Finding Facilitation

A Path Hidden in Plain Sight

Facilitation was something I was doing long before I realized it had a name. If I look back, it was there in high school when I was deeply involved in student council, National Honor Society, and every other club that piqued my interest. Leadership was always a passion, but what I didn’t see until much later was that at the heart of that passion was a natural instinct to bring people together—to guide conversations, align goals, and make collective decisions.

One of the earliest memories that stands out is from my time on the prom planning committee. I remember sitting in a room filled with excited students all throwing out their ideas, and it was pure chaos. Everyone was talking at once. That’s when it clicked for me—I raised my hand, stepped in, and said, “Let’s organize this.” I started listing out ideas, grouping them, and creating a system for the discussion. Looking back now, that was one of my first real moments of facilitation. I was taking all of that energy and funneling it toward a common goal, helping the group move from excitement to action.

It wasn’t until much later in my career that I began to understand what facilitation truly was. I spent a few years as a pharmaceutical sales rep, doing presentations for doctors and hospitals. My goal was to educate them on the products I represented, but I always approached it as a conversation rather than a monologue. I found ways to draw them in—getting them to talk about their own challenges and offering solutions that felt collaborative rather than prescriptive. At the time, I thought it was just my style of selling. But once I transitioned into project management and started talking with colleagues in HR, they pointed out, “You’re already facilitating. You just haven’t labeled it that yet.”

It was then that I realized facilitation wasn’t just something I did occasionally—it was core to who I was and how I worked. It wasn’t about being the loudest voice in the room but about creating the space for every voice to be heard.

Uncovering the Power of Facilitation

As I moved further into my career, particularly when I transitioned into project management in the tech industry, I began to dig deeper into what it meant to facilitate effectively. Initially, I thought facilitation was just a natural byproduct of leadership, but the more I reflected on it, the more I realized it was a distinct skill set I could cultivate.

In project management, my job was to align different teams, each with their own priorities, goals, and timelines. It quickly became clear that this wasn’t something that could be done by simply issuing directives or managing tasks—it required a deeper level of collaboration. My role evolved from managing projects to managing people and conversations. I found myself facilitating discussions between engineers, product managers, and executives, helping them align on a common objective. Each group brought different perspectives, and my job was to guide those conversations toward a shared outcome, even when their starting points were worlds apart.

It was around this time that a close friend, who worked in HR, suggested I put “facilitation” on my resume. It was a lightbulb moment. She made me realize that facilitation wasn’t just a soft skill I had picked up along the way; it was something that set me apart. It was a critical part of my ability to lead teams and projects effectively. From that moment on, I started looking for ways to develop this skill further. I started attending more workshops and seeking out resources that could help me refine my facilitation techniques.

Facilitation became more than just something I did—it became something I wanted to master. I saw how it could transform the way teams worked together, break down silos, and drive real collaboration. It was both a tool and a mindset, and I was ready to learn everything I could about it.

Choosing Voltage Control

My journey with Voltage Control started when two of my colleagues, Peter and Colleen, spoke highly about the program. Both had gone through the certification and told me it was intense but completely worth it. They described it as a transformative experience, something that went beyond learning new techniques—it was about self-discovery and deepening your understanding of what it means to facilitate.

At the time, I was already feeling drawn to take my facilitation skills to the next level, so when I saw the opportunity through the Autodesk Chief of Staff Network, I knew it was the right fit. I attended one of Voltage Control’s summits as a way to test the waters, and I loved it. The variety of experience levels in the room was vast, yet there was something for everyone to learn. What struck me most was how facilitation is never truly mastered. No matter where you are in your journey, there’s always something new to learn, some new way to connect with people or guide a conversation.

After the summit, I reached out to Peter and Colleen again, asking for more insight. They both encouraged me to go for it, but they also cautioned that the program required a real commitment. It wasn’t just about attending the sessions—it was about reflecting on who you are as a facilitator, being vulnerable in the labs, and putting in the work to grow. They were right. It wasn’t just another course; it was a deep dive into myself and how I show up for others in a room.

