111 - More Space for Innovation through Facilitation with Dan Levy

Facilitating innovation in times of need, the world of ‘futuring’, examining greys in a black and white world - these are big topics, but Dan Levy explores them with guile and clarity.

This is little wonder, as Dan is a deeply-experienced in a variety of fields. Moving from sports media to UX design and later to facilitating strategy and innovation, Dan’s CV is a rich, broad spectrum of fascinating experiences.

He joins me in this episode to talk about a little bit of everything - from the nuts and bolts of how and why he facilitates innovation workshops to creating wild ideas in the process of ‘futuring’.

It’s a real smorgasbord of thought-provoking nuggets. Tuck in!

Find out about:

• How lateral thinking, design, and a little inspiration from his son led Dan to start his business
• Exploring the grey areas and shades in a world obsessed with black and white choices
• Understanding innovation as an outcome, not a process
• Why facilitating innovation in-house should come before outsourcing it
• Exploring ‘futuring’, its role in facilitation, and vice versa
• Dan’s methods for empowering clients to get the right people in the room
• How to deal with dissenting voices in a workshop – and why we shouldn’t simply try to silence them

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Thanks to our sponsor “Dancing with Markers”. Get the workshops work discount for Lauren’s upcoming visual facilitation course!

Questions and Answers

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

[01:53] What is “your world”?

[03:35] Which is more important in facilitation – confidence or expertise?

[09:34] What’s the story behind your company’s name – More Space for Light?

[13:23] What role do shades play in our lives?

[18:20] What are the opportunities and challenges in facilitating organisational innovation?

[23:23] Can you say a little about The Future of Now – the monthly talkshops you started last year?

[29:45] Where is the line between the urge to outsource innovation and being forced to innovate?

[32:49] What is ‘futuring’?

[34:40] Is it important to invite dissenting voices to a workshop?

[36:09] What makes a workshop fail?

[37:10] Whose responsibility is it to make sure the right people are in the room?

[39:46] Is there a sweet spot for the number of participants in a workshop?

[49:12] What’s your favourite exercise?

[52:40] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?

Links

More Space for Light’s website

The Future of Now, the monthly talkshops Dan organised following the pandemic

More Space for Light YouTube

LinkedIn

More Space for Light LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter

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👉 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/  👈