283 - Playing Other People’s Game by our Rules with Dan Newman

In the autumn of 1996 in Palo Alto, Dan Newman had a career-defining epiphany: facilitation is playing other people’s games with your own rules. It’s something that has stayed with him on his journey from consultant to facilitator, as he solves complex organisational problems by asking: how are their rules preventing them from winning?

We cover a lot of ground from Dan’s storied career in this brilliant conversation, dancing from the debate of the neutral facilitator, to cultural communication traits, the psychology of music, and why he will happily fine his clients for breaking the rules!

Full to the brim with facilitation lessons to learn, try and apply yourself.

Find out about:

• Tips, insights and anecdotes from Dan’s nearly 30 year career
• The key differences between the role of the facilitator and the consultant
• How to rebuild people’s ‘finite games’ into ‘infinite games’, with a positive-sum outcome
• How to use Dave Snowden’s Cynefin framework to aid decision-making and de-complexify problems
• How to take a company out of their culture to see new perspectives

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Links:

Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.

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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/  👈