomes… Is this improv or facilitation?The two share a lot in ...

139 - Breaking (Project) Management and Decision Routines with Karen Schmidt

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The building blocks of facilitation can be considered as quite practical, tangible things: workshops, agendas, exercises, timing, and tools. Underpinn...

138 - Facilitating Authentic Relations with Peter Munthe-Kaas

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Urban planning is the discipline of creating shared, public spaces. It could easily be mistaken for large-scale facilitation by design!Peter Munthe-Ka...

137 - Creating space for connection with Jonathan Hefter

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

136 - Facilitating with and without Lego Serious Play with Sean Blair

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

135 - A journey from Architecture to Facilitation with Florencia Ortelli

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

134 - Unlocking creative potential through collective drawing with Chris Bent

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 d...

133 - The conversation I wish I heard when I started facilitating with Meg Bolger

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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

132 - Can we automate the facilitation of deep conversations? with Edric Subur

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

131 - Facilitating Joy in Public with Jacques Martiquet, the Party Scientist

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

130 - Belonging in the Virtual Space with Jahnvi Singh

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Belonging is a complex topic at the best of times, but in an age of digital meetings, remote work, and physical distance, many more layers have been a...

129 - From vision to reality: The story behind the NeverDoneBefore facilitation festival with Myriam Hadnes

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

 The microphone has turned, the seats have switched, and I am being interviewed on my own show!This week, Michelle Howard takes up the mantle of work...

128 - What games can teach us about designing better workshops with Lily Higgins

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Games are fun, silly, not based in reality…We can take our serious selves into games and embrace playfulness, but it’s a lot harder to take the pl...

127 - How to set up a successful co-facilitation process with Shoba Chandran

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Co-facilitation feels like a wonderful, secret club.Those who’ve experienced successful co-facilitation understand the impact it has on outcomes, as...

126 - The Paradox of Psychological Safety with Gustavo Razzetti

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Psychological safety is a bastion of facilitation, collaboration, and connection.But has it reached a tipping point?As the phrase permeates more corne...

125 - A new way of thinking about hybrid work with Cliff Pollan

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a year and a half of panicked, rushed remote and hybrid work, we are long overdue a calm presence - a voice of reason. Someone to steer the ship...

124 - Human activation as the foundation of facilitation with Patrick Cowden

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

123 episodes later, we return to where it all started.In truth, I believe I could have recorded 124 episodes exclusively with Patrick Cowden and we’...

123 - The Inner Work of Facilitation - with Quanita Roberson

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It took me nearly one year to arrange this interview, due to just how popular, committed, and focused Quanita Roberson is.But I would have happily wai...

122 - How to create magical human moments (online) - with Jan Keck

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Magic isn’t stuck in children’s books and feel-good films, it’s here. It’s among us. It’s in our vulnerability, our connection, and our unde...

121 - Why mental fitness matters and how to improve yours - with Jodie Rogers

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We are experiencing a long-overdue explosion of information and awareness about mental health. Just as we’ve steadily developed great interventions ...

120 - Facilitating Group Dynamics with Grace Lau

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Group dynamics are always present in the room, whether or not we choose to acknowledge them.What can we do to understand and manage group dynamics - a...

119 - Using the power of analogies for your facilitation with Michel Barrett

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Analogies are a powerful tool - they’re communication kaleidoscopes, reflecting and refracting our ideas into a multitude of new, eye-catching alter...

118 - Unusual facilitation: Podcasting, theatre and audio-only platforms with Pilar Orti

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Facilitation is a creative practice, but I am constantly surprised by the intersections people find and create between it and other creative practices...

117 - How to use systems thinking in facilitation with Johanna Tysk

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not uncommon for guests on workshops work to introduce new and unique angles to the practice of facilitation, but I should have known things wo...

116 - Process literacy: The new collaborative team skill with Ewen le Borgne

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Teams are embracing hybrid work - which means more asynchronous work, variable communication signals from person to person, and an opportunity for wid...

115 - How to facilitate a winning culture with Viren Thakrar

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every organisation has a culture. Whether its leaders pay attention to it or not. Leaving culture untouched is leaving money on the table and employee...

114 - How to facilitate alignment with Lindsay Uittenbogaard

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alignment would be one of the first words added to the facilitation dictionary, but the concept can sometimes suffer with a reputation as a ‘washy’...

