Global Flipchart #15

Helga Bruggemann , Michael Ambjorn & Zena-Gabrielle Hailu

We have been discussing this topic over coffee a number of times in the last year, and here are some of our favourite ideas…

1. Daily curiosity

One topic we’ve come back to again and again is how art - in all its forms - can help both inspire and provoke action. Locally there is so much choice and if you stop by, be sure to let us know, we can point you in the right direction. 

Plenty of ideas also can be found further afield - and in the virtual sphere too. A notable one that we like is #FacilitationFriday - a welcome weekly opportunity for reflection. Another is the stack of books we still have to read after @CircleindigoGA shared almost 100 interesting reads from their bookshelf, one Tweet at a time.

2. Regular get-togethers

Inspired by IAF England & Wales and their #IAFmeetup initiative, we’ve been hosting a regular local meetup too.

Why participate in one of these?

• Meet others interested in facilitation
• Create connection
• Share & learn

We’ve experimented with a couple of formats, and this is one format that has worked well for us:

• A brief round of introductions - followed by open discussion around the opportunities and challenges related to facilitation.
• A brief facilitated session - showcasing a new or perhaps tried-and-tested technique; followed by feedback and discussion on the process – as well as the content.
• The opportunity to share a current challenge or issue that you might be struggling with; to receive questions, feedback – or advice – in return.

It can also be an opportunity to share a recent breakthrough or success - there’s nothing like the energy of a group of people interested in facilitation. And one thing we hope you will join us in celebrating, is the launch of a mini-collection of actionable insights from these meetings (including our own checklist for running them).

There are plenty more approaches - here are just some we’ve discussed trying in due course: Focused Conversation / World Café / Consensus Workshop / Open Space/ Thinking Environment Circles / Tetralemma Decision Making Technique / Sociometric Exercises, like Scaling… and maybe even a session using constellations. So much to choose from.

3. Occasional originality

With the two ideas above running on a schedule so to speak, it helps to now and again take a big step back, take stock, consolidate insights - and share.

If you’re a member of IAF then you could for example pitch an article to IAF Global Flipchart… 

Contribute to the IAF Methods Database… Or otherwise share your work - we’ve both got book projects in the works, as another example. Or perhaps come share at one of the many IAF conferences across the globe?

On the latter note, one of us attended the Regional Conference in Milan in person - the other virtually - thanks to the hashtag: #AgileFac2019. If we’ve inspired you to try setting up your own #IAFmeetup (as we were ourselves by others), then here’s a little guide for you. Download PDF