Back in my early days, before the term ‘facilitation’ was even a blip on my radar, I was deeply immersed in the world of design and innovation. Design, to me, wasn’t just about crafting sleek interfaces or eye-catching visuals; it was a full-contact sport. I firmly believed that design needed to be a public act, a collaborative effort that engaged everyone from product managers to engineers. This belief nudged me into what would become my first foray into facilitation. Without even realizing it, I was taking the lead in discussions, eager to sway hearts and minds to bring collective visions to life. It was in these moments, standing in front of colleagues and guiding conversations, that I began to understand the essence of facilitation. It was raw, unrefined, and entirely intuitive. But it was a start.

Reflecting on those early experiences, one stands out vividly. While at LexisNexis, I was given the latitude to dive deep into mapping experiences. This wasn’t just any task; it was a challenge that threw me into the deep end of facilitation. Tasked with leading a mapping exercise for our European business unit, I orchestrated a session for stakeholders flying in from all corners of the continent. The stakes were high, and the audience was diverse. Yet, as I navigated through this intricate dance of ideas and insights, something clicked. The success of that session and the many that followed across the globe, from Australia to the Netherlands, was a testament to the power of effective facilitation. These were my formative years, where the seeds of facilitation were unknowingly sown, setting me on a path I never anticipated.

A New Chapter Begins

As my career progressed, the realms of design and facilitation began to intertwine more visibly. My move to Citrix was a notable milestone, not just for the shift in my professional landscape but for the deepening of my involvement in remote collaboration. Here, the essence of facilitation permeated through my work, albeit still in an informal capacity. I found myself at the forefront, not just as a designer but as a facilitator of ideas and conversations. This dual role was becoming a part of my identity, propelling me towards a greater understanding of what it meant to lead discussions that mattered.

The real turning point came with my engagement with Mural and, subsequently, Voltage Control. My collaboration with Mural opened new avenues, connecting me with a broader community passionate about facilitation and collaboration. It was during this time that I stumbled upon the treasure trove of literature on facilitation. Books like “Game Storming” and “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker became my guides, enlightening me about the structured world of facilitation I had been navigating through instinct alone. These discoveries were eye-opening, revealing a structured discipline where my self-taught skills could find validation and growth.

A Catalyst for Learning

Voltage Control emerged as a beacon in my journey. Their partnership with Mural, coupled with their reputation for deep dives into the facilitation process, intrigued me. The more I learned about Voltage Control’s offerings and their community-driven approach, the more I realized the gaps in my understanding. This was a world where my ad-hoc experiences could be honed into something more profound and impactful. The decision to engage more directly with Voltage Control and consider their certification program was a natural next step. It promised not just to fill the gaps but to elevate my practice to a level I had only begun to imagine.

The decision to join Voltage Control’s certification program wasn’t made in isolation. It was the culmination of a series of serendipitous events and realizations. The moment Douglas reached out with an invitation to participate, the decision felt like a natural progression of my journey. The seeds of curiosity sown during my time with Mural and my explorations into the literature of facilitation had prepared me for this step. It was as if all the paths I had walked were converging, guiding me toward a future I was meant to embrace.

Colleagues and Confidence

Knowing that individuals I respected and admired, such as Mark Tippin and Emilia Åström, had gone through the program and emerged with positive experiences provided a sense of reassurance. Their encouragement was a catalyst, pushing me to seize this opportunity not just for the knowledge I would gain but for the professional growth that would inevitably follow. This wasn’t just about filling gaps in my understanding; it was about joining a community of practitioners dedicated to elevating the art and science of facilitation.

Deciding to embark on the Voltage Control certification journey was, in many ways, a leap of faith. Faith in the program’s ability to refine and expand my facilitation skills, faith in my capacity to grow and adapt, and faith in the idea that this path would lead me to become a more effective leader, designer, and facilitator. The anticipation of what lay ahead was both exhilarating and daunting. Yet, the clarity of my decision was undeniable. This was the next step I needed to take, not just for my career but for my ongoing quest to unlock the full potential of collaborative design and innovation.

Immersive Learning

The certification program at Voltage Control was unlike anything I had experienced before. It was an immersive journey that stretched over three months, challenging and enriching in equal measure. The curriculum, meticulously designed by Eric, was both comprehensive and engaging, blending theoretical insights with practical application. This wasn’t just about acquiring knowledge; it was about embedding it into practice. The structure of the program—with its mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning, coupled with assignments that fostered collaboration with fellow participants—created a dynamic learning environment that kept me engaged and motivated throughout.

One of the most significant revelations for me was the depth and breadth of facilitation as a discipline. The program offered a panoramic view of the facilitation landscape, covering everything from the fundamentals to advanced techniques. It was enlightening to explore topics like the importance of warm-ups, the art of debriefing, and the nuanced role of a facilitator in guiding discussions and nurturing collaboration. These sessions weren’t just educational; they were transformative, challenging me to rethink my approach and adopt a more structured and intentional stance toward facilitation.

The Power of Reflection

Perhaps the most unexpected aspect of the program was the emphasis on reflection—both personal and professional. The process of developing my facilitation portfolio was a journey in itself, prompting me to pause and reflect on my past experiences, successes, and lessons learned. This exercise was not just about showcasing my work; it was an opportunity to introspect and consolidate my learning, providing clarity and direction for my future endeavors. It was a stark reminder of the power of reflection in fostering growth and self-awareness.

The certification program was a crucible of growth, pushing me beyond my comfort zone and expanding my horizons. It was here that I discovered not only the depth of my passion for facilitation but also the potential for impact beyond the confines of my previous experiences. The program didn’t just equip me with new tools and techniques; it instilled in me a newfound confidence and a deeper understanding of the transformative power of effective facilitation.

Post-certification, my toolkit for facilitation has not only expanded but also diversified. The program introduced me to a range of methodologies and practices that I had previously been unaware of or hadn’t fully appreciated. This broader arsenal has significantly enhanced my ability to adapt to different contexts and needs, ensuring that I can offer more tailored and effective facilitation solutions. Whether it’s incorporating more thoughtful warm-ups, leveraging pop-up rules to navigate unexpected challenges, or crafting more impactful debriefs, my approach has become more nuanced and impactful.

A Deeper Appreciation for Purpose

One of the most profound shifts in my perspective has been a deeper appreciation for the importance of purpose in facilitation. The discussions around the significance of setting a clear purpose for each session, and the exploration of various process design elements, have fundamentally altered how I approach my work. This newfound understanding has enabled me to design and lead sessions that are not only more engaging and effective but also more meaningful for all participants. It’s a shift that has not only improved the quality of my facilitation but also the outcomes of the collaborative efforts I lead.

Looking ahead, the capabilities and insights gained from the certification program have opened up new avenues for impact. Facilitation, I’ve come to realize, is more than a skill set for leading meetings or workshops; it’s a foundational competency that underpins effective leadership, innovation, and collaboration. As I continue my work at Mural, these capabilities are proving invaluable in helping me navigate the complexities of remote collaboration, drive product innovation, and foster a culture of inclusive and effective teamwork. The program has not just transformed how I facilitate; it’s reshaped how I lead and contribute to my organization.

A Catalyst for Continuous Growth

The journey through Voltage Control’s certification program has been a catalyst for a broader transformation in my professional life. It has sparked a continuous quest for growth, encouraging me to keep exploring, learning, and applying new facilitation techniques and approaches. This mindset of continuous improvement and the drive to further hone my facilitation practice are what I see as the most lasting impacts of the program. As I look to the future, I’m excited about the opportunities to further integrate these capabilities into my work, exploring new ways to leverage facilitation as a tool for driving change and innovation.

The journey through the world of facilitation has been nothing short of transformative for me. As I stand at this juncture, reflecting on the path behind and the horizon ahead, I’m filled with a sense of purpose and possibility. The future, as I see it, is ripe with opportunities to apply my newfound capabilities in ways that extend far beyond the traditional boundaries of facilitation. My role at Mural, coupled with the insights and skills honed through the Voltage Control certification, positions me to pioneer innovative approaches to collaboration, leadership, and organizational development.

The next chapter of my journey is dedicated to elevating the art and science of collaboration within Mural and among our global community of users. Armed with a deeper understanding of facilitation, I’m exploring new ways to enhance remote and hybrid work environments, making them more engaging, productive, and inclusive. The goal is not just to improve how teams work together but to transform the very fabric of collaboration, making it a source of competitive advantage and creative breakthrough.

Beyond the immediate realm of my professional duties, I envision a future where the principles of effective facilitation are woven into the cultural DNA of organizations worldwide. My ambition is to be at the forefront of this movement, advocating for the role of facilitation as a critical skill for leaders, innovators, and change-makers. By championing a culture of facilitation, I aim to catalyze a shift in how problems are solved, decisions are made, and visions are realized across industries and communities.

For Future Explorers

To those standing at the threshold of their facilitation journey, my message is one of encouragement and excitement. The path of learning and growth in this field is rich with challenges and rewards. Embrace the journey with an open mind and a committed heart. The skills you develop and the insights you gain will not only enhance your career but also amplify your impact on the world around you. The future of work, leadership, and innovation is inextricably linked to our ability to facilitate meaningful conversations and collaborations. I invite you to join this exploration, to discover your own path, and to contribute to the evolving landscape of facilitation and beyond.

The post The Unexpected Journey appeared first on Voltage Control.

My career journey has been far from a straight path. It’s more of a connect-the-dots, where the picture isn’t clear until you step away and look back at the page. In 2022, as I was updating my resume for a career transition, I noticed a common thread that helped me clarify my purpose and ultimately find my dream job.

As I assessed my experiences in various industries, it became clear to me that each role – whether as an account executive at an advertising agency, architectural designer, or educator – contributed to my skills as a change agent. I love guiding teams to solve big problems, inspiring creativity in others, and challenging the status quo in systems big and small.

From a Mosaic of Experiences to a World of Possibilities

I spent about nine years in education, where I applied my background in architecture and marketing to create a STEM-based enrichment program for elementary students. I always looked forward to planning a new lesson and figuring out creative ways to bring the content to life in a tangible, interactive way. My job centered around facilitating collaboration and problem-solving, and I discovered how much I loved coaxing creativity out of others. I would tell my students, “You already have a creative solution to this engineering problem inside you, somewhere. I’m just here to provide a process that will help bring those answers out into the world in a physical form.”

During my time as an educator, I had the privilege of being a part of a robust crowd-sourced innovation program at my school district. This was where I started applying my teaching approach in a new context: helping staff solve real district problems, transforming ideas into prototypes and establishing proofs of concept through testing and iterating. The process was empowering and rewarding – and I continually looked for ways to improve the approach and impact of the work. 