A Journey of Growth and Reflection

The Voltage Control certification was unlike any other learning experience I’ve had. It wasn’t just about acquiring new tools and techniques—it was about reflection, vulnerability, and really understanding myself as a facilitator. From the first session, I knew this wasn’t going to be a passive experience. There were lab sessions where we had to dive deep, not only into our own facilitation styles but also into the dynamics of the group.

One of the most memorable exercises was choosing abstract visuals to represent how we felt as facilitators. It forced me to think beyond the day-to-day tasks and really connect with how I showed up in a room. What I found fascinating was that it wasn’t just about what I learned individually; it was the sense of community we built as a cohort. There was so much honesty in our conversations. At times, we’d admit to struggling, feeling behind, or doubting ourselves, but there was always camaraderie in those moments. We lifted each other up and learned from each other’s challenges and successes.

Another highlight was the hands-on aspect. As much as I enjoyed the learning materials, it was the real-life application that made everything click. I loved slowing down to think through how each lesson applied to my work at Autodesk. I’d find myself pausing after reading a module, reflecting on how it connected to a meeting I had just facilitated or an interaction with my team. This approach made the learning stick—and made it immediately relevant to the work I was doing every day.

The final portfolio was daunting, no question about it. But in hindsight, it was a brilliant way to synthesize everything we had learned. It pushed me to evaluate my own facilitation journey: where I started, what I had gained, and where I still wanted to grow. That exercise alone made me realize just how much facilitation had become an integral part of my leadership style.

Bringing It All Back to My Work

Coming out of the certification, I felt a renewed sense of confidence in my facilitation abilities. The lessons I learned didn’t just stay in the classroom—they transformed how I approach my role as Chief of Staff. Whether I’m leading meetings, guiding conversations on Slack, or facilitating global team gatherings, I find myself more intentional about creating space for every voice to be heard.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was learning the power of the pause. As someone who tends to be extroverted and action-oriented, I used to feel uneasy with silence in meetings. But through the certification, I realized how important it is to leave room for reflection, especially when working with introverted colleagues. I now consciously give space for people to think, process, and contribute in their own time. This shift has made my meetings more inclusive, and I’ve noticed that we get richer, more thoughtful contributions from the team.

I’ve also become more mindful about fostering connection within the team. After learning techniques like group exercises and visual representations, I started experimenting with those during our leadership meetings. For example, I introduced a spider web exercise to demonstrate how we’re all interconnected in our work, which was a powerful moment for the team. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with people expressing how much more engaged and connected they felt. It’s a reminder that facilitation is about more than just driving toward an outcome—it’s about bringing people together in a meaningful way.

Scaling Facilitation and Leadership

As I look to the future, the skills I’ve gained from Voltage Control have opened up new possibilities for my career. Facilitation has become such a core part of my leadership approach that I see it shaping the next five to ten years of my work. One thing I’m really excited about is scaling these skills beyond myself. I’ve already started mentoring others on my team, teaching them how to facilitate meetings and guide conversations. The idea is to spread these capabilities throughout the organization so that it doesn’t just depend on me.

I believe facilitation is a skill everyone can benefit from, not just those in leadership roles. It’s about fostering collaboration, creating a safe space for open dialogue, and driving alignment toward a shared goal. My vision for the future is to help create a culture at Autodesk where facilitation is woven into the fabric of how we work, at every level. Whether it’s a small project meeting or a large-scale organizational initiative, I want to see more people stepping up to lead those conversations, feeling empowered and confident in their ability to bring people together.

For me personally, I see myself continuing to grow in leadership roles where facilitation is key. I want to take on larger projects and challenges, and potentially move into more senior leadership positions where I can apply these skills at a bigger scale. Ultimately, I see facilitation as the cornerstone of great leadership, and I’m excited about where that will take me in the years ahead.