113 - Taoism, agility, and the essence of facilitation with Dov Tsal

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Facilitation has many intersections, but one I didn’t ever think I would discuss on this podcast is that of Taoism and facilitation.Yet, here we are...

112 - Demystifying Visual Collaboration with Ole Qvist-Sørensen

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I have always said that words make worlds, but language is just one lens through which we can see and decipher our experiences.What of drawings? Colou...

111 - More Space for Innovation through Facilitation with Dan Levy

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Facilitating innovation in times of need, the world of ‘futuring’, examining greys in a black and white world - these are big topics, but Dan Levy...

110 - Facilitation as a Service - with Aleksandra Potrykus-Majewska

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Aleksandra (Ola) Potrykus-Majewska knows the struggle of finding a great external facilitator when stuck in a corporate procurement system. But she al...

109 - How to talk about soft topics with rational people with Marloes Sikkema

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Purpose is becoming an increasingly important part of corporate culture, but how there are still misconceptions and doubts about its value - especiall...

108 - From frustrated leader to impactful facilitator with Bjarne Holmes

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What can educators and facilitators learn from each other to benefit their practice? And where do the two crossover? These are wide-ranging questions...

107 - Unleash your facilitation superpowers with Jacob Chromy

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We use our facilitation skills in our work, but these are universally applicable skills. Negotiating with a toddler, hosting parties, working out whic...

106 - From offline to online to hybrid meetings with Joseph Allen

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I am joined by Joe Allen – a meeting scientist, professor of Industrial Organisational Psychology, Director at the Center for Meeting Eff...

105 - Facilitation beyond the Toolbox with Nadia von Holzen

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Structure contains us and sets boundaries, it can’t make space for freedom or creativity… can it?Liberating Structures says otherwise - and Nadia ...

104 - How to use Integral Facilitation Quadrants to design successful workshops with Gabriel Couture

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Empathy is a cornerstone of facilitation. Without it, we are only thrusting ideas and intentions on people. With it, we meet people where they are and...

103 - Facilitation and Jazz Music with Rich Goidel

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This toe-tapping, energy-flowing, jam of a workshops work episode explores the similarities (and differences) between jazz music, strategy, and facili...

102 - The intentional facilitator: How to turn passion into business with Robin Muretisch

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Forging your own career or business in facilitation isn’t easy. As so many of the guests on this podcast can attest to, it’s often the case that w...

101 - How to facilitate process improvement - human-centred and data-driven with Mark Whittaker

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How much of your workday do you really pay attention to?From where you sit to how often you get distracted and what happens when you come back from a ...

100 - The nuggets that make workshops work - with 14 listeners

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

100 episodes. (More than) 100 guests. Thousands of listeners. You, here, reading this and listening to this landmark episode.To mark this milestone, I...

099 - How to Grow Your Meeting Culture with Elise Keith

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bad meetings are all too common, but they are merely the product of every bad meeting that has come before them.So, how do we break the cycle of unstr...

098 - Agile for Everyone with Judith Mills

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Agile can be hugely effective in many environments, but from the outside, it can be daunting. The language, its origins in tech, and its overzealous c...

097 - Keeping facilitation human with Paul Nunesdea

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As a former Board member of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), and co-Founder of the Digital Collaboration Academy, there are few pe...

096 - The interconnections between leadership and facilitation with John Varney

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Exploring the overlap between facilitation and leadership was an exciting proposition to me, but I didn’t expect it to encompass everything from arc...

095 - Workshop Your Life with Gabrielle Santa-Donato

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Gabrielle Santa-Donato said, “we need to be intentional about this transition”, she wasn’t talking about virtual workshops or exploring a w...

094 - How to build your confidence as a facilitator with Lauren Green

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From exploring human graphs as a way of completing her homework in high school to flourishing as a multidisciplinary facilitator, dancer, and visual c...

093 - Apply Design Thinking Principles to Unlock Potential with Jeroen Frumau

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jeroen Frumau has had a remarkable career – from working at the arrowhead of innovation in senior roles at Phillips Design to founding and co-foundi...

092 - A simple guide to engaged online meetings with Myriam Hadnes

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do you want to create meetings that participants actively engage with?When online meetings fail, it’s almost always because the offline meetings wer...

091 - Behind the standard template - How to create mind-blowing visual experiences with Shayne Smart

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do you want to get better at creating mind-blowing visual experiences for participants?If so, you need to think about the story and method behind your...