About a year into my role as an innovation coach for the school district, I attended a human-centered design workshop for educators at Stanford d.school. I was there to learn a process that could help accelerate our district’s innovation work and level up my skills. What I didn’t expect was how drawn I was to the WAY the facilitators delivered the content…how they built connection among a room full of strangers, how they encouraged a “yes, and…” mindset, how they facilitated a productive brainstorm, and how they helped participants to listen to others with empathy…to REALLY listen. It was like finding a dot in connect-the-dots that I hadn’t even seen before. I took these principles back to my district, teaching workshops on embedding human-centered design into the curriculum, and working directly with students to use it as a problem-solving framework to improve their school experiences. 

The Turning Point

In 2022, I found myself at a crossroads, ready to venture into something new. I was exploring options, unsure of where my path would lead me next. Then, I stumbled upon Voltage Control.

What caught my attention initially were the Facilitation Labs hosted by Voltage Control. These sessions were not only informative but also free, which was perfect for me at a time when I was in between jobs and cautious about expenses. The diversity of perspectives and backgrounds in these labs was astounding – I found myself in breakout rooms with people in other parts of the world, from Ireland to Africa, all sharing a common passion for facilitation.

As I attended more of these labs, I realized that Voltage Control offered exactly what I was looking for – a chance to expand my facilitation skills and learn from a diverse, global community. I saw an opportunity to grow beyond my expertise in human-centered design and delve into new methodologies and approaches.

Choosing Voltage Control felt like the natural next step in my journey. Their approach to facilitation, the breadth of their curriculum, and the diversity of their community resonated with me. It was a decision that felt right, both professionally and personally, marking the beginning of a new chapter in my career journey.

A Transformative Learning Journey

In addition to the diversity of my Voltage Control cohort that enriched our discussions and learnings, I also appreciated the mix of live virtual meetings, reading assignments, and asynrchonous elective modules. The variety allowed me to apply and practice new techniques and learn from others – instructors and other cohort members – and to tailor experiences and deep-dives into my interests and goals.

As I discovered new tools for my facilitation tool kit, I practiced and applied what I was learning immediately in my professional and personal life. I took several ideas from a book my cohort read, The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, and applied them to my 50th birthday party. 

Using the book as my guide, I was very intentional about the guest list and the experiences that my husband and I facilitated for guests during the party. I wanted this to be a celebration for more than just my birthday – the purpose was to recognize the people who have influenced me and to celebrate their unique stories and perspectives – for the benefit of all gathered. I received a flood of texts afterward: “Wow, what an engaging, unique experience;” “I loved meeting your friends, such an eclectic, fun group of people;” “what a memorable, meaningful party.”

At the same time, I was embarking on the current chapter of my career journey as a consultant to school district administrators and school boards. I applied what I was learning from Voltage Control every week. “1-2-4-all” taught me how to easily give every person, including the quietest voices and most junior in experience, the chance to share their ideas and be heard. “Troika Consulting” is a great hands-on, problem-solving approach that helps participants solidify new learning and tap the wisdom of the group. I continually go back to my Voltage Control course resources for every workshop I plan today.

The certification journey with Voltage Control was a period of transformative growth and learning. It was an experience that honed my skills and expanded my understanding of what it means to be a facilitator in today’s complex and dynamic world.

Facilitating Innovation, Purpose and Meaningful Change 

In my current role at TeamWorks, supporting school district leaders in implementing positive change, I regularly facilitate meetings and workshops of all types and sizes. After my Voltage Control training, I started looking at every meeting, workshop, and strategic planning session through a new lens. Every gathering – even the most mundane Zoom call – is an opportunity to drive connection, to tap the wisdom of the team, and to creatively work through complex problems. I find it such an honor and privilege to guide groups through these experiences. And my toolkit from Voltage Control has been invaluable in these efforts. 

The impact of my training is evident in the projects I lead and the teams I work with. We’re tackling problems in more creative and effective ways, and there’s a renewed energy in our collaborations. This isn’t just about new techniques; it’s about fostering a culture of innovation and empathy.

Looking ahead, I’m excited about the potential to further integrate these skills into my work. The journey with Voltage Control has opened new doors, not just for me, but for everyone I collaborate with. It’s a testament to the power of facilitation to drive innovation, purpose and meaningful change.

The post My Facilitation Journey appeared first on Voltage Control.

From the early days of my career, communication was at the heart of everything I did. With a background in public relations and a 21-year tenure at UFCU, my role revolved around bridging the gap between financial institutions and local communities. Despite our efforts, I often felt we were just scratching the surface. It wasn’t about just delivering financial knowledge; it was about understanding the deeper emotional layers that influence financial decisions.

I vividly remember encountering a pivotal moment when reality hit me—traditional methods of education weren’t enough. Inspired by the concept of “Telling Ain’t Training,” I realized the importance of interactive engagement over passive learning. This revelation was the spark that led me to Voltage Control, where I discovered the transformative power of facilitation.

At Voltage Control, I learned about exercises and facilitation techniques that could lead groups through meaningful self-discovery. The idea of moving beyond the conventional “lunch and learn” to create an empowering, interactive space was exhilarating. It was here that I began to see the potential for real change, not just in how we delivered financial education but in how we could foster a deeper sense of empowerment within individuals.

The transition from seeing myself merely as a communicator to recognizing the potential of facilitation was a turning point. I was drawn to the methods that allowed for collective idea processing and the amplification of voices that often went unheard. It was clear that the journey I was about to embark on with Voltage Control would redefine my approach to leadership and community engagement.

Investigating the Facilitation Frontier

My curiosity about facilitation led me down a path of exploration and learning. The more I delved into the realm of facilitation, the more I realized the vast opportunities for growth and impact. Voltage Control emerged as a beacon of innovation in this space, offering a glimpse into the potential that facilitation held for transforming not just individual sessions but entire organizational cultures.

I recall the early days of this journey, attending one of Voltage Control’s facilitation labs. It was an eye-opening experience, seeing firsthand the variety of exercises and the immediate impact they could have on group dynamics and self-reflection. This wasn’t just about financial education anymore; it was about facilitating meaningful conversations that could lead to profound personal and collective growth.

One particular moment stands out—a workshop held at the Omni downtown. It was there that the true power of facilitation struck me. I saw people engage in ways I hadn’t imagined possible, breaking down barriers and opening up new avenues for understanding and empathy. The exercises we went through weren’t just activities; they were pathways to deeper connections and insights.

This phase of discovery was not without its challenges. Transitioning from the traditional role of an expert to a facilitator required a shift in mindset. I had to let go of the notion that I had all the answers and instead embrace the role of guiding others through their discovery process. It was a challenging yet liberating transition, one that opened my eyes to the endless possibilities that facilitation could offer.

As I navigated through this new territory, I found myself more drawn to the philosophy and approach of Voltage Control. Their emphasis on empowerment, interactive engagement, and the creation of spaces where everyone’s voice could be heard resonated deeply with me. It was clear that this was not just a new skill set I was acquiring; it was a new way of thinking about leadership, community, and the impact we can have when we facilitate meaningful dialogue and discovery.

Embracing Voltage Control

The decision to fully commit to Voltage Control’s certification program was a pivotal moment in my journey. After experiencing the power of facilitation firsthand and seeing the impact it could have on community engagement and personal growth, I knew this was the path I needed to pursue. Voltage Control stood out not just for its innovative approach to facilitation, but for its commitment to creating spaces where every voice could be heard and valued.

The defining moment came when I realized the limitations of traditional financial education efforts within my community. Despite our best intentions, we were often speaking at people rather than with them. Voltage Control’s methods promised a different way—a way to truly engage and empower individuals to discover their own solutions and insights. This aligned perfectly with my deep-seated belief in the power of communication and my desire to make a real difference in people’s lives.

Choosing Voltage Control was also influenced by their reputation for excellence and the transformative experiences of past participants. Their facilitation labs and the diverse community of facilitators they had nurtured spoke volumes about the quality and impact of their programs. It was an environment where I could grow, not just as a facilitator, but as a leader and change-maker in my field.

The decision wasn’t made lightly. It required a willingness to step out of my comfort zone and embrace a new way of thinking and leading. But the potential rewards—both personal and professional—were too compelling to ignore. By choosing Voltage Control, I was not just investing in my own development; I was investing in a new vision for how we could build stronger, more empowered communities.

My Highlights

Embarking on the Voltage Control certification journey was like stepping into a new world of possibilities. The program was not just about learning facilitation techniques; it was about transforming the way I approached leadership, communication, and community engagement. Throughout the certification process, several experiences and insights stood out, marking significant milestones in my professional and personal growth.

A New Lens on Leadership

The most profound realization came from the hands-on practice and collaborative learning environment. Working closely with my peers, I discovered the true essence of facilitation: creating spaces where everyone’s input is valued, where dialogue fosters deeper understanding, and where collective wisdom leads to innovative solutions. This approach to leadership—facilitating rather than dictating—resonated deeply with me. It challenged traditional hierarchies and opened up a new pathway for inclusive and effective decision-making.

Empowerment through Engagement

One of the personal highlights of the program was mastering the art of designing and leading workshops that genuinely engage participants. Learning to craft sessions that are not only informative but also interactive and empowering was a game-changer. This skill has allowed me to transform the mundane into the meaningful, turning financial education workshops into dynamic spaces where participants feel seen, heard, and motivated to take action.

Building Bridges

Another significant aspect of my certification experience was the emphasis on empathy and understanding. Through exercises like empathy mapping, I learned to better connect with diverse audiences, tailoring my approach to meet them where they are. This ability to build bridges has been instrumental in my work, helping me to foster stronger, more meaningful connections within the communities I serve.

The Voltage Control certification was more than just a professional milestone; it was a transformative experience that has shaped my approach to leadership and community engagement. The tools, techniques, and philosophies I’ve learned have become integral to my work, enabling me to make a more significant impact in my role and beyond.

Next, we’ll draft the New Found Capabilities section, focusing on how Monica is applying her newly acquired facilitation skills in her current work and the transformative impact it’s having on her career and relationships. Let me know if you’re ready for the next part or if you’d like to adjust anything we’ve covered so far.

Transforming Work and Relationships

The facilitation skills and insights gained from the Voltage Control certification have profoundly transformed my approach to work and my relationships within the professional realm. These newfound capabilities have not only enhanced my career but have also reshaped how I interact with colleagues, stakeholders, and the communities we serve.

Empowering Others Through Facilitation

One of the most significant changes has been in how I lead and facilitate discussions and projects. With the tools and techniques learned, I’ve been able to empower others to contribute their ideas and solutions, fostering a culture of collaboration and shared ownership. This shift has led to more innovative solutions and a stronger sense of community and belonging among team members. By facilitating rather than dictating, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it can be to unlock the collective wisdom of a group.

