During a recent four-day conference, we facilitated more than 20 speakers and varying presentations, each citing distinctive topics ranging from embracing social responsibility to utilizing Google® Hangouts for small groups. Participants applauded our approach, and we decided to share it here to help you become a more effective facilitator. Challenges Associated with Facilitating Speakers and…
A meeting without conflict is a boring meeting, and we’ve seen very little value derived from predictable and unexciting meetings and workshops. Internal and external conflict reflect emotions that, when harnessed, enable creative change. So rather than run, learn how to understand and manage group conflict. Additionally, the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) aspires for…
Using the principles of Facilitative Leadership, even novice facilitators will succeed if they can: Draw line of sight from the meeting deliverable to the quality of life of the meeting participants. Know where they are going and how to lead. Provide compelling evidence that the meeting will impact the wallet size of participants. Prove WHY the meeting…
Staying relevant and compelling when you facilitate multiple generations presents significant challenges. Problems develop when meetings include different mindsets, communication styles, and personal preferences. Scheduling, work patterns, and technology intensify friction. Teams are ever-changing and often cross time zones and cultural boundaries. A servile attitude provides you with the simple secret when you facilitate multiple…
“Creating Products that Customers Love” strikes us as highly poignant, as much of the world heads toward a holiday season with much gift-giving. Roman Pickler’s book, “Agile Product Management with Scrum” provides the single best book, barely over 100 pages, to understand the role of Product Owner. Some even claim it remains one of the…
Our students have clamored for a quick-reference checklist of the most important facilitation Do’s and Don’ts. In response, we bring you the brief, yet powerful, list below (alpha-sorted by the highlighted term or phrase). Please note that the highlighted facilitation do’s and don’ts are linked to articles that provide additional examples, evidence, and supporting rationale.…
The Business Model Canvas was created by Alexander Osterwalder, of Strategyzer® and provides a one-page primer and template that offers a basic methodology. Questions and points of view are detailed below.[1] Especially intended to support the MG RUSH Business Analyst community, please modify each and all of the following to support your situation. Business Model…
Structured meetings and workshops positively impact organizations and stakeholders–even permeating cultures. Here are a few straightforward benefits for facilitation training that support structured meetings. Business wisdom demands the application of knowledge, stuff that is ‘in−formation’ (not static). Compound the dynamism of information with the challenge of organizing a group of people, where nobody is smarter…
What is a Design Sprint? Created at Google Ventures, a Design Sprint represents a methodology that helps teams complete a five-day workshop for building and testing some problem-solving product or solution (prototype). A prototype might include a product on a screen, on paper, a service, a physical space, or an object. Created by Google Venture’s…
A professional facilitator handles several types of assignments, from planning through design. However, most facilitators must also provide a method for securing the deliverable. Although a different role, the ‘methodologist’ responsibilities make up the most important part of preparing for many meetings. How will you lead the group successfully from the Introduction through the Wrap? When…