In today’s remote and hybrid work environments, how do you maintain connection and camaraderie among employees? How do you strengthen team culture and reinforce the message “We’re all in this together?” One of the best ways I found to do this is to bring people together in-person, in small groups of 6-10, to safely explore
Feeling overwhelmed by work responsibilities? I was until … I got perspective. And it hit me hard. This awakening occurred after I participated in an online discussion with a core group of indefatigable volunteer members of Global Facilitators Serving Communities (GFSC) and several Ukrainian facilitators/consultants. It’s purpose was to better understand the challenges they face
… as long as I have the right questions. That’s one of my most important tasks as a facilitator: to carefully select the “right” questions. These are thoughtful questions that engage all participants in purposeful discussion leading to outcomes such as resolving a problem, getting everyone on the same page, setting strategic priorities, identifying resources
Q: How would you facilitate a meeting-of-the-minds between two competitive nonprofits? A: Very carefully. That was my challenge when I was asked to facilitate a special meeting of two organizations striving to enhance their impact in their community: one was a local affiliate of an established nonprofit and the other was a grass-roots start-up. Both
Confession: I have as much fun talking about LEGO® bricks as I do working with them. I actually use these colorful plastic building blocks in team development as a Certified Facilitator in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) – a novel approach that enables participants to “think with their hands and listen with their eyes.” I had
How many people do you know who truly love what they do? Well, you can count me as one of them. Combining multiple roles of “catalyst, conductor, and coach,” my work as a facilitator is complex, challenging, and gratifying. Projects may appear to be similar, yet each facilitated session is unique. I enjoy my work
My most surprising discovery during the pandemic is the extraordinary sense of connection I feel with business colleagues around the globe, and it’s stronger than ever. I’ve participated in numerous Zoom meetings the past five months with two international groups I’m part of: the all-volunteer Global Facilitators Serving Communities and the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Certified
Connecting and engaging people in the workplace with LEGO® … just one of many fascinating topics shared in my video discussion with Smart Women Conversations’ host Yvonne DiVita, respected blogger, serial entrepreneur, and my former publisher who remains a dear friend. Yvonne launched Smart Women Conversations to “inform, educate, create laughter and share stories of
An admitted “accidental facilitator,” I love what I do. Here’s why. I find my role in guiding the process of discovery among groups to be: challenging – because it requires a high level of customization to meet a client’s specific needs while being unable to predict the outcome intense and exhausting – because it involves
Need to have your employees better understand and improve the customer experience? Here are three simple approaches designed to do just that. Each one can be applied to engage employees in sharing their experiences and building on their ideas to take care of customers. 1. Consider the customer perspective “Smart people walk in the shoes of