Deepening Connections

The emphasis on empathy and active listening has allowed me to deepen connections with those I work with. Understanding the diverse perspectives and backgrounds of colleagues and community members has enabled me to tailor my approach, making our interactions more meaningful and productive. This deeper level of engagement has not only improved project outcomes but has also built trust and respect, laying the foundation for lasting relationships.

Leading with Confidence

Perhaps one of the most transformative aspects of this journey has been the growth in my own confidence as a leader. Knowing that I have a toolkit of facilitation strategies to draw from has given me the assurance to tackle complex challenges and navigate difficult conversations with grace. This confidence has been noticed by others, leading to new opportunities and a stronger voice in strategic discussions.

These newfound capabilities have redefined what it means to be a leader in my field, transforming my career trajectory and the impact I can have. As I continue to apply these skills, I’m excited about the potential to drive further change and innovation within my organization and beyond.

Charting the Course Ahead

As I reflect on the transformative journey that began with Voltage Control’s certification, I’m filled with a sense of anticipation for what the future holds. The skills and insights I’ve gained have not only reshaped my approach to leadership and facilitation but have also opened up new pathways for impact and growth. Looking ahead, I see a future where these capabilities will continue to guide me, driving change and fostering innovation in every aspect of my work.

Expanding Impact through Facilitation

My immediate focus is on leveraging facilitation to expand the impact of our community engagement efforts. The tools and strategies I’ve acquired will play a crucial role in designing programs that not only educate but also empower and inspire. By creating spaces where community members can actively contribute and collaborate, I aim to address pressing challenges and unlock new opportunities for growth and development.

Building Collaborative Networks

Another key aspect of my vision for the future involves building stronger, more collaborative networks. The power of facilitation lies not only in bringing people together but in harnessing their collective wisdom to achieve common goals. I plan to use my skills to foster partnerships across sectors, connecting diverse stakeholders in pursuit of innovative solutions that benefit our entire community.

Personal and Professional Growth

On a personal level, I am committed to continuous learning and growth. The journey with Voltage Control has taught me the value of being open to new perspectives and approaches. I intend to keep exploring the evolving landscape of facilitation and leadership, seeking out opportunities to further refine my skills and deepen my understanding. This commitment to growth will not only enhance my own capabilities but will also enable me to better serve those around me.

A Legacy of Empowerment

Ultimately, my goal is to leave a legacy of empowerment. By equipping others with the tools and confidence to lead and facilitate change, I hope to create a ripple effect that extends far beyond my immediate circle. The future I envision is one where communities are strengthened by inclusive leadership and collaborative problem-solving, paving the way for a more equitable and prosperous world.

In closing, the journey of transformation that began with a decision to embrace facilitation has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. As I look to the future, I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, both for myself and for the communities I serve. With a heart full of gratitude for the opportunities Voltage Control has provided, I am eager to continue this journey, leveraging the power of facilitation to make a lasting impact.

Applying Actionable Skills for Tangible Outcomes

One of the most impactful aspects of my journey with Voltage Control’s certification program has been acquiring a set of very attainable, actionable skills. These skills have empowered me to take big, sometimes nebulous ideas and apply a rigorous, structured methodology to distill them into clear, actionable plans. Through specific facilitation techniques like the 9 Whys, 1-2-4 ALL, Liberating Structures, and TRIZ, I’ve learned to dissect complex problems and guide groups toward effective solution-building.

What stands out about these exercises is their universal applicability. Regardless of the problem at hand or the organizational context, these facilitation techniques provide a robust framework for analysis and action. This versatility has been crucial in enabling me to engage effectively across all levels of an organization—from strategic discussions with senior leadership to tactical, on-the-ground problem-solving with front-line teams.

Bridging Levels and Making a Universal Impact

This newfound capability to navigate between strategic and tactical layers has not only enhanced my value within the organization but has also marked me as a universally marketable and standout contributor. By employing these facilitation methods, I can lead teams through a comprehensive discovery and solution-building process, ensuring that every initiative is underpinned by a solid foundation of understanding and purpose.

However, the application of these skills comes with a caveat: it often leads to “volunteering” for additional responsibilities. Yet, I embrace these opportunities with enthusiasm and eagerness. The satisfaction and rewards that come from driving focused, impactful outcomes far outweigh the additional effort. By actively seeking ways to apply my certification in various contexts, I’ve found that the work I do not only contributes to immediate project success but also fosters a culture of clarity, engagement, and empowerment across the organization.

Cultivating a Legacy of Meaningful Change

In embracing and applying these facilitation skills, I am not just executing tasks; I am contributing to a larger vision. The methodologies I’ve adopted ensure that every project or initiative I lead is grounded in clear, actionable insights, paving the way for outcomes that resonate and endure. This approach has not only transformed my professional trajectory but has also positioned me to make a significant, lasting impact within my community and industry.

To All Future Facilitators

To those contemplating a journey similar to mine, I encourage you to take the leap. The skills and insights you will gain from a program like Voltage Control’s are invaluable, not just in your professional life but in every interaction and decision you make. Embrace the opportunity to transform your approach to leadership and community engagement. The path of facilitation is not just about learning techniques; it’s about unlocking your potential to drive change and create a more collaborative, empowered world. Join me on this transformative journey, and let’s shape the future together.

The post Empowering Change: A Journey from Financial Education to Community Leadership appeared first on Voltage Control.

First Introductions to Facilitation

It had only been a few months since I had joined AOL in 1999 when the unprecedented merger between AOL, an internet service provider barely 15 years old, and Time Warner, the owner of some of the most prestigious brands in publishing and entertainment, was announced. I had been working as an interaction design director at the interactive agency R/GA, and eager to be part of the “new economy.” The merger would not become effective till about a year later, and it triggered the first of many re-organizations I would experience in my tenure there. The significance was that it grouped Moviefone, the subsidiary where I was Director of Product, with two other companies, Digital Cities and Mapquest, into a new business unit called AOL Local.

The merger would become famous for the clash of cultures between the know-it-all tech executives and their know-it-all old media counterparts. But it would also bring new benefits, such as a corporate focus on organizational effectiveness and an investment in raising the acumen of the leadership. As part of the leadership team in the new AOL Local, I benefitted from a 2-day offsite that has had a profound and lasting effect on my professional life.

It was called “Facilitative Leadership” and was led by a company called Interaction Associates. Little did I know how that term would ring differently in the future. It covered many of the elements one would expect to understand what makes a team and a leader effective. Some items were simply practical, like how to build a purposeful agenda for a meeting. I continue to use the words of wisdom on how the amount of preparation ahead of the meeting will pay dividends in the value it provides. Mainly I remember how well-designed the offsite was, from the activities and content to the quality of the collateral, and how energized I felt afterward.

One of the practical skills I took away was how to conduct a brainstorming and prioritization session. An important part of my role was to come up with the roadmap for the product. So, a few months later, I pulled in members of my team as well as colleagues from other departments, such as marketing and operations. We went through an ice breaker that brought details out of my co-workers I was unaware. Then, I applied the framework: Collect, De-dupe, Categorize, Prioritize, and Advocate to brainstorm features for future versions of Moviefone. Some of the ideas were impractical, and many we were already considering, such as the ability to select seats or order concessions when buying movie tickets on our site. But the reason this session sticks in my mind is how the group felt after the meeting. They had the same energetic skip in their step I had felt myself coming from the offsite. Although I may not have used the term then, the fact that I had facilitated the brainstorming made us a better team, and I had an undeniable sense of pride from it.

From Client Side to Agency Side

As mentioned, prior to coming to AOL, I was an interaction design director at R/GA.  I had experience in meeting with clients to understand their goals and presenting back to them, but not the facilitation skills that I would later acquire.  After 7 years at AOL, I left to pursue an opportunity to work on a start-up.   Eventually, I found myself back at an agency.  I was to take the post of General Manager of the San Francisco office of Publicis Modem, a digital agency within a large conglomerate.  

It is not uncommon for a client to invite one agency to participate in a meeting or workshop given by another agency.  This was true at Publicis Modem with clients like Paypal and later at another agency, Infusion.  I like participating in these events where our client invites me to participate in a workshop given by another agency because I get to sit back and let someone else do the work and mainly because I get to see how others apply the craft.  

Around this time, I was also mentoring undergrad students at UVa, primarily at their McIntire School of Commerce, on product and project concept development and start-ups.  It was through this association that I had the benefit of attending a 2-day design thinking workshop with this specialty provided by an agency in DC.  This may be the first time I heard the term design thinking.  It was from opportunities such as these that I grew the skills and techniques I would keep in my “bag of tricks.”  

There was one memorable occasion where this was useful.  We had just secured a new project with a new group at an insurance client.  To help handle the work, we hired a freelance creative director to manage the project.  The sales and account folks let us know we were to go down to see the client for a whole day kick-off, and at the last moment, they asked me if I could come along too.  As we settled into a large room with 20 or more people and the client lead is introducing the goals for the day, I realized that there was no agenda, and we, as their agency, were expected to lead the way.  It was clear the Creative Director we brought was completely unprepared, assuming he knew as little about the day as I did.  Quickly, I jotted down an agenda for the day using that “bag of tricks” and was able to save the day.  The most gratifying part for me was that energized feeling the client walked out with, which gave me the satisfaction of not only dodging an embarrassing bullet, but providing real value to the day.

The Accidental Facilitator

Even though, in retrospect, I would like to think of myself as having deft and skill in the art and science of facilitation, at the time, what I saw in myself, and I think others did too, was that my avocation was my ability to clarify an idea for an opportunity from technology through my creativity, my acumen, and my curiosity for innovation.  It was these qualities that were expected by the salespeople at my most recent positions by the salespeople, who would frequently ask me to run a “workshop” with a potential client and barely a day’s notice.  I use quotation marks because it rankled me that they would use the term when in my view, it wouldn’t be a proper workshop without the time to prepare or produce the high-quality experience and outputs that I felt should be expected. And given that we didn’t charge for these, it undermined the efforts of selling short-term projects to bring an idea to life, in which we facilitated ideation and design thinking workshops at the heart.  Wanting to learn how other agencies, specifically those that focused on this type of work, positioned themselves and the value of the offerings led me to find Voltage Control and, from there, their weekly Facilitation Lab meet-up.  

Becoming Intentional

Even before the pandemic, I had noticed that while I had learned how to run workshops from my own experience, from being a co-facilitator or being part of others workshops, I noticed a gap building between those who frequently got called to run these workshops and other more junior teammates in our Strategy and Design practice.  The reason was straightforward: it costs money to send 2 facilitators when you could technically do the job with one.  To give more opportunities for experiential learning, I proposed holding monthly internal practice sessions I dubbed Workshop Dojo. 

Like many other things, the pandemic was a massive disruption to this work.  While I would use some digital tools, my experience was to run workshops in person with the usual toolbox of markers, post-its, and face-to-face charm. I spent time thinking and researching what would need to be adapted to hold the workshops virtually.  What I found online were articles on what tools to use (e.g., Mural), but not on what soft skills would need to be adapted or strengthened.   To that end, I came up with a few ideas and principles and presented them at a Lunch-and-Learn.  The feedback from the presentation confirmed the interest of fellow teammates in deepening these skills, but the same could not be said by leadership, and the momentum for Workshop Dojo was stalled. 

When I started to attend the occasional Facilitation Lab, it awoke the realization of the broader community and the interest in the mastery of this practice.  I realized that what I was becoming more interested in was not the topic or subject of the workshop but the quality of the execution.  It had been a while since I had experienced the facilitation of others, learning from their techniques and approaches, and it awoke a new interest from me that this was something I wanted to be good at to improve continuously.  

I started to look for more opportunities to practice outside of client engagements.  Since I was part of an internal group looking at our corporate culture, I facilitated a couple of internal Mastermind Conversations to get a pulse on how our teammates perceived the culture at our workplace.  It had now become part of my standard practice to solicit feedback after my workshops, and I was struck by a participant’s comments expressing that he felt seen and that there should be more opportunities such as the one he had just experienced.  This feeling of providing energy and value for a group of people reminded me of those early experiences at AOL.

The Facilitation Lab model inspired me to take up the idea of the Workshop Dojo again and start a community of practice for facilitation at work.  I also became aware that one could be certified and recognized as a professional facilitator, and it became my goal to become certified by the IAF – the International Association of Facilitators.  Researching programs to help me prepare led me back to Voltage Control, and was delighted to be part of Cohort 5.

Enabling Facilitation

It was in working with Erik and my fellow cohort members that I became more aware of the transition I was making in my self-view.  It was at 2023’s Control the Room conference, where I had the privilege to present on facilitation and improv, that I introduced myself humbly as an accidental facilitator, becoming an intentional one.    This became the theme for my portfolio.  When it came to expressing what is next, and where I saw the journey going, I saw that the next part would be to help others capture that satisfaction and joy of delivering an experience that generated that energy and (dare I say it) joy.  

When Douglass asked if I would be interested in writing up my journey as an alumnus of the VC Facilitation Certification program, I was a bit reluctant.  I feel I am still very much in mid-journey.  I had hoped to be able to claim that IAF certification by now (technical snafus got in the way), and maybe be further along in meeting that notion of enabling facilitation by pursuing an additional certification in coaching.  

But I’m excited about the community that is being created in the revamped Facilitation Lab and the opportunity to lead the DC region chapter.  I hope this narrative was not too long-winded but instead that it might resonate and inspire some of you in this community.  And if so, please feel free to reach out and connect with me.  

The post From Accidental to Intentional Facilitator appeared first on Voltage Control.

When I look back on my journey as a facilitator, a moment that stands out to me is my interview for a position at the Wasco County Commission on Children and Families.  I was just 22 years old, and I’d followed my husband back to his hometown in rural eastern Oregon. I had no idea what the Commission on Children and Families was, and when I walked into the office, there was a “pack-n-play” crib in the hallway.  When it was my turn to ask questions in the interview, I was quick to ask if the position included actually caring for small children.  Because if it did, I was definitely out of there; my teenage babysitting days were long over! I remember the interview committee laughing out loud.  The crib was there for an employee who sometimes brought her infant to work.  The organization was a county department that received state and federal funding to lead local initiatives designed to improve outcomes for children prenatal to age 18 and their families. Despite my lack of skills and clear lack of interview preparation, I got the job, and within three years, I was leading the department as the Wasco County Commission on Children & Families Administrator.  I loved that job! In it, I learned to be accountable to a community-based board of directors, including the facilitation of formal board meetings. Our board reviewed data indicators of child well-being such as health statistics, kindergarten readiness, 3rd-grade reading levels, graduation rates, poverty, child abuse rates, etc., and prioritized areas where we were not meeting statewide benchmarks. From there, I would convene community partners and stakeholders and facilitate strategic planning processes to improve outcomes and attempt to meet statewide benchmarks. We also convened and facilitated several standing committees that focused on specific areas, such as early childhood or youth development. This work formed my foundation and love for facilitation.

Later, I took a position with the local school district as the Director of a Safe Schools Healthy Students federal grant program. In this role, I had an opportunity to facilitate deep relationship-building and systems change to increase the safety and well-being of students in the school district. I convened leaders from each local service sector (law enforcement, juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health, education, etc.) to serve as an oversight committee. Together, we examined data indicators from each of our systems to identify student health and safety concerns and their root causes. As we looked at the data, we engaged in discussion about how each of our systems interacted with and impacted the other. Here, I gained experience facilitating hard conversations that lead to lasting change.  One example was when the Director of Juvenile Justice highlighted potential racial profiling in the disciplinary practices of a specific middle school. We reviewed the data with pictures of the students who had been disciplined. The Superintendent was appalled and conducted a deeper investigation. We uncovered district-wide disparities among Latino students. In addition to immediate policy shifts to address the disciplinary actions, I implemented a series of meetings between school district administration and the Latino community to begin mending relationships and developing strategies to address the disparities. These meetings were held in Spanish with English translation for school district personnel. These events highlighted the power of purposeful planning and facilitation. School district personnel gained perspective and more profound respect for the experience of students with limited English proficiency. Both groups had opportunities to be seen and heard, and together, they developed strategies for ongoing engagement. After this experience, the key leaders in our oversight committee engaged in deeper philosophical discussions about the root causes of community discord and committed to a region-wide implementation of trauma-informed care. Leading this initiative changed me and my approach to facilitation. I gained a new understanding of the factors that impact human behavior and social interactions. I also learned that one of the roles of the facilitator is to be a vessel of safety for the group. I became a passionate leader and advocate for trauma-informed care and maintained the initiative for several years after grant funding lapsed. 

Eventually, I became weary of working in positions with uncertain funding and the never-ending need for fundraising and/or grant chasing. I took a position with a small health insurance plan that was setting up a coordinated care organization with a community governance model for Medicaid. My role in this work left little room for community organizing, and I found myself in the role of a participant much more often than a facilitator in meetings and gatherings for several years. Then, I was recruited to work on an expansion project within my company that required extensive community collaboration.  Once again, I found myself convening strategic planning meetings, engaging stakeholders, and facilitating groundbreaking work. While most of the work involved convening key leaders across healthcare, government, and community-based organizations, there were some opportunities to engage with consumers as well.  At one point, a co-worker and I facilitated a meeting with community members who had limited English proficiency to learn about their experiences with healthcare interpreter services. It was powerful to hear about their experience, the impact of the language barriers, and lack of service access on their health outcomes. I recognized a restored purpose in my work. I was excited to go to work each day, and while it was exhausting, it was also exhilarating. We were so successful that we quadrupled our line of business, and I was able to create a new position for myself as a training and facilitation manager.

Part of this new role required that I build a healthcare provider training program from the ground up. Establishing that program took considerable time and effort, and while I’d hoped for the opportunity to facilitate some training, I found that, more often than not, I was contracting with vendors to provide training or authoring enduring content for on-demand courses. But, after a few years, the program was flourishing, and I recognized that I missed the exhilaration of facilitating group processes. I began to reimagine my role and the ways that I could incorporate facilitation. Our organization had transitioned to a remote workplace by this time, and most human encounters were happening virtually. I started noticing how often I would tune out during meetings, and then I started noticing how my peers were tuning out. I knew that we needed to reinvigorate our virtual workplace. I also knew that my facilitation experience had occurred in person with a heavy reliance on whiteboards, post-its, and sticky dots. I decided that I would start by tuning up my personal facilitation skills by seeking a Facilitation Certification.  When I shared my ideas with my supervisor, she indicated that she’d had outstanding experiences with courses offered by Voltage Control and suggested that I investigate their program offerings. I was thrilled to find that they offered a 12-week virtual Facilitation Certification program.  The application process was seamless, and the weekly meetings were a great fit for my schedule.

On the first day, I was impressed with how the facilitator incorporated digital tools and facilitation methods that were effective in engaging each participant. I knew right away that the hands-on style of learning was going to be valuable.  I enjoyed meeting other facilitators from across the globe and learning about their work. I’ll admit that I was somewhat intimidated by the talent and experience of my fellow cohort participants and the concept of building my facilitation portfolio. Many of the participants were facilitating virtual workshops as a regular part of their workday, and almost all my facilitation experience was in-person. I also knew that I didn’t have many opportunities to facilitate in my current role, and I was worried that I wouldn’t have the content I’d need to develop my portfolio. Virtual and hybrid facilitation felt like a whole new ballgame. At first, I was a little lost using virtual tools like MURAL, but I quickly caught on and soon saw the incredible power of digital facilitation. The instructor incorporated facilitation tools, skills, and strategies throughout the course, which gave us ample opportunity to learn, experience, and practice in the safety of the group. We had opportunities to connect one-to-one with other facilitators to learn from each other and help one another with the construction of the portfolio.  While initially overwhelming, the experience of developing a personal facilitation portfolio helped me to recognize my own strengths as a facilitator and begin to imagine possibilities for using the skills and abilities that come so naturally to me. 

Since completing the Voltage Control program and becoming a Certified Facilitator, I have taken on the role of facilitator for all our team gatherings. I’ve also combined my skills as an instructional designer and facilitator to build a 10-week Trauma Aware curriculum designed to enhance connection among internal employees while also offering skills and tools for managing stress and reducing overwhelm.  In the future, I hope to offer my facilitation skills for community organizing and strategic planning processes.

If you are a manager who has noticed that your team meetings are stale, or if you dread going to meetings at your workplace, you should consider investing in this program. You will walk away with proven strategies for engaging employees and getting results. If you are a seasoned facilitator or instructor considering certification, this program will solidify your skills, help you gain clarity about purpose, allow you an opportunity to build a network with other facilitators, and you may find renewed energy or direction in your work.  

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As a UX professional deeply immersed in the world of user experiences and design thinking, I’ve always believed in the power of empathy and understanding, traits that are the lifeblood of good design. However, my journey has been anything but straightforward. I found myself grappling with the complexities of team dynamics, the chaos of unstructured meetings, and the silent frustration that often went unaddressed in the digital workspaces we inhabited. This is a glimpse into my transformative journey through facilitation training, a voyage that reshaped my professional landscape and personal outlook.

The Tumult Before the Transformation

In the realm of UX, where human-centered design reigns supreme, I found myself ironically struggling with human-led interactions within my team. Despite being a seasoned professional, I was navigating murky waters with no compass at hand. My role wasn’t just about creating seamless user interfaces or intuitive digital interactions; it was about leading a team, driving collaborative sessions, and making decisions that would impact our products’ journey and, by extension, our users.

The challenge was multifaceted. Our team, though small, was a powerhouse tasked with conducting numerous UX meetings and design thinking workshops. However, alignment was a star we couldn’t seem to reach. Each meeting felt like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces — stakeholders would invite others, leading to a cascade of voices with varying degrees of relevance to the discussion at hand.

We loved design thinking, but were we truly embodying it? Meetings bled into one another, with decisions hanging in an eternal limbo. We were stuck in a loop, meeting for the sake of meeting, without progress. It was draining, pulling us away from the very work we were meant to be doing.

My Facilitation Certification Journey

Realizing that change was no longer optional but necessary, I turned to facilitation training. My discovery of Voltage Control came at a time when I was ready to unlearn, learn, and relearn. The decision to enroll was propelled by my interactions with Jay, an instructor whose insights I valued deeply, and Lizzie, a colleague who echoed the potential benefits of such a program.

Walking into the certification process, I was apprehensive. Would my novice facilitation skills be glaringly apparent? However, the environment I stepped into dispelled my fears. The background music, the diversity of eager participants, and the welcoming ambiance was a refreshing start. I wasn’t just a UX professional seeking skills; I was a learner in a space that embraced mistakes and growth.

The program wasn’t just about learning how to lead meetings; it was a deep dive into understanding human interactions. The alumni portfolios were a revelation, highlighting that there wasn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. I learned about the ‘groan zone,’ a concept that resonated with me. It was okay to be uncomfortable, to not have immediate answers, and to explore the chaos before finding clarity.

The Post-Certification Landscape

Armed with new knowledge, I returned to my professional arena, ready to implement my learnings. The changes were incremental but significant. Meetings now had structured agendas sent out beforehand, providing attendees with a clear understanding of expectations. The ‘groan zone’ became a recognized phase in our discussions, an acknowledgment that discomfort was part of our path to progress.

One of the most profound changes was my approach to communication. Inspired by Eric’s advice, I shifted from asking, “Are there any questions?” to “Is there anything I can clarify?” This subtle change was empowering. It removed the onus from the team to ask questions and placed it on me to provide clarity, fostering a more supportive environment.

Feedback started trickling in, first as a hesitant stream, and then a steady flow. The team appreciated the transparency, the clear agendas, and the respect for their time. Our meetings became more than just obligatory gatherings; they transformed into productive sessions with active, meaningful participation.

A Story of Adaptation and Empathy

About two months ago, I encountered a situation that underscored the importance of adaptability in facilitation. Several team members, usually silent, had reservations they weren’t voicing in our larger meetings. Instead of dismissing their silence, I reached out for one-on-one sessions. These meetings were eye-opening, providing insights that were invaluable to our collective progress. They also communicated an essential message: “I see you, I hear you, and your perspective matters.”

This approach didn’t just provide me with feedback; it helped build trust within the team. We were no longer just professionals working on projects; we were collaborators invested in our collective success.

A Call to Fellow Professionals

If there’s one insight I’d like to offer, it’s the value of self-reflection. In our pursuit of professional milestones, we often overlook our own role in the hurdles we face. It’s crucial to step back and assess not just what’s going wrong, but how we might be contributing to it. In a world that’s increasingly remote, understanding your audience and actively listening becomes not just valuable, but necessary.

Know your team, understand their dynamics, and be prepared to adapt. Not everyone communicates in the same way, and recognizing that is the first step in being an effective leader. And remember, alignment doesn’t mean absolute agreement. It’s about finding a common ground where all voices are acknowledged, and concerns are addressed.

The Ongoing Journey

Facilitation is not a destination; it’s a journey of continuous learning and adaptation. It’s about more than just leading meetings; it’s about creating spaces where collaboration, innovation, and productivity thrive. My journey through facilitation training with Voltage Control wasn’t just about gaining a certification; it was about evolving my understanding of myself, my team, and the spaces we inhabit.

To all professionals out there, especially in fields like UX where human interaction is core, invest in your facilitation skills. It’s not just an investment in your career, but also in your personal growth. The skills you gain will transcend the boundaries of your professional life, providing you with tools to navigate the complexities of human interactions in every facet of your life.

As I continue on this path, I’m reminded of the words of facilitation expert Priya Parker, “The way we gather matters. Gatherings consume our days and help determine the kind of world we live in.” In every meeting, every workshop, and every interaction, there’s an opportunity to shape that world. It’s up to us to seize it

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I remember the day facilitation first sparked my interest; it was like a light bulb flicked on, illuminating a path I hadn’t known existed. My journey began in the energetic pulse of working for a design and development consultancy, running in-person discovery workshops for new project engagements. I reveled in the excitement of it all, the way a well-placed exercise could turn a room of quiet observers into a dynamic force of collaborative energy. This wasn’t just about consulting; it was about creating the right environment to weave an interactive tapestry of ideas and insights.

As I honed my craft and transitioned careers from practicing to teaching to leading product design teams, I discovered facilitation went beyond a set of structured activities—it was a way to direct and promote unheard voices, unlocking potential in spaces where it lay dormant. Now, I lead a team of designers in a maturing product organization, each brilliant in their own way, yet often siloed in their expertise. I could see that our methods needed to evolve; sharing decks and sparking brief discussions weren’t enough. We were craving deeper engagement and wanting collaboration that transcended departmental boundaries.

The need for change became even more evident as I interacted with other departments. From product management to engineering, and beyond the confines of design, the pattern persisted. We were all experts in our fields, but our collaborative efforts often felt superficial—like we were just scratching the surface of what we could achieve together. It was clear that we needed a new approach to meetings, a way to truly engage and understand one another. The usual tools in my facilitation kit were practical; still, I craved something that could take us to the next level, that could turn routine interactions into transformative exchanges.

Looking for More

As I explored new methods with books like Gamestorming and Design Sprints for starters; each technique I tried was a step deeper into facilitation. The more I learned, the more I realized the scope of what I didn’t know. Sure, I could copy this activity, but just like building a feature on a product, it’s not about the action of building; how do I ensure it’s successful? So, rather than daunting me, this gap in my knowledge fueled my drive—I was on a mission to bridge it—to morph from someone who facilitated by instinct to one who did so with precision and purpose.

Amidst this evolution, I couldn’t help but feel there was a foundational structure to what I was practicing with my team that I was missing. Why were some activities a hit while others lagged in their outcomes? Why was one method successful at engaging a team but less with another group? I craved a learning environment where I could sharpen my facilitation skills and go beyond acquiring knowledge; I wanted to practice with a network of peers, engaging in a dialogue beyond my immediate circle. That’s when I discovered a vibrant professional community in my backyard—Voltage Control took me to the next chapter of my facilitation journey.

Choosing Voltage Control

Choosing Voltage Control felt like a natural progression, a step that was waiting for me as I navigated my professional journey. The organization’s reputation preceded it, whispered in the corridors of the Austin user experience community, and echoed in the halls where I had taught eager minds to break and build digital experiences. I had always believed in the power of proximity to innovation, and Voltage Control, being a heartbeat away in the city I called home, resonated with me. It was more than serendipity; it was as if all roads I had taken in my career were converging towards this point, towards a place where I could deepen my understanding and refine my approach to facilitation.

The more I delved into what Voltage Control offered, the more it seemed tailor-made for the growth I sought. They weren’t just teaching facilitation; they were curating a transformational experience, one that promised to meld theory with the raw nuances of real-world application. Their certification program stood out—comprehensive, yet intimate, designed not just to impart knowledge but to challenge and expand one’s facilitative capacities. The promise of learning in a cohort, of being part of a diverse group of professionals all striving for mastery, was the community I longed to be part of. Here, I sensed an opportunity not just to learn but to contribute, to weave my story into the larger tapestry of collective learning and leadership.

Building Confidence

The journey through Voltage Control’s certification program reshaped my entire understanding of what it means to facilitate. It was as if I had been given a new set of lenses to view the world of collaboration and leadership. Each session was a blend of observation, participation, and practice. The program’s structure fostered an environment where we could explore the edges of our comfort zones. We weren’t just learning techniques; we were learning to wield them with intent, to understand the why behind the what. It was a process of deconstruction and reconstruction—breaking down my preconceived notions and building them back up, fortified with purpose and precision.

What truly marked the experience, though, were the personal highlights—the moments of connection with my cohort, the shared struggles, and the collective triumphs. Watching facilitators from various backgrounds navigate the same challenges, each with their unique flair, was inspiring. The diversity in approaches to how they commanded the room, relayed expectations, guided participants through uncertainty, and spoke openly about the whole experience was gold. The camaraderie within our group was unexpected; from laughter to tears, we all came together to celebrate and promote each other’s skills and experiences.

Driving Potential

Emerging from Voltage Control’s certification program, I felt a sense of pride in my accomplishment and a renewed purpose to transform the status quo. Equipped with a facilitator’s Swiss Army knife, my return to the company was not just a physical transition but a shift in mindset. Meetings I led took on a new form; they were now canvases for experimentation, arenas where the techniques I had absorbed could come to life. I immediately began weaving activities from “Ritual for Virtual Meetings” into our sessions, transforming mundane quarterly all-hands into moments of connection and creativity.

This evolution was not just about adopting new activities; it was about embedding a new philosophy into our work culture. I began to see facilitation less as a task and more as an art form—a means to guide, challenge, and inspire my colleagues. Our product design meetings, once a sequence of updates and repetitive motions, transformed into new purpose-driven experiences to hear different voices and amplify total engagement. We ventured beyond the safety of a structured standup or retrospective, testing the waters for dynamic, open-ended discussions. Some attempts were more successful than others, but each was a lesson. I noticed the subtle shift in my team’s engagement—eyes lit up with interest, ideas flowed more freely, and the once-dreaded meetings became sessions of anticipation. We were all growing, learning to dance in the ambiguity of creative problem-solving and to relish the moments of clarity that followed.

But the potential I had unleashed with my team was just the beginning. I began to see ripple effects of our new way of working extend beyond the confines of design to other areas of the broader organization. It’s still in progress, but I envision a future where facilitation isn’t an occasional practice but a ubiquitous element of our organizational DNA, where every meeting is a chance to collaborate effectively and every workshop a step toward our shared goals.

