Fun video with a little cameo by Jonathan 🤣

Hey Facilitators 👋 I'm compiling a list of the best resources for facilitators (free or paid) for potential future content, and I would like to ask you all if you have any recommendations. It could be books, materials, tools, blogs, podcasts, or communities. Any resources that you've come across that you find helpful as a Facilitator. I'd really appreciate your contributions to this post. Rebecca 💟

Hey everyone, is there a way that participants in different breakout rooms can all work on the same whiteboard? EG Zoom Whiteboard while in Zoom breakout rooms? I can only see the option of working in separate whiteboards in each breakout room. Trying to have everything in the same app - eg not having to bring in Miro - possible? Thank you all

During one of my team building programs, a very exciting participant wasn't satisfied about the result and she argued loudly and aggressively demanding extra points for her team, and this is the moment for us as facilitators to show our strength and wisdom, it was very tough moments for me, how to handle it, because if I let it go it ll ruin the whole program, I changed the debriefing around that point and linked it with the objectives of the game and involved her at the discussion along the way several times, later I had a conversation with the manager who were attending, she told me that I was watching and waiting for you to handle it :) - Have you eve faced a vert tough participant or similar situation ? - How you handled the situation, or what tools you used?

If you're looking for a new way to do group introductions, check out my all-time favourite activity in the slideshow I probably spent way to much designing today 😄 As someone who loves deep conversations and hates small talk, this activity keeps things interesting not only for the participants but also for myself. I feel like I am learning so much from the types of questions someone asks. I've included some of my favourite questions I have used and heard from the participants in my workshops and trainings below. What are your favourites? PS: I prefer calling this an #icemelter, but in case anyone is searching for #icebreakers later, I'll include this in the post as well 🤣

Hi I found the posts from @Joao Ribeiro and wondered if anyone try using chatGPT 4 for delegating the role of facilitator in breakout groups? I'm thinking of giving a set of instructions but having participants interact with chatgpt to guide them in small groups. Especially in remote workshops where you can't really see which subgroup has a problem right away.

I was thinking today about how everyone loves gamification! Everything from hotel and airline points/miles, to micro-credentialing. So, I am curious if anyone has tried this sort of thing with their workshops? I know it would require a lot of upfront work, but I can see real value in it! Thoughts?

I have previously shared how to use chatGPT to prepare for a workshop (link in comments). Now, I want to share how one might use it **during a workshop**. Just open the pictures and scroll through them :)) Some conclusions: ✅ ChatGPT as a co-facilitator you can resort to throughout the workshop. ✅ Prepare the robot beforehand and give it context, so it can help you during breaks ✅ Keep the chatGTP window open and have a two-way conversation, sharing back your own learnings along the way ✅ I cannot wait to see the amazing abilities AI will continue to bring facilitators How about you? What experiments have you been doing with AI and facilitation?

I am so ready for Zoom launching their " Zoom IQ" and other AI tools that analyze the chat messages!! I wish this existed tomorrow for a workshop that I am running and want to keep as simple as possible. The idea if to have 100 participants share ideas in the chat, then copy-paste it to ChatGPT to analyze it and ask questions like: - What are the top 10 ideas? - Which idea was shared the most often? - What themes where the ideas under? Before I hack something together like this.... Has anyone does this yet? Also, I know there are other tools that might be able to offer a solution to this already or soon. - Like Howspace has AI tools, but is quite expensive for a large group. - I think Miro is working on something, right? - It w ould also be cool to have this in Mentimeter, but haven't found any evidence they're working on it yet) - And then there is StreamAlive that at least captures all the questions that are shared on a Q&A page These are exciting times we live in 😄

Hello FC friends! I'm looking to pay somebody who is super skilled at using the latest and greatest of virtual facilitation tools to help me level up a 3.5-hour workshop I'm designing for a client in June. 95% chance this is run on Zoom, so please keep that it mind as we can't easily pivot to a whole new tool (e.g. Butter). If you are interested, can you fill out this form? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjitTpX9GC0eyxoEyMb6JGtFgm67AbWd001M7Pe42xgr7a6w/viewform

Hi all! As I build out my workshop pack, I'm trying to make everything as offline as possible so I can facilitate successful workshops anywhere. I love using music during my workshops but haven't found a good offline product that can store music and play back without internet connection. Anyone have any ideas? Or any recommendations for products?

