149 - Holding space for those who hold space with Sharon Leigh

Some might not expect an introverted, neurodivergent woman like Sharon Leigh to ‘fit’ with facilitation. But anyone can access, practice, and succeed with it – as Sharon knows from personal experience. 

In fact, Sharon doesn’t just fit with facilitation – she excels at it.

Together, we cover a huge amount of ground in the world of facilitation, taking in the sights of inclusion, digital spaces, and holding space for facilitators.

We also take some unexpected roads and unmapped routes, traversing the hitherto uncharted territory of workshops and neurodivergence, collaborative living, and knowing how to give someone a mood-boosting hug through a computer screen.

This episode is a perfect summary of why I started the podcast. We uncover some incredible insights around the practice of facilitation, but we get there by looking deeply at what it means to be human and how we can connect with each other in simple, meaningful ways.

Find out about:

• What it takes – and why it’s so important – for facilitators and coaches to have their own space for reflection
• Finding gold among the heavy rocks and fast flowing waters of the pandemic
• Why going online can make meetings, group work, and connection more accessible to all
• What Sharon has learned about facilitation, boundaries, and communication from collaborative living
• Why great workshops don’t provide great content or solutions, but ‘brain vacations’
• How a pared-down agenda leaves space for the real magic of your workshop to come through

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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/  👈