At the 2025 Facilitation Lab Summit, Dom Michalec led an engaging and thought-provoking workshop titled "Facilitating Transformation," focusing on the practical aspects of creating lasting change—both personally and professionally. With a mix of theory, hands-on activities, and personal reflection, Dom took attendees on a journey of understanding how transformation happens and how we, as facilitators, can support others in driving meaningful change.
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Baha Chmait, a facilitator and 2024 TEDx speaker focused on combating loneliness through shared experiences. Baha discusses how his Lebanese heritage and family gatherings around food shaped his approach to fostering connections. They explore the importance of vulnerability, intentional design, and playfulness in adult interactions. Baha shares strategies like assigning roles in social settings and creating zones for different engagement levels to alleviate loneliness. He emphasizes the need for proactive connection and the transformative power of shared joyful experiences.
At the 2025 Facilitation Lab Summit, Caterina Rodriguez led an engaging and insightful workshop on the power of non-verbal communication in facilitation. Through lively exercises and group discussions, Caterina explored how facilitators can use their bodies, tone, and silence to build stronger connections and create meaningful conversations.
Alyssa Coughlin's session at the 2025 Facilitation Lab Summit explored the power of storytelling in change management. Learn how to craft compelling narratives to engage teams, gain buy-in, and drive successful organizational change. Through interactive exercises, Alyssa shared insights on tailoring stories for different audiences, simplifying complex ideas, and using emotion to create lasting impact. Watch the full session video and read the transcript for actionable takeaways.
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Ralitsa Dimitrova, who leads the Ignition capability at KPMG Switzerland. Ralitsa shares her journey as a generalist and connector in facilitation, emphasizing the value of adaptability, empathy, and continuous learning. She discusses her career path, starting unexpectedly at Accenture, and highlights the importance of being a generalist in fostering collaboration and innovation. The episode also explores the role of community, storytelling, and creativity in facilitation and touches on future possibilities involving AI in the facilitation process.
Dr. Karyn Edwards' session at the 2025 Facilitation Lab Summit explored the powerful intersection of coaching and facilitation. With interactive exercises, Karyn demonstrated how non-directive coaching techniques can enhance facilitation, empowering participants to reflect and solve problems on their own. Learn key insights on creating a supportive environment, fostering self-awareness, and empowering participants. Watch the full session video to dive deeper into these transformative practices.
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Alexis Scranton from Aligned Impact Solutions. Alexis shares her journey from teaching kindergarten and third grade to training teachers on national reform projects, which led her to specialize in facilitating corporate social responsibility and social impact initiatives. The discussion highlights the importance of inclusivity in decision-making, the differences between facilitating adult learning and teaching children, and the role of effective questioning in overcoming resistance. Alexis emphasizes creating environments where all voices are heard, fostering collaboration, and drawing out collective wisdom for impactful outcomes.
In his session at the 2025 Facilitation Lab Summit, JJ Rogers shared innovative methods for incorporating joy and surprise into facilitated sessions. Drawing from UX design and the concept of "delight," JJ introduced three Radical Acts of Delight: using drawing to communicate, applying inverted thinking with "The Twist," and utilizing metaphor cards for creative problem-solving. These techniques help facilitators engage participants and unlock fresh insights through play and surprise.
Skye Idehen-Osunde's session at the 2025 Facilitation Lab Summit focused on building psychological safety and credibility in facilitation. Through interactive activities and real-world examples, Skye shared strategies to create inclusive, trust-filled spaces where participants feel heard and valued. Her insights on vulnerability, self-awareness, and building trust provided attendees with actionable tools to enhance their facilitation practice and create impactful, safe environments.
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Jake Knapp, co-founder and general partner at Character Capital, and a former Google employee instrumental in developing Gmail and Google Meet. The episode delves into Jake's extensive experience in product development, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and market differentiation. Jake shares insights from his early coding and game development days, highlighting the value of iterative testing and customer feedback. They discuss the "foundation sprint" and "magic lenses" techniques for refining product ideas and making informed decisions. The episode underscores the necessity of clarity and alignment in successful product development.