
133 - The conversation I wish I heard when I started facilitating with Meg Bolger
About this episode
Meg Bolger is a perfect example of facilitation for good, founding and leading multiple organisations focused on promoting DEI and LGBTQ justice, awareness, and allyship.
On top of their incredible work towards facilitating a fairer, kinder world, Meg also has plenty of entrepreneurial spark, being the brains behind the wildly successful and much-loved Facilitator Cards.
Meg is a true facilitation geek.
Our conversation basically became a survival guide for new facilitators and a booster shot for more experienced facilitators. Unmissable.
This episode is part 1 of 3, divided as such because our conversation was simply so expansive and interesting that we spoke for far longer than a normal episode of the show.
In this section, we explore the foundations of facilitation through education, development, and practice. Meg shares their thoughts on the different mediums for learning facilitation, the merits (and otherwise) of certification, and the key characteristics and behaviours that separate ‘good’ and ‘bad’ facilitators.
Find out about:
● The merits and shortcomings of qualifications and certifications in facilitation
● What the common causes of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ facilitation are
● Why a ‘failed’ workshop isn’t always a universal failure
● Meg’s favourite exercises, tools, and DIY fixes to common problems
● How to debrief yourself at the end of a workshop
● How and why to shape your workshops according to the energy levels in the room
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A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!
Special Discount for WorkshopsWork listeners
Get the 3-pack of wet-erase markers that pair with the cards on us with the code WORKSHOPSWORK when purchasing the facilitator cards with this link: https://shop.facilitator.cards/discount/WORKSHOPSWORK
Links
Meg's Business page
Facilitator self-feedback form
Article on ‘Watching your game tape’
Emergent Facilitation video
Unlocking the Magic of Facilitation
Meg’s facilitator hat (watch the video version of the show on YouTube to understand!)
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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/ 👈
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