Facilitation Lab Podcast
Business & Finance
About
Welcome to the Facilitation Lab Podcast, where Douglas Ferguson, founder of facilitation academy Voltage Control, speaks with Voltage Control Certification Alumni and other facilitation experts about the remarkable impact they're making. These discussions embrace a method-agnostic approach, so you can enjoy a wide range of topics and perspectives as we examine all the nuances of enabling meaningful group experiences. This series is dedicated to helping you navigate the realities of facilitating collaboration, ensuring every session you lead becomes truly transformative. If you'd like to join a live session sometime, you can join our Facilitation Lab Community. It's an ideal space to apply what you learn in the podcast in real time with peers. Sign up today at voltagecontrol.com/facilