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facilitation

The Top Three Facilitation Challenges Every Facilitator Encounters

The Top Three Facilitation Challenges Every Facilitator Encounters

Facilitation is a newish word for an age-old art. Good facilitation begins with listening; like any art, doing it well requires skill. Anyone who has facilitated a meeting or learning event knows it takes dedication, perseverance, and deep reflection on what the group really needs to progress — and the more we listen with care, the easier it is to figure out. To be effective, facilitators must nurture the creativity and perspective of people looking at challenges from different angles to create change-making discussions.

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Joy Endures Despite Injustice: An Important Reminder in JEDI Work

Joy Endures Despite Injustice: An Important Reminder in JEDI Work

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) work often feels heavy to participate in and lead. Let’s imagine what JEDI could look like and mean for us if we took a light-weighted approach. This article highlights joy as an important feature of our JEDI journeys. We offer a collection of lessons and strategies that help foster joy alongside the justice we strive to strengthen in our world.

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JEDI-Infused Facilitation: Bodies, Power, and Intentions

JEDI-Infused Facilitation: Bodies, Power, and Intentions

We can create structures and interactions where everyone is seen, celebrated, resourced, and safe when we practice justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI)-infused facilitation. In this article, Darrie Matthew Burrage and Mikayla Branz share insights they gleaned by taking the time to reflect with colleagues on the body politics, power dynamics, and intentionality behind facilitation.

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Coaching/Facilitation Corner: Guidance for Trauma-Informed Support

Coaching/Facilitation Corner: Guidance for Trauma-Informed Support

Do you work with or care about someone who may have experienced trauma or PTSD? This article provides some background on trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and offers a few suggestions for leaders, facilitators, coaches, and anyone who wishes to have more productive interactions with those who may have experienced trauma.

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Facilitator’s Corner: How Superpowered Introductions Dismantle Problematic Power Dynamics

Facilitator’s Corner: How Superpowered Introductions Dismantle Problematic Power Dynamics

Many group events and activities open with some sort of welcome or warm-up exercise, providing participants with a chance to introduce themselves before addressing the topic at hand. Sometimes, introductions that focus solely on titles, roles, degrees, years of experience, professional affiliations, and so on, can create a power dynamic that results in some attendees feeling less willing to contribute during the meeting.

Here’s a simple alternative approach to facilitating introductions that enables greater human-first connection: a focus on superpowers.

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Facilitation Skills that Keep Conversations Productive

Facilitation Skills that Keep Conversations Productive

Good facilitation skills can be applied in all kinds of meetings and circumstances, including strategic planning, peer learning and any kind of gathering where a diverse group of people come together to have a conversation that enables them to work toward a decision or a plan of action. For those who have been in the trenches, you know it is not easy to facilitate with confidence, grace, and courage. It takes time and skill building to create desired outcomes through the art of conversation.

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