Sometimes when people hear the word 'icebreaker' they cringe or might feel super anxious about taking part in one. Yes, icebreakers can make you feel a bit awkward initially, but they are proven to help enhance relationships and encourage creativity. 'Icebreakers can help increase team bonds, boost performance and creativity'—Harvard Business School study Integrating icebreakers into your workshops or meetings is a great way to get everyone relaxed and ready to participate. But how do you choose the right ones so that you avoid those dreaded awkward silences? Here are my Top 2 Icebreakers that are easy to implement (in-person or online): 1. My First Job Ask everyone in the group to write down their name, their first job, and what they learned from that job. Then go round the group and have everybody read theirs out. 2. Pointless Questions Prepare a few fun questions ahead of the workshop, then go round the room and have everybody take turns answering the questions. It’s as simple as that—you don’t even need to write anything down! Here are some question suggestions to get you started: - If you could invite a celebrity over for dinner, who would it be and why? - What is your most prized possession and why? - You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life. What do you choose? Here are some more icebreakers for you to explore! What's another great icebreaker that I can add to my list?

I might be late to the Butter party, but I've recently discovered it and I absolutely LOVE it so far. The nature of interaction feels a lot easier to develop psychological safety in virtual sessions and seems more fun. Does anyone else use Butter or has used Butter? What did you like or dislike about it?

How are you dealing with the time before everyone has entered the room (virtually or in person)? At the moment, all my sessions are virtual, and sometimes it takes a good 5-10 minutes before everyone has arrived and we can actually start with an icebreaker. This means that by that time, the majority of the participants have already decided if this is going to be worth their time or not. I personally tried a variety of things but am interested in hearing how you handle this. - Have smalltalk with the organizer or with people who entered the room - Play music and not say much until the start - Share a countdown clock - Do a "drop-in icebreaker" (f.ex, which type of dog/sheep/lego construction/... are you today?) What's your take?

Wow! 4 weeks ago, my colleague @Ryan de Metz and my team at AJ&Smart welcomed the first cohort of students to the first coaching call of our new program, Facilitation Fundamentals. Four calls later, we've made connections for life and will really miss chatting with this bunch ☹️ So what was my biggest KEY takeaway from these coaching calls? 1. Community is EVERYTHING Facilitation and Workshopping are relatively new concepts and can sometimes feel like a lonely career path. In these coaching calls, we noticed the boost it gave our students when they were among like-minded people who were equally passionate about facilitating and workshopping themselves. It was great to see our students come together, sharing tips and advice about Facilitation and workshopping, empathizing with each other's challenges, and celebrating each other's successes! Thanks Cohort 1 (I wish I could tag all 130 of you here but the post would be tooooo long😅) for your engagement, support, and enthusiasm over the last few weeks. We do not doubt that you all will master the world of Facilitation, and we look forward to staying connected with you in this community.💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛 If anyone is interested in joining the next cohort for this new program, DM me or my colleagues @Ryan de Metz or @Jakub Michalski, and we can provide you with more details. DISCLAIMER: In this picture, we were all dancing to the song 'Celebration' by Kool and the Gang 😎🎊😂

I was brainstorming with ChatGPT4 for a new video where I want to talk about one-off team-building sessions being a waste of money and instead of an annual event – it's a daily practice. Leaders should be weaving connection activities into every meeting to foster engagement, trust, and collaboration. Well...Just for fun, I asked it to come up with some funny tweets. Here are my favourites, which one is yours? 1) Why limit team building to annual events? Let's throw in connection activities at every meeting – it's like trust falls, but without the chiropractor bills! 😆 #CrackingUpAtWork 2) Team building: from annual trust falls to daily meetings, because nothing says 'we got this' like navigating trust exercises while holding coffee! ☕😂 #CaffeinatedCollaboration 3) Let's make team building a part of every meeting, because who doesn't want to bond over the shared fear of being late to the next call? 🏃‍♂️😅 #ProcrastinatorsUnite 4) Weave team building into every meeting – because nothing says 'I trust you' like sharing embarrassing work stories over a video call! 🎥🤣 #VirtualTrustCircle 5) Who needs annual team building events when you can turn meetings into group therapy sessions with connection activities? Get ready to laugh and learn! 😂📚 #TherapyWithPowerPoints Let me know in the comments, which one is your favourite 😂#TeamBuilding #Leadership #NoMoreTrustFalls

