065 - How to stay on track while going off script with Rebecca Sutherns

A workshop that goes exactly to plan is a workshop that exists in our dreams.

The unexpected isn’t something we should be afraid of – fantastic ideas and outcomes can come from the moments we don’t see coming (and can never plan for) – but being prepared to adjust to the whim of the room is a vital skill for effective facilitation.

But what do we need to learn – and unlearn – if we want to become adaptive, Nimble Facilitators?

Rebecca Sutherns is the author of Nimble: A Coaching Guide for Responsive Facilitation and she joins me in this episode of workshops work to share the secrets of holding onto our plans a little more loosely. 

Find out about:

• Why being Nimble is proving to be just as essential in virtual spaces as it is in on-site settings

• What the sweet spot of preparation looks like and how to find yours

• Why inner work is the foundation of growth, change, and progress

• How to balance the needs and requirements of your client, your group, and yourself

• How to strengthen your decision-making muscles

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Questions and Answers

[01:11] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?

[05:43] What is the story behind Nimble Facilitation and why did you write this book?

[07:51] What is the core skill for Nimble Facilitation?

[13:55] How do you manage clients who require a lot of detail and structure?

[19:55] How do you close sessions to synchronise everyone’s takeaways?

[25:34] Have you found it is harder to be Nimble in virtual workshops?

[31:40] How will what we’ve learned from virtual workshops influence our future on-site workshops?

[41:02] What makes a workshop fail, and is the answer different for virtual workshops?

[47:14] What’s your favourite exercise?

[49:55] Is there anything you wanted to mention that we haven’t touched upon yet?

[55:36] What is the one thing you want listeners to take away from this show?

Links

· Nimble: A Coaching Guide for Responsive Facilitation

· Collaborative Planning to Make Wiser Decisions Faster (Video) 

Connect to Rebecca

· Rebecca’s website

· Rebecca’s Twitter

· Rebecca’s LinkedIn

Any thoughts? Share them with us!

Support the show

👉 What happens when being “professional” gets in the way of being human? My new podcast Unprofessionalism explores the rules we’re taught to follow at work, and what happens when we break them. Listen here: https://unprofessionalism.buzzsprout.com/  👈