133 Part 3 - The High Art of Facilitation with Meg Bolger

Meg Bolger is a perfect example of facilitation for good, founding and leading multiple organisations focused on promoting DEI and LGBTQ justice, awareness, and allyship.On top of their incredible work towards facilitating a fairer, kinder world, Meg also has plenty of entrepreneurial spark, being the brains behind the wildly successful and much-loved Facilitator Cards.Meg is a true facilitation geek.Our conversation basically became a survival guide for new facilitators and a booster shot for more experienced facilitators. Unmissable.This episode is part 3 of 3, divided as such because our conversation was simply so expansive and interesting that we spoke for far longer than a normal episode of the show.In this section, we explore debriefing, time management, and reflective practice. Meg shares some amazing insights into how they complete their own version of a feedback form for themselves, how they time their workshops to keep people’s energy stores high, and how to align a group towards brevity and conciseness for the sake of everyone’s focus.Find out about:●       The merits and shortcomings of qualifications and certifications in facilitation●       What the common causes of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ facilitation are●       Why a ‘failed’ workshop isn’t always a universal failure●       Meg’s favourite exercises, tools, and DIY fixes to common problems●       How to debrief yourself at the end of a workshop●       How and why to shape your workshops according to the energy levels in the roomDon’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player. Click here to download the free 1-page summary.Questions and Answers[00:54] How do you reflect and give yourself feedback after a session?[06:48] Which exercises typically run on longer than you’d want them to?[12:09] How can you diplomatically tell someone they’re taking too long to answer?[16:55] How do you deal with participants who want to share every idea they generated in a brainstorm?[21:24] How do you balance that desire for clarity with the need to honour people’s contributions?[26:49] Discussing the value of experiential educators.[33:14] Managing our triggers as facilitators and keeping our focus on the group.[44:55] Do you think we can grow our self-awareness without being open to feedback?[50:05] Is the inability to deliver fair, honest, constructive feedback endemic across the population?[55:51] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?Special Discount for WorkshopsWork listenersGet the 3-pack of wet-erase markers that pair with the cards on us with the code WORKSHOPSWORK when purchasing the facilitator cards with this link:  https://shop.facilitator.cards/discount/WORKSHOPSWORK  LinksSupport the Show.**Click here to navigate through all episodes via this interactive podcast map.**If you're inspired by our podcast and crave similar conversations, consider joining Dr Myriam Hadnes' NeverDoneBefore Facilitation Community. **If you're keen to master the art of facilitation, discover our expert-led live, online Facilitation Courses at the NDB Academy. **If you enjoy the show, consider a one-off donation and contribute to the ongoing costs of running the podcast.