I'm curious what y'all use to bring silence back to a room (e.g. after a breakout discussion)? With the first program I was trained to facilitate (Search Inside Yourself) we used a singing bowl like the pic attached. Works like a charm, but definitely has a mindfulness vibe and isn't perfect for every setting. Are there are tools, techniques, etc. that you've found work well?

When I lived in Canada I signed up with Retreatify (https://www.retreatify.com/) which helps organizations with planning corporate retreats and offsites. They take care of the venues, catering, logistics and also have a database of vendors that run different workshops and team building activities. I did not get a ton of inquiries through the website (also because of covid) but now I do get the odd request, but they think I am still based in Canada. So I was wondering if there are similar platforms or companies that are based in Europe. Have you worked with any of them and found them useful or not to find new clients?

If we met at a networking event and you asked me: “So, what do you do?”, I probably will say “I am on a small talk detox.” A few years ago, I created a deck of Connection Cards to help my friends bond on a camping trip, and now they're being used to turn shallow conversations into deep connections on every continent around the globe (yep, even Antarctica). Since then, I have been running countless experiences that promote trust, vulnerability and create a sense of belonging. I love to turn a group of strangers into friends with playful activities and meaningful conversations - so if you have any questions about facilitating connections for your participants, send me a message 🙂 Since 2020 I have trained thousands of people to create highly inclusive, engaging and meaningful experiences when we can’t be in the same room together in my Virtual Facilitator Trainings. This is where the pandemic encouraged me to bring my 10+ years of video production to the way I facilitate on Zoom. So, feel free to ask me about: ✅ Anything Zoom related ✅ Setting up a professional home studio ✅ Using virtual engagement tools like Ecamm Live Recently, I relocated from Canada to Germany to be closer to family, but my work is mainly in English and most of my clients are still based in North America. So if you're near Stuttgart, Germany, let me know as I am building my local network of like-minded people. I hope you’ll join me on my mission to help people feel less alone and fuel the movement for deeper human connection and answer one of my favourite "ice melter" questions in the comments: "If we met 1 year from today, what are you celebrating?" Feel free to connect with me on social (links in my profile)

Hey everyone. Check out this great audiobook. Would be handy in your facilitation journey. Listen to The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker on Audible.

Need some tips from you expert on how you keep you workshop participant engaged and participating while facilitating a remote workshop. As soon as the cameras are off it seem that some participating stops contributing (especially in long sessions). I know this because I'm one of those people 😅 Asking for a friend, thanks.

How often have you led a workshop or session, and found it difficult to keep everyone engaged? 😵‍💫​ Next week, I am hosting a free workshop on Butter.us - a very cool virtual meeting platform that is built for facilitators and has lots of cool engagement tools, plus you can build your agenda right inside the platform. I am excited to share my step-by-step methodology ("The Engagement Spiral") to make the most of every voice in the room, ensuring that even the quietest participants feel heard and valued. This balances the voices of all participants, ensuring that loud participants don't take over the meeting, while also helping shy participants find their voice.​ By the end of the workshop, you’ll know how to create a space where everyone feels invited to share their ideas and perspectives, leading to a more productive, inclusive and engaging experience for all. In this session you'll learn:​ 🤩 Different methods to encourage participation and engagement from all participants.​ ✨ How to balance the voices of all participants, making sure that no one takes over the meeting and even introverted participants feel seen, heard and valued. I'd love to see some familiar facilitators from our club there 😄 You can register for free here: https://lu.ma/ButterMixer46 And if you can't make it, I am hosting a couple more events and workshops this month. I just posted about them on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jankeck_join-me-for-these-free-learning-opportunities-activity-7028715350359732224-oWRK