The Horizon Ahead

Looking ahead, the horizon is rich with the promise of what facilitation can bring to the table in terms of team cohesion and company-wide transformation. My vision for the future is not just to be a facilitator but to be a facilitative leader, one who embeds the principles of engagement, clarity, and creativity into the fabric of our company culture. The skills and insights I’ve gained are more than just tools for meetings; they’re instruments of change that can guide a team to navigate through the uncertain waters of innovation with confidence. I want the facilitation techniques I’ve mastered to be shared across departments, empowering others to lead with the same fervor. This future, rich with potential and growth, is not just a possibility—it’s a destination we’re actively charting towards together.

My advice to anyone wanting to follow in my footsteps is don’t wait for perfection; it’s an illusion that hinders progress. Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. With every new technique you try, with every session you lead, you’re not just running a meeting—you’re cultivating a garden of ideas, fostering growth, and setting the stage for transformation. So, take the leap. Engage with the resources around you, observe, learn, and, most importantly, apply. The beauty of facilitation is in its practice, application, and impact. Let’s not just dream about a future of dynamic collaboration—let’s create it, one facilitated moment at a time.

The post Designing Change appeared first on Voltage Control.

As a K12 educator for over thirty years, one would probably argue that facilitation was a part of my academic training and professional day to day work. Well, yes, that is true. However, designing learning experiences for adolescents versus adults is a much different endeavor. But there’s the rub in my facilitation story. My beginning facilitation work very much rested on the concept of consulting – leading learning from an expert to novice stance. It has only been in the past three years that I’ve really dug in on evolving both my understanding of facilitation as well as designing facilitation for a wide array of audiences and purposes. 

Imposter Syndrome

Finding a pathway supporting my evolution

Knowing that I wanted to continue evolving as a facilitator, especially as I transitioned out of my K12 education career and into more entrepreneurial endeavors, I reached out to my past research collaborative partner, Erik Skogsberg (VP of Learning Experience/Voltage Control). Erik and I had collaborated many years back when we both were at very different professional stages in our lives. I was an educational consultant for a county system of 28 public school systems and Erik was deep into his Ph.D. studies. Over the past six years we had both kept up with each other as our professional journeys took us in seemingly different directions. 

Paths tend to intersect – nourish and sustain your professional relationships 

So when I began contemplating wrapping up my K12 career, Erik was pivotal in helping me explore my facilitation potential. Seemingly, my biggest hurdle was getting over a sense of imposter syndrome. I had become complacent and comfortable in designing experiences for educators. I had become so complacent that I had not even realized that I had stopped growing my skills at facilitation. Erroneously I had fallen prey to plateauing at a comfort level of how I approached my work. This complacency was also an anchor holding me hostage to the notion I was not legit as a facilitator outside of educational audiences and purposes. 

Shaking off the shackles of complacency – leaning into unfamiliar contexts

Stepping into unfamiliar contexts where facilitation was underway would be key to overcoming my perceived shortcomings. Across my K12 career I had facilitated hundreds of professional learning sessions. I had presented to audiences of over 600 participants. These contexts and situations no longer unnerved me. They were my sweet spot as a facilitator. I led my facilitation with my educator identity, appealing to an educator audience. I was them, they were me, so to speak. Who was I to understand the CEO identity? The corporate lead’s identity? I came to recognize how much I relied on understanding the lived experience and professional roles of those who were in my facilitation sessions. What I did not understand then but have come to realize now is that I was looking at my facilitation from a content expert stance.

Charting a pathway to evolve 

Still held prisoner to the concept of consultancy based facilitation, I set out to better understand what I thought non-educator audiences would find valuable from a skilled facilitator. In true educator mindset, I built a linear series of to-do’s that would build my knowledge and break me of feeling like an imposter in a non-educator audience.  

Steps to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

1. Immerse yourself in a different context and audience

Embracing discomfort of the unknown, I knew that to overcome the paralyzing notion of being an imposter in industry based facilitation and consulting meant immersing myself in vastly different contexts and audiences who were also investing in growing as facilitators. I joined the weekly Facilitation Lab virtual sessions hosted by Voltage Control. Quickly I learned that I could not be a passive participant in these sessions, quietly sitting back and studying the session design and participants. I would be lying if I did not admit to feeling very insecure early on when placed in breakout room conversations with fellow participants who worked in industry based jobs. The self-deprecating “I am an educator and might not know…” was an early habit that thankfully quickly dropped off. The more I attended the Facilitation Labs and interacted with fellow learners, I realized that we all had in common the desire to ‘host’ transformative experiences. We all had similar hurdles in facilitation: dysfunctional team dynamics, steam-rollers, passive participation, stagnation of ideas, etc. I began to believe I truly belonged in this facilitation community. We may have different language for the facilitation design moves we lean into but, at the core, the purposes of the design moves were aligned. 

2. Re-invest in your own learning – never stop growing

The more I engaged in this new community of fellow facilitators, the more I awoke my inner drive to loosen my grip on my usual facilitation learning experience design and seek out new mentors and thinking partners. I signed up for multiple Voltage Control workshops. Not only did I attend and learn but I also made a personal goal to experiment with elements of facilitation I learned in the workshops. Isn’t that key to changing your approaches – to continue tinkering, experimenting, and reflecting on how your new approaches worked or didn’t? Yes – a big resounding YES!!! With each workshop session and Facilitation Lab, I began to build a whole new branch of professional networks that bridged the gap from educator to industry based facilitation. I found new LinkedIn connections that were, like me, investing in growing their skills and approaches to designing experiences, facilitation that delivers on intended outcomes, and ways to reinvent themselves. In a sense, I was building a new professional learning community for myself – a community that was traversing a similar evolutionary journey and supportive of each other.

3. Be bold, brave, and step up to a challenge

As my confidence was growing, I knew I needed to push myself to the next level in growing my facilitation skills. In 2022 I enrolled in the Facilitation Certification three month cohort course expertly designed and facilitated by Erik. As a long-time National Writing Project Teacher Consultant, I was well versed in building transformative learning communities. What I mean by a transformative learning community is that through the experience, each individual is changed in ways that benefit growing what they most feel needs to grow. They feel connected. They feel that each cohort member brings value to deepening the learning experience. This type of transformative learning experience, when done well, looks so effortless. In truth though, it takes a very skilled facilitator to build and foster such a transformative learning experience. Erik artfully designed and facilitated a long-term learning experience that transformed each member of our cohort. Through the learning experience, I grew in my approaches to both in person and virtual facilitation. Even after more than twenty years of facilitating learning for others, I was being stretched and I loved it! My creative and innovative side of me was being re-awakened and I couldn’t wait to bravely facilitate a non-educator audience.

Taking the ultimate leap of faith

July 2023 offered just such an opportunity for me to facilitate a totally different audience and purpose than I was used to doing in my K12 context. As a recent graduate of the Facilitation Certification course, I was offered the opportunity to be a table lead at IF13, a collaboration between U.S. Special Operations Command and SOFWERX. The event drew a global audience of military officials, industry leaders, and academia. As Table Leader, I was to facilitate a team of ten individuals through the first phase of the Innovation Cycle on the provided problem scenario. By the end of day three, each table team was expected to have drafted a prototype idea to solve their table’s assigned problem, developed a powerpoint presentation, and have a team member able to pitch the idea to high ranking military officials. 

Training wheels are off – facilitating without crutch of content expertise

Very quickly I was immensely humbled by the multi-faceted, knowledgeable group I was to facilitate. They were each deeply steeped in knowledge and background experiences that set them apart from most, hence, why their applications to participate were accepted. The beauty of this facilitation experience for me was that it placed me in a situation where the only ‘expertise’ I brought was my facilitation. Unlike my past facilitation comfort of being an expert on what a team was working to design, I was forced into focusing all of my facilitation guidance on ensuring the team was successful. It was not up to me to guide (or some may say manipulate) for particular idea outcomes. Surprisingly, I did not feel insecure about myself being placed as a Table Lead of such a dynamic group. Ironically, my educator cap was useful as I quickly took stock of each table participant’s stance with the group, how they presented themselves, what communication mediation I may need to use, and what they needed to feel safe and a productive member of the team. 

Realizing my K12 facilitation background was universally useful

Let me not portray a perfect scenario. There were some definite challenges and curve balls I had to navigate to ultimately get the table team to ‘the finish line’ of the three day IF13 event. Part of finding your groove as a facilitator is knowing when you need to veer off script, to anticipate into the needs of a group and build a bridge that gets them over the widening gap of unproductive spin. For me, the critical facilitator challenges as a Table Lead at IF13 were an amazingly tight timeline of deliverables and, trying to build a group of strangers into a cohesive team, and ensure that all team members’ ideas were being heard and valued. As a Table Lead, by the end of our first day, I was to bring the group to an idea to take through the first phase of the design cycle. The reality was that our table team had struggled to come to a clear idea by the end of day one to carry on into the next day. The team was still storming. Conversation still was heavily laden with different team members impressing upon others their knowledge and experiences. In a sense, many table team members felt they needed to build their credibility with the full team so as to have their idea heard and forwarded. So much energy was being consumed by individual endeavors versus a collaborative team.

Knowing when you need to go off script

That evening, as I prepared for the day two line-up of design cycle structured dialogues and deliverables, I realized my team was not ready to run with an idea through the rest of the design cycle. I also knew that if I was to take them ‘off script’ of the design cycle facilitator guide, I ran the risk of never getting them to the finish line on their deliverables. It was a worthy gamble, I decided to pause moving forward the ideas from day one and to re-ground the group in the problem scenario. 

Employing “generous authority”

In retrospect, my facilitation decision very much mirrored what Prya Parker’s The Art of Gathering refers to as “generous authority.” As Parker shares, generous authority is not about the pose of power but rather, “it is using power to achieve outcomes that are generous, that are for others’ “ (p. 82). Parker describes how generous authority should be driven in the service of three goals which include:

1. Protect your guests from one another, from boredom, from distraction;
2. Temporarily equalize your guests; be aware of a team’s perceptions of hierarchies and status within the group;
3. Build connections between your guests/team; building a sense of community amongst team members.

My decision to go off script was not about trying to power over the table team. I knew I needed to get them past the reaction to try and sell their ideas to each other versus build an idea collaboratively together. I also recognized that in the rush to prove worthiness to a newly formed team of strangers, the whole group had lost sight of the actual problem scenario’s key aspects. 

