Becoming a Better Facilitator
Posted by Andrew 1 July 2008
First – some questions for you to ponder:
How often do you get a chance to reflect on your facilitation practice?
Are you interested in the archetypes and roles we play as facilitators?
How often do you get the chance to share and reflect on the success stories and the war stories of facilitation? The miracles and nasty surprises?
Have you ever found yourself “stuck” either before, during or after a facilitation gig?
Are you looking for new ways to nurture and develop your facilitation practice?
If you’re looking for ways to enrich and deepen your facilitation experience, come and join Simon Kneebone (cartoonist extraordinaire!) and I on Friday August 22nd as we guide you through a day of story, visual genre and archetypes – all focussed on the age old oral tradition of how we can learn from story.
To register – simply download the easy-fax-in brochure for Becoming a Better Facilitator: A day of Guided Reflective Action.
Wisdom along the way
Posted by Andrew 27 June 2008
It’s funny the places where you can find things that help, inspire or provide a lesson of sorts.
My wife and I just arrived back from a beautiful 10 day trip around New Zealand’s north and south islands. Very refreshing. I must admit, work still found a way to creep in with the appearance of signs and quotes in often unexpected places. Like this saying “Drive to the conditions”. I reckon I should print a few of these up and post them around workshops and other group meetings that go on. Helping people to become present and arrive back in the room and to journey from where they are, based on the conditions that they are finding, both within themselves and their colleagues around.
If that fails, I’ll have at the ready a few of another sign we chanced on – just before lunch one day – “Neurosis is the inability to tolerate ambiguity”.
Even Polar Bears Play
Posted by Andrew 13 June 2008
Yesterday morning, sitting eating breakfast and flipping through the latest new scientist sitting on Bob Dick’s kitchen table I found in the questions and answers section a great shot of a playful polar bear. What comes to mind for me is how the dog negotiated his way into play with the polar bear.
In our recent workshops Journeying with Story we explored how there can sometimes be resistance to working with story and some of it’s genres, especially fairy tale! A learning for us as we ran the workshops in Melbourne and then Brisbane was how using rationale first then experience can be a way to help negotiating the way into ‘play’. As opposed to diving in big splash with experience first then rationale.
For those who missed our Melbourne Journeying with Story program we’ll be running it again on October 9th and if you’re one of our newsletter subscribers we’ll be keeping you posted as well as providing discount registration rate codes.
And, finally, I’m looking forward to spending about 10 days in New Zealand chilling out with my wife and seeing where we end up. More when I return – And – Remember – Even Polar Bears Play!
Four Books on my Desk - Plus One
Posted by Andrew 9 June 2008
What do all these have in common?
The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary
Process Consultation Revisited: Building the Helping Relationship
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
The Feminising of Business
Posted by Andrew 1 June 2008
Last week, whilst communiting on the train I noticed an article which was titled “Blokey women a thing of the past”. Interestingly it had the CEO of Elle Bache discussing the changing roles of women in the workplace today.
I mentioned this to a colleague and he said quite dryly “I hadn’t noticed”. He’s a funny guy.
But, I think it does bring out a trend that seems to be occuring in organisations today. Even this from Alan Pease in his book Why men don’t listen and Women can’t read maps:
“Male characteristics and values are largely responsible for driving people to the top of the tree but feminine values are fast becoming the only way to stay there. Traditionally, most organisations have been controlled by a male hierarchy with a dominant male leader whose credo was, “Follow me– or else!” These organisations are today rapidly becoming rarities, just as the school tough guy, who rose to the top at a time when brawn was respected over brains, is now also roundly despised. Masculine priorities need to be understood by any person aiming for the top of the heap, but feminine value systems are now much better suited to making the whole show work more efficiently, harmoniously and, therefore, successfully.”
We have even recently embarked on a project of inviting executive women’s stories – the defining moments and miracles and nasty surprises. After having interviewed 21 executive women from many differing roles and industry sectors – its fascinating to see through what are so commonly seen as stereotypes.
See our media release for more on this – including how you might take part!