090 - Facilitation is like Gardening with Lee Kim

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Facilitators want to inspire, motivate, and cultivate change and growth. However, facilitators cannot see into the future. No matter how hard we try, ...

089 - Improv on Paper: Unleashing Creativity in the Cartoonist Way with Jonathan Plotkin and Pat Byrnes

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How can you use the creativity of a daydream to solve a very real problem? Being able to access creative thought when necessary is a skill and it can ...

088 - A (Virtual) Museum as a Workshop Space with Roumayne Schepers

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is art-based learning? And how can art-based learning workshops be successful virtually?In this episode of workshops work, I find out how we can ...

087 - Facilitation is about being in service with Jay Melone

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Great facilitators aren't always subject matter experts. In fact, they may know very little about the workshop's topic. A successful facilit...

086 - Foster Your Team’s Resilience Through Positivity with Lisette van de Sandt

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

To achieve great workshop collaboration, participants must find a way to work together. In times of change, positivity is often the magic ingredient t...

Bonus Episode: Behind the Scenes of the NeverDoneBefore Facilitation Festival

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since March 2020, almost 100 facilitators have collaborated to bring to life a bold vision: A 24 hours long, global facilitation festival. In this bo...

085 - Help Groups Work Better Together Online with Robert Skrobe

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the facilitator, it’s up to you to act as the group’s vehicle and guide them from one place to the next. You do this by providing the context t...

084 - Beyond Zoom: Behind the Scenes of Toasty, a new video conferencing tool with Kevon Cheung

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Online meetings have risen in popularity since the COVID-19 outbreak, but they must cover more than ticking boxes from the agenda list. Creating stron...

083 - Use analogue prompts for better online meetings with Jacinta Cubis

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sticky notes, tennis balls, and other objects can be used to create engaging and productive online meetings and workshops. How do I know this to be tr...

082 - Facilitator, find your message. A visual workshop with Ingrid Lill

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are you still searching for your message? The terminology we use as facilitators may seem confusing for some of our clients. We must discover and use ...

081 - What if more Facilitators Mastered the Art of DJing with Howard Gray

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Creativity is the string that weaves through most (if not all) facets of life. As a facilitator, you design workshops that bring people together aroun...

080 - No more workshops without provocation with Diana Ying Liu and Kandis O’Brien

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How can you, as a facilitator, create new and exciting possibilities for your workshop participants?The answer lies in provoking your audience to list...

079 - The mindset and toolset to get your creativity rolling with Melissa Dinwiddie

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you’re hosting a physical or virtual meeting, the last thing you want to do is put the audience to sleep! If you want to keep people engaged...

078 - Facilitating as an Avatar in the Virtual World with Tracy Cosgrove

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve reached a time when more people than ever are working remotely, and this includes facilitators.Tracy Cosgrove, Founder of PTSM, is passionate ...

077 - Use your voice for better impact with Joep Hegger

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We put so much emphasis on how we look and how we use body language to communicate with our audience that we often neglect to consider our voices. It’...

076 - Facilitating powerful personal transformations with Júlio Maria Muhorro

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Knowledge is one of the universal currencies with which we trade – we enrich each other with the knowledge we share and facilitate, but what are the...

075 - Behind the Scenes of Facilitating the MURAL Backstage Pass with Hailey Temple

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout lockdown, I and many other facilitators, have loved watching and participating in Backstage Pass – the virtual workshops held by digital ...

074 - Rules of Talking: what we can learn from sports teams about communication with Tim Harkness

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Competitive spirits, high stakes, cut-throat attitudes… Boardrooms and changing rooms have more in common than we might first think.Tim Harkness, on...

073 - Facilitating the Shift Towards a Pluralist Mindset with Hina Shahid

12 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The world is changing and we are in a new moment of equality and anti-racism.Strategic designer, and design educator by trade, Hina Shahid is at the f...

072 - An Introduction to Systemic Coaching and Facilitating Constellations with Laura Beckingham

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why would I invite “the exact opposite of an Executive Coach” and, as her clients describe her, “a witch” to speak on workshops work?Because L...

071 - Forum Theatre as a Facilitation Tool to Understand Human Interactions with Pernille Jacobsen

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Forum Theatre is a unique approach to facilitation – creating space for change and reflection through creativity, play, and certainly some bravery (...

070 - The Art of Asking Questions with Elke Wiss

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Questions are the lifeblood of communication. Without questions, we only have statements – cold, certain, absolute. If there is no room for curiosit...