154 - Embracing Responsibility, Resilience and Relationships with Sara Huang

Sara Huang’s ‘three R’s’ of facilitation make for a reliable North Star in workshop environments.

And, in our age of sometimes-online-sometimes-in-person-sometimes-hybrid meetings, having a reliable and familiar formula to fall back on can be a huge relief.

This episode is, ostensibly, about online facilitation and how things have changed since Sara and I last spoke (episode 60) at the outbreak of the pandemic. But, as is common with this show, we end up touching the edges of so many challenging and energising topics.

We explore the thin line that divides honouring our authenticity and finding agreement, fight or flight reactions in the face of discrimination, and the societal structures that influence workshops.

So, if you’re looking for an episode to warm your cockles, brighten your spark of inspiration, and push you to step further into growing as a facilitator… Enjoy!

Find out about:

• Why a black and white view of online vs. in-person events is reductive and harmful
• The three ingredients that can make or break online workshops
• How Sara prioritises the ‘three Rs’ of facilitation in her workshop
• Why we need to be mindful of organisational and societal pressures at play in all workshop
• How to combine digital tools to create a flow of sensitive and emotive information

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Questions and Answers

[02:27] Over the last two years, what has emerged for you about facilitation? Has anything changed?

[05:48] How do you bring everything together and clear the distractions when facilitating online?

[10:23] How do you choose or moderate your energy for a group - do you decide straight away or is it responsive?

[12:04] Is this energetic modulation instinctive, or is it something you've learned?

[15:50] Sara shares an incredible - and personal - story about experiencing and negotiating hostility and a 'heated' discussion.

[23:33] How and where do you draw your line of personal autonomy and authority vs. the rest of the room?

[28:14] How did you handle this situation in what was a relatively new online space (Zoom)?

[34:19] How do you negotiate an environment in which everything is welcome, but certain behaviours aren't accepted?

[38:47] What was the reaction when you questioned this person on their tone?

[43:29] What would you like to carry forward from the last two years into the future of facilitation?

[48:31] Was there anything else you wanted to share that we haven't discussed yet?

Links

www.bureautwist.nl/english

Connect to Sara:

On LinkedIn

On Instagram 

Any thoughts? Share them with us!

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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/  👈