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Our latest thoughts on innovation, design, and transformation.
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In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Emilia Åström, facilitator at House Space and co-creator of "Perspectives." Emilia shares her journey from competitive advertising to collaborative facilitation, inspired by her experience at Hyper Island. They discuss the transformative power of facilitation in fostering inclusive, innovative group dynamics and how structured methods like design thinking enhance leadership and learning. Amelia also highlights the impact of digital tools and AI in large-scale facilitation and emphasizes facilitation as a mindset that enriches both professional and personal growth.
Grace Losada shares her journey from leading high school retreats in Hawaii to scaling emotionally resonant experiences at Change Enthusiasm Global. Through Voltage Control’s Facilitation Certification, she discovered a framework for the work she’d been doing all along—rooted in connection, trust, and transformation. Her story is a powerful reflection on how facilitation can evolve from instinct to craft, and from small group impact to change at scale.
Explore the power of edges in facilitation and leadership. This blog introduces Troika Consulting and five transformative prompts—Explore the Unknown, Disrupt Patterns, Generate Dialogue, Embrace Tension, and Steward Emergence—designed to help you navigate thresholds in your work. Discover how edges spark growth, challenge assumptions, and unlock new ways of thinking.
In this episode, Douglas Ferguson chats with Varsha Prasad of IdeaCompass about her journey in facilitation and entrepreneurship. Varsha shares lessons from her first design thinking workshop, the role of mentorship, and the importance of community. She offers insights on navigating cultural differences, fostering engagement, and inspiring creativity through structured reflection and innovation.
Discover why facilitation is a dynamic practice, not a fixed playbook. This blog explores a competency-based approach that prioritizes growth, adaptability, and purpose over rigid methods. Learn how five core facilitation competencies—Purpose, Inclusive, Clarity, Crafted, and Adaptive—can guide intentional development and lasting impact.
Varsha Prasad went from network engineer to global facilitator by discovering the power of design thinking and human-centered collaboration. In this inspiring journey, she shares how the Voltage Control Facilitation Certification helped her find clarity, confidence, and a supportive community. Her story is a testament to how facilitation can spark transformation—both professionally and personally.
Explore highlights from the Facilitation Lab Summit 2025, where eight expert facilitators led hands-on sessions on trust, storytelling, behavior design, coaching, nonverbal communication, and more. Centered on the theme of Practice, this year’s summit offered practical tools, powerful insights, and real-time applications to help facilitators grow their craft. Dive into the full recap to revisit the sessions and keep your facilitation skills sharp.
At the 2025 Facilitation Lab Summit, Elena Farden led an immersive session titled "Consent as Ceremony: Learnings from Nurturing Safe Connections in Indigenous Play Parties." Elena, known for weaving cultural rituals and deep respect for consent into her facilitation practice, provided profound insights into how we can integrate these sacred traditions into our own work.
Featured
Explore key insights from Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" for facilitators and leaders. This bestseller from the music industry icon merges discipline with creativity, providing valuable lessons for corporate innovation. Learn Rubin's approach to the creative process, the importance of embracing constraints, and the power of collaboration. Inspired by his extensive music career, Rubin's methods apply to various fields, enhancing problem-solving and innovative thinking. This summary shows how Rubin's ideas can rejuvenate facilitation and spark innovation in today's professional environments.
Discover the power of collaborative leadership. Learn about its definition, distinction from facilitation, and the five key benefits: enhanced decision-making, increased productivity, stronger relationships, greater innovation, and higher engagement. Understand the challenges, particularly in balancing autocratic and collaborative styles, and explore the five essential qualities of a successful collaborative leader: being purposed, inclusive, clear, crafted, and adaptive. Embrace this leadership style for a more engaged and effective workforce.
Workplace conflicts can drain time and morale, making conflict resolution meetings crucial. These meetings tackle disagreements affecting productivity and wellbeing, involving all parties in a comfortable setting with a neutral facilitator. Establish ground rules, encourage open dialogue and active listening, and develop an action plan with fair task assignments. Training can enhance these skills, fostering a harmonious and efficient workplace.
The Books
Bring Your Ideas to Life
Innovation can seem complex or reserved for the exceptional. But we believe innovation is for everyone. We’ve set out to illuminate a path for you to generate bold ideas, visualize and share them, overcome obstacles, and turn them into reality. Our books are equal parts guidebook and stories from years of experience helping companies adopt an innovation mindset and culture. They’re practical & actionable, so you can get started now. We hope they’ll help you on your journey to realizing your biggest, boldest ideas.