Chair's Corner: October is full of opportunity

02 Octubre 2017

October is a buzzing month for us - we’ve got International Facilitation Week, Board elections, and the IAF EME Conference in Paris.

This gives us ample opportunity to change minds and raise awareness of the power of facilitation around the world. Let’s light up our social media worlds with reflections and insights on the theme of Diversity of Facilitation: Evolve, Expand and Empower, using the hashtags  #facweek & #ifw2017

How else can we make the most of October activities? There are three ways - though our practice, our clients and our association:

Our practice

Explore the theme as part of your commemoration activities focusing on your own practice.  

  • How are you evolving as a facilitator, doing work that stretches you?
  • What practices are you using to raise your own capacity to work with people and groups?

Our clients

It’s easy to think that the mark of a good facilitator is reflected in the expansion of their client list, but that’s not what I’m getting at. I think we would do well to see how we are facilitating our clients’ growth in understanding of facilitation to the extent that they become empowered advocates of the field.

  • How are we holding the space for conversations about the impact of the work we do?
  • How are we leveraging the IAF’s Facilitation Impact Awards to start these conversations with our clients?

Our association

The IAF is always in need of volunteers who have the bandwidth to further the cause. Have your say in the October elections for the 2018 Board.

Interested in volunteering? Contact your Regional Director or myself (chair@iaf-world.org) to find out about volunteer opportunities on the many developmental projects we have  locally and globally.

Announcement

Last month Nick Housego resigned from the position of Director of membership and chapters, and we’d like to say a huge thank you to him for his service to the IAF.

As of the September 2017 Board meeting, the Board has appointed Dirk Wouters to this position and we look forward to his contribution.

Noel E K Tan