The single biggest factor in whether a facilitated session produces breakthrough thinking or surface-level discussion is the quality of the questions. Not the facilitator's energy. Not the room setup. Not... read more →
Most facilitators are trained to manage conflict. The better goal is to read it. Not all conflict in a facilitated session is a problem. Some of it is exactly what... read more →
Most every organization has done a SWOT analysis at least once. Most have done it badly. The typical approach: someone puts four quadrants on a whiteboard, the team shouts out... read more →
Every team has the person who dominates. The one who won't speak up. The two who keep clashing. And usually, nobody can quite explain why. After more than 15 years... read more →
The discussion has been productive. Perspectives are on the table. The group has explored the topic thoroughly. And now someone needs to call for a decision. This is one of... read more →
The gap between knowing how to facilitate and actually doing it is wider than most people expect. You can read every book on facilitation. You can watch videos, study frameworks,... read more →
A retreat is one of the few times your entire team is in the same place, away from the daily noise, with the space to think and work together. The... read more →
Most retreats feel productive in the moment. The real test is whether anything is different three months later. Here's what separates the ones that stick from the ones that don't.... read more →
Here's what derails strategic plans — and what to do instead. Strategic planning is one of the most important investments an organization can make. It's also one of the easiest... read more →
When some of your team is in the room and others are on a screen, you're not running one session. You're running two. I'll say it plainly: I prefer facilitating... read more →