Never forget the power of openings that build sense of community

The morning of day two, I welcomed the team back together, having them share what interesting places they may have visited the previous evening as all of us were from out of town. We shared laughter and feelings of accomplishment for having navigated day one’s heavy cognitive load of thinking work. I then revisited the day one reflections the team shared at the wrap up of the previous day. The past day’s reflections were critical as they contained feedback on how individuals were feeling about how the team was interacting. It was an intentional move to instill immediate feelings of comradery and shared experience before juxtaposing those warm emotions with vulnerable feedback from day one’s wrap up. It worked in that I could actually see the posturing for credibility dissipate. In its place were individuals sharing appreciation for particular ideas and expertise each member was bringing into the design task.

“Susan takes her years of education facilitation and transforms the learning journey into something that allows participants to truly grasp concepts, and create effective solutions. I had the pleasure of working alongside Susan at the IF13 and witnessed her team creatively problem solve for a unique challenge and their outcome and final presentation was quite impressive. I look forward to facilitating alongside Susan again!”  Bahaa Chmait, JoyMob founder.

Physical setup matters to how groups work together

With the group willing to release their individual stance, I made another critical facilitation decision. We had been sitting at a large rectangular table configuration. I asked the team to come have a “standing meeting” over at the SMART board. This broke up the rigidity of positionality and passive participation the seating had unintentionally created for us the previous day. Once all circled at the front SMART board screen, I pulled up the narrative scenario. Prior to the start of our session, I had created a color key for how we could do a close read and highlight key factors embedded in the problem scenario. Once the group started to really slow down and closely read, there was a natural shift where I handed over the highlighting tool and members of the team took up the highlighting. It was a beautiful moment of organic shift where the team had initially been holding me as the leader of the board, shifting to the full team jumping in, adding, posing questions, and generating new ideas. 

Sometimes pausing and re-grounding a team pays off in dividends

Ultimately, my gamble to pause the original facilitation planned activities paid off. By the end of the morning portion of our day two session, the team had co-constructed a new idea. In addition, they had discarded the passive participant stance and were actively engaged in strategizing how, playing to each team member’s strengths, we could break into smaller teams focused on developing certain aspects of the prototype idea and efficiently meet our required outputs and deadlines. As a seasoned facilitator, I could not help being impressed with how each team member stepped up, valued each other’s contributions, and even advocated for other team members if they perceived that person’s ideas were not being heard. We were a team and we had only known each other for a day and a half.  

Imposter syndrome no more

As I flew home from this transformative experience, I felt re-energized in ways I had not for quite awhile. I couldn’t wait to facilitate again – to guide on the side a group that storms, norms, and ultimately becomes connected and innovative. I was starting to see myself as a facilitator worthy of facilitating different audiences in vastly different contexts than education. If anything, I hope my personal story of overcoming imposter syndrome encourages others to also unshackle themselves from such a self-defeating internal narrative. Be bold, brave, and step into the uncharted waters that stretch you and your facilitation practices. 

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Born and raised in Uganda, my ambition was to become a medical doctor, which was the most envied profession at that time. Well, I ended up studying Conservation Biology and eventually landed a job with a local Non-Governmental Organization seeking to educate children and young adults about the value of protecting the environment. We organized outreaches to schools and universities to form Conservation Clubs. My enthusiasm to inspire young people led me to traverse various parts of the country. East, West, Central, and South, we spread school conservation programs across Uganda. One sunny Monday morning, my Manager skeptically mentioned having received an invitation to participate in games and a climate change workshop. You could literally see the disbelief on the face of my workmates. None of us ever imagined that adults could be thinking about games while the burden to provide clean water for low-income urban people. Clearly, we had no time for games. After a lengthy discussion, my Manager chose me to represent the organization at this workshop. Like this, I got introduced to the “word and world” of facilitation.

Our facilitators highly valued interactivity and provided enormous opportunities for participants to guide groups. I looked forward to each session with anticipation. My imagination oscillated between the ongoing workshop and planning the next school outreach. I already pictured school children playing the games introduced. Well, at the end of the second day, I was invited to co-facilitate a recap session. Three days went by so fast. On the fourth day, we were ready for pre-testing the games in north-eastern Uganda. Well, Local government leaders, NGO workers, and other community representatives gathered in a town hall and we were ready for the show. Lead facilitators introduced the “what and why of the workshop” and handed it over to us. Throughout the day the hall was filled with laughter and whispers of strategy. For the first time in my life, I discovered a profession that matched my passion and personality. Years later, I went to New York and pursued a Master’s degree in Climate and Society at Columbia University. Here I noticed how scientific jargon was too hectic for the common person to understand. Whether it is Mayors and city council, or the volunteers at a local Red Cross Red Crescent chapter, scientific jargon is not their preference. I realized the need to leverage facilitation skills as a bridge for climate science and climate action. And this is part of my job at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.

Traveling in cities and villages across Africa, I have witnessed children suffering from hunger and pastoralists losing their livestock, women enduring scorching heat to earn a living. Devastating droughts and extreme floods have robbed low-income earners, destroying roads, hospitals and paralyzing access to basic healthcare and education. The situation is even more challenging for developing countries that have limited financial and human capacity to anticipate and take action to reduce the impacts of pending hazards. From my academic background, I know that science has confirmed beyond doubt that we need to expedite actions to tackle the changing climate. Explaining this science to non-climate scientists making decisions has become part of my calling as a facilitator. One day you will find me training Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers in the most remote part of Africa and the other day I will be in the City hall guiding councilors, academicians, and the slum-dwellers to come up with City climate actions. Occasionally I get opportunities to moderate global dialogues in Europe too, ranging from; scaling up promising disaster risk reduction measures to futurizing about migration patterns and possible policy actions. My job continuously demands that I find, test, and deploy cutting-edge facilitation techniques overcoming limitations of facilitating across cultures, and literacy levels, as well as juggling the online-offline dynamics. I have been privileged to be part of the innovative team that is responsible for creating, adapting, and promoting interactive methods at the Red Cross Climate Centre. This role led us to partner with the Applied Improv network which introduced me to liberating structures. These were quite helpful until the pandemic took the world by surprise.

With the coming of the global pandemic, pressure to adjust to online facilitation significantly increased. Like many other entities, we in the humanitarian agencies were inadequately prepared to sustain interest and attention in meetings and webinars. The innovative team embarked on the task of adopting offline activities for online meetings. The search for more interactive virtual facilitation techniques grew.

On a calm evening, as I perused through the internet while listening to birds chirping behind my office backyard, I landed on the Voltage Control website. I signed up for the facilitation labs and delved into the resource tab and got access to more facilitation tools including the session lab. During one of the facilitation labs, we got the announcement for an upcoming certification course. The content was attractive and I quickly reached out to my manager for permission to undertake the Certification course. I recall mentioning to my workmates this opportunity and they were inquisitive to learn about the skills and knowledge provided by the Voltage Control Team.

While I had adequate exposure to facilitation techniques through the Applied Improv, I had never done soul searching about my “facilitation superpower” as well as discovering my growth areas. Yes, I now know that I enjoy facilitating because it gives me an opportunity to encourage collaborative learning, creating connections and warmth among participants. Facts emerging from climate scientists often spell doom and the experiences on the ground confirm this, so in each meeting, conference, or workshop I design or facilitate, I add some flavor of humor to encourage creativity. I used to do this without much forethought, but now it is intentional. Well, just after finalizing the course I had two workshops to facilitate. Down at the shores of Lake Victoria in the historical town of Entebbe-Uganda. I was to gather over 30 people to discuss the future of early warning systems in Uganda. This predominantly science-saturated group was keen to meet, with a clear purpose, at least on paper. I already had some background information about the tension that existed among the expected participants. Now it was time to design the two-day workshop with this in mind. The “Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker, a book I got exposed to during the facilitation course, brought to my knowledge the necessity to ask the big “Why” for any meeting. I convened four online meetings with leaders and co-organizers trying to reveal the real reason for organizing the workshop. Well, the iterative questions although did not actually unearth the root course of existing tensions, they eased them.

I wish I had stumbled upon the concept of clarifying every purpose of the meeting beyond cliches much earlier in my facilitation career. Asking the big WHY has become my new compass and my new lens that informs design for every workshop and meeting. On D-day, a dark cloud covered the skies and the wave sounds could be heard in our workshop hall located 200 meters off the beautiful shores of Lake Victoria. Our local superstitions would have predicted doom but I chose faith over fear. Like many meetings in this part of the world, an opening prayer would set the tone to clear the stage for the big boss’s opening remarks. An hour into the workshop, the energy levels were nose-diving, egos between department leads became dominant and mid-level officers went quiet. Of course, this was a good time to embrace the Applied Improv attitude of flexibility coupled with liberating structure techniques. Following a mini-break, I invited participants to brainstorm challenges and opportunities for early warning systems; first as individuals, then in pairs and in fours before sharing in plenary. This 1-2-4-All method has since become very handy in areas where I anticipate or experience very strong power games that are likely to hinder idea generation. In African culture, what the superior says is right and final therefore designing mechanisms to get everyone’s voice heard is critical.

“I wish I had stumbled upon the concept of clarifying every purpose of the meeting beyond cliches much earlier in my facilitation career. Asking the big WHY has become my new compass and my new lens that informs design for every workshop and meeting.”

I am reminded of the bilateral conversation we had during the course about Parker’s idea of “ exclusion with purpose”. Well, it is a very important idea that encourages selecting the right people to meet the purpose of any given meeting. Once we got started, Shift and Share plus some humor coupled with storytelling always helped us overcome polarization and obscured non-aligned motivations. Probably every person I have met in a workshop or conference knows the story about my grandmother, my life growing up in informal settlements of Kampala and much more. I tell stories of where I have been around Africa, the food, the diverse cultures, and the multiple languages. I tell stories of my passion for Africa and the African-bred solutions to her challenges. Well, back to the workshop, by the end of day two, we had generated a clear roadmap to get alerts to those who need it most on time. Most of all, I witnessed some genuine laughter between superiors and the people they lead, a sign of an emerging shift in perspective.

A month later, I went down to the laid-back city of Zanzibar where representatives including City Officials, Disaster Managers, University Professors, Civil Society organizations, Climate Scientists, Red Cross staff, and community members gathered to chart the course of a five-year resilience building project. The successful implementation of the project ambitions was highly dependent on the cohesion and harmonization of the interests of this diverse group. In my choice of interactive energizers, I ensured that none contradicted Moslem norms and practices that are highly valued there. Lack of this awareness almost ruined a three-day workshop in Hargeisa, Somaliland back in 2015. In Somaliland, I was quite excited about using a six-sided die to explain weather forecast probabilities. To this end, we developed a game that involved taking decisions based on what is expected as an outcome of the rolls. As I invited participants to think about actions to prevent losses based on their expectations, a brave young man called out “Mr. Eddie, it is haram to bet”! Without any hesitation, I apologized and ended the game session but moved on with the rest of the agenda. In Zanzibar, I carefully chose culturally acceptable interactive exercises from Game Storming, another gift book from the facilitation course. My favorite is the “Low-tech social network”. After the official opening, I handed each participant a piece of paper and invited them to develop their business card that includes an illustrated portrait, what they do, and one fun fact or ambition. It was hilarious as each participant introduced another using the handcrafted business card. The business cards would then be uploaded (stuck) on the wall for participants later to find and connect with people with similar interests. This was the start of relationships that would be nurtured and leveraged during the design workshop and hopefully project implementation. I continue to draw from the wealth of knowledge from the facilitation course to enrich my skills. I have infused some knowledge and techniques in our internal facilitation capacity-building program for Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers. This was an excellent opportunity to sharpen my facilitation skills and advance humanitarian work in Africa.