Having strength based conversations
Posted by Andrew 23 May 2008
It’s interesting how often it is that we want to be problem focussed. That is, our conversations seem so naturally to revolve our the want to discuss the negatives, the problems or generally those things which aren’t working. Apart from these kinds of conversations being de-motivating for all present, they also assume that there looking into the problem will help in the delivery or discovery of a solution. Not always true, especially when you’re working in the complex and intricate area of human behaviours.
This week, whilst engaged in an inquiry phase into a project to ‘Enhance Collaboration’ I’ve been using a simple but effective tool from the Solutions Focussed approach called The Scaling Walk. The process went something like this.
First I invited group members to rate from a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 the best) how they saw the current team collaborations. This was an individual task and I asked them to write the rating on a small post-it note and come and place it up on a whiteboard with a line drawn and labelled with 1 to 10.
A common tendency for a group seems to be to want to discuss the short comings of their ratings. That is, why they gave it a rating of say 6 and not 7, or 7 and not 8. The group then makes a dive into all the problems associated. The Solutions Focussed approaches flips it around and instead invites a conversation about all the elements of why it was a 6 and not 5 or a 7 and not 6. In other words, starting to develop an appreciation for the distance travelled and the achievements made so far. In other words – inviting a ‘strength based’ conversation. One acknowledging the elements of progress and accomplishment not to mention starting to develop a sense of ‘what’s working around here’.
It’s interesting to reflect on this process and how the landscape and terrain covered during the conversations appear richer and generally more motivating (not to mention useful!) than digging into the typical problem areas. The problems are still addressed, but in a different frame. The problems are re-framed in terms of what small steps might be made to move the score from a 6 to a 7 or a 7 to an 8. This approach also is a rich ground for the natural emergence of stories.
Which brings a few questions to mind.
Imagine you have 2 buckets. Bucket A is a bucket full of stories collected around The Problem, and how things haven’t worked. Bucket B is a bucket full of stories collected around how things have worked. Success stories. Which of the buckets would you choose to look into for a way forward? Which of the buckets would you learn the most from? Which of the buckets would be the most helpful for a ‘solution’?
Media Release: Executive Women’s Stories Hold the Key to Business Success
Posted by Andrew 5 May 2008
Understanding how and why women succeed in senior management is the focus of a new research project being conducted by the Babel Fish Group and supported by the Gaia Retreat.
Women across Australia in executive and senior managerial positions are being invited to share their stories of business success as part of a unique initiative looking at more “feminine, creative” work styles.
How to achieve Work-Life balance?
Posted by Andrew 2 May 2008
Look no further than man’s best friend – the dog:
- When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
- Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
- Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
- Take naps.
- Stretch before rising.
- Run, romp, and play daily.
- Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
- Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
- On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
- On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
- When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
- Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
- Be loyal.
- Never pretend to be something you’re not.
- If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. Persevere.
- When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Journeying with Story - Using for Story for change
Posted by Andrew 30 April 2008
Are you interested in learning how to use story for change? Individually or Organisationally?
Bob Dick and I would like to invite you along to our upcoming workshops being held in Melbourne on June 10th and Brisbane June 12th.
Come along if you are a:
* Leader - looking for ways to create shared vision and inspiration in your team
* OD or training professional - looking for new ways to work with culture and transformation
* Consultant - looking for powerful, dynamic and responsive approaches to working with organisations
* Facilitator - seeking creative approaches to engaging around people and culture
To find out more, including how to register, download our easy-fax-in brochure here.
Everything I learnt about Management Innovation was from the movies
Posted by Andrew 22 April 2008
One of my good friends once said to me “Andrew- I’ve learnt everything about Facilitation from the movies”. Ok, so I might be over-quoting just a tad, but this morning at a business breakfast with our associates HCandP we invited participants to explore Management Innovation creatively. And with the venue being the Victorian Arts center, in a room with very vibrant colours and art work, not to mention the wall of embedded marbles – swiss army knives and electronic pc cards, this seemed to be the place for creativity!
What can we learn about Management Innovation from the movies?