Finally, I had never thought of developing a facilitation portfolio and indeed the word was strange to me. Going through the process of developing the portfolio revealed my strength as a facilitator, my motivation for facilitation, and finally my growth areas. I would have not articulated what I can offer to the world in a precise way. I continue to collect my facilitation artifacts to improve my portfolio as new opportunities emerge.

“Going through the process of developing the portfolio revealed my strength as a facilitator, my motivation for facilitation, and finally my growth areas.”

If you are an enthusiastic facilitator early in your career or a legend who wants to sharpen your skills further and widen your network, I recommend the facilitation course. You will find practical skills and be challenged by like-minded colleagues from different walks of life.

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Embarking on a Global Journey

Four years ago, I took a momentous step. While I had been comfortably leading a local team in Manila, the Philippines, life had bigger plans. Suddenly, I was responsible for a global team centered on quality, training and, interestingly, performance improvement. 

Transitioning wasn’t merely about geography or time zones; it was about understanding and respecting diverse cultures. Our primary objective was to ensure our services catered to everyone, speaking universally yet personally to varied cultures around the world. 

Our early days were marked by trial and error. The most notable revelation was the shyness of our China team to open up in group discussions.. The solution? One-on-one breakout sessions. They weren’t just effective; they were transformational. Yet, these improvisations made me realize something crucial – I needed a more structured approach.

But, as I was trying to find my footing, the pandemic threw the world into disarray. From the familiarity of face-to-face interactions with my Manila team, I was now navigating the tricky terrains of Zoom and Teams across seven different locations. The challenge was twofold: mastering virtual tools and ensuring the human connection wasn’t lost.

Unintentional Facilitators

My global team and I, like many others in leadership and support positions, became unintentional facilitators, organizing people for brainstorming sessions, managing projects, leading governance meetings, and various other group interactions. As you might expect, we struggled a lot initially, and I realized I needed formal training when our roles required us to bring together team members from all over the world in 5-6 different time zones and regions to create inclusive environments in which we could assess risks, co-create solutions, and make decisions together. 

In addition to my regular duties as an active  SAP coach, I volunteered to assist in sharing the magic of coaching and effective conflict resolution strategies through conducting internal global workshops. Although I had a hand in creating the curriculum, I was just acting as a facilitator. These workshops shifted perspectives and were life-altering experiences for our participants. I’m really impressed by the reactions and feedback received after the sessions. I thought it would be amazing to design and facilitate these types of transformational spaces and experiences in the future, too. That was the dream.

Exploring New Tools and Techniques

At about that time, a colleague suggested that I check out Liberating Structures. At the time I had no concept of the treasure trove of facilitation techniques I was about to discover. My initial skim on their website quickly turned into hours of exploration. I thought to myself, “Now this is a methodology that could potentially reshape our approach”. I was hooked, and I wanted more. 

As I began to search for online engagement strategies, I stumbled upon Mural and I quickly became a frequent user of Mural. While it was growing in popularity within our organization in 2019 and 2020, not everyone was accustomed to it. My sessions often began with mini-training on using Mural before diving into the main agenda. This whiteboarding tool became essential, especially when I discovered the Mural templates offered by Voltage Control. Naturally, this made me curious about Voltage Control, and after looking at their website, I discovered their facilitation certification and the program aligned with my personal growth requirements. 

Certification Revelation

As I think about my first day in the certification program, it was not what I had initially expected. I was used to heavy lectures, theoretical models, and being bombarded with tools. To my pleasant surprise, the certification was a very purposeful experience and provided a safe experimental space that allowed us to explore the different tools that are available to us and practice with our peers.  

I met so many fantastic people with similar goals in the certification cohort. I didn’t mind laughing and learning with them until 4 a.m. In addition to the books, online courses, and Erik’s outstanding facilitation of the class, I drew on their unique expertise and tools/resources to broaden my own facilitation toolbox.

I love that we’re being paired with different people from different backgrounds. I was paired with some folks in the US, one who was building his own facilitation business. He was building his website and productizing his services, et cetera. I was intrigued and kept learning about that. He was my learning buddy for my first month and last month of certification, I thought, “This is can apply to me too.” He actually has his own podcast already. He’s really cool and such an inspiration.

It dawned on me that within SAP, I can do this too since the only way for me to grow and scale my team’s services more widely throughout our global team. is if I create a product or several product offerings. Now it’s easy to say to different stakeholders if they have a business problem, in my mind, – “Hey, I have a product for that or I have a service for that!” I help enable others to solve problems with an already packaged service. And I got that idea from those conversations that I had with my Voltage Control certification buddy.

And finally, the instructor’s one-on-one mentoring sessions allowed me to explore subjects that I was too hesitant to address with the full group (shy Asian here). As a result, my (still expanding) facilitation toolbox has become my best buddy. My team and I build more inclusive spaces where everyone is empowered to flourish and is focused on very precise results through carefully designed meeting/workshop experiences.

Finding Purpose

In my opinion, the biggest and most crucial practical benefit of the training for me was the creation (and evolution) of my facilitator portfolio. If I go back to my portfolio, I still remember everything because it allowed me to clarify my purpose and also document my journey and what my next steps will be. And that was very powerful.

Working on my portfolio helped me realize I was imagining a world where I could influence people within my organization to maximize our time spent with each other.  It needs to be engaging. It has to have a very concrete purpose. It has to be – I dare say – transformative. That’s what I imagined, and I wanted to be that person. Not just a facilitator who can bring people together, lead discussions, and elicit useful feedback and ideas. I wanted to create a space where people can be safe to bring their full selves, create value for the business, and be positively changed by the experience. And I wanted to share my process with others so that we could all build these remarkable environments. Imagine an organization where people actually want to attend meetings.  And that’s what I put in my portfolio.

I didn’t stop there, however. I also asked my 13-year-old daughter to co-facilitate an online workshop with me, which 200 of her high school peers attended. From the title to the themes, flow, and break-out session, we co-created the whole event with some of her batchmates. I had an awesome time doing this with her.  

In our portfolio assignment, we were instructed to answer the question – How will the certification program serve you on your own path? I spent a lot of time thinking about this. I said that I wanted to establish myself and my team as the group that can partner and help enable other teams to produce synergies that offer the greatest results in a healthy and meaningful way. I even created a prototype of the service offering webpage with the phrase – “Still stuck in the old ways of collaborating or meeting with colleagues that usually end with frustration, conflict, and poor outcomes? – It’s time to shift.” Because why not? Who is not sick of meetings without agendas that end up a total waste of everyone’s time? So, I imagined service offerings that were meant to guide and/or co-create safe participatory environments and enable distributed decision-making to build a better meeting culture within the organization. 

This problem is not unique to my organization nor to the corporate environment. It is everywhere, and I aim to spread the power of wonderfully designed and facilitated meeting/workshop experiences in my organization, at my daughter’s school, and other communities I am part of.

Redefining Meetings and Workshops

Back in our virtual rooms, I realized that the scope of our sessions was too vast for me to handle solo. While I initially took the reins, demonstrating the process to my managers, soon it became clear that co-facilitation was the way forward. But there was a hitch. Not many were confident enough to take on this mantle. Our cultural background often made us hesitant, needing assurance that a task was possible before diving in.

However, the solution was simple. Through demonstration and post-session debriefs, we not only showcased the ‘how’ but also emphasized the ‘why’. This approach gradually built their confidence. 

Equipped with the knowledge from the Voltage Control certification, I shared insights with my team. We began focusing on the journey, considering the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of our meetings and workshops. Instead of a mere checklist approach, we became outcome-driven, which transformed our sessions’ quality. 

I also introduced my team to the Workshop Design Canvas, coaching them on how to picture the learner before, and learner after, and how they would drive a concrete set of outcomes. I also kept reminding them to think about how they want their participants to feel and do following the session. They are now designing experiences in a new way.  Previously, everything was task-oriented Now, they invite only the right people, prepare carefully designed meeting flows, and drive tangible results.

The results spoke for themselves. Our meetings, known for their clarity, intention, and respect for participants’ time, consistently drew almost full attendance. In contrast to some aimless, recurring meetings saw only about half the invited participants.

Cultural Inclusivity and Leadership Evolution

With our newfound expertise, our team’s role started evolving. We weren’t just facilitators or project managers anymore. We became mentors. When I went to India this year, I conducted a couple of workshops with the intent to share the skills of facilitation with my team in India. Our expertise was sought not just for leading projects but for teaching others to lead discussions. On top of our work in quality assurance, training and process optimization, we are also spreading facilitation tools and sharing our skills to help increase the creation of meaningful meeting spaces to enhance work experience.  

While there is a long way to go, I have already noticed a difference in collaboration culture and conversations with teams around the world. Where there used to be a lot of bias and mistrust, there is now more engaged and collaborative energy. We support and enable over 1,800 team members in over ten sites spanning six different time zones, where cultural clashes and unconscious biases prevent us from working together harmoniously. Better meetings in general, have enriched our work experience in many ways – it became more inclusive, vibrant, outcome-focused – more human.

From Leader to Listener

But amidst all this, a vital leadership lesson emerged for me. Leaders aren’t just solution providers; they can also be questioners, listeners, and facilitators. This shift, however, requires transparent communication. It’s essential to set the context right, ensuring that questions are seen as a means to draw out insights and not as interrogations.

In hindsight, this journey, filled with challenges and opportunities, has been incredibly enriching. From bridging cultural divides to embracing digital tools, each step has fostered growth. Today, as I look back, I’m more than just a leader; I am a facilitator, mentor, and lifelong learner, eager for the adventures that lie ahead.

If you’re looking to improve your facilitation skills, start by building your listening, empathy & curiosity muscles first by being the last to speak in meetings. Just observe and listen to everyone in the room or Zoom/Teams call. Write down your observations or talk to a co-participant about how the meeting could be better. The fundamental facilitation skill is listening with an open mind and an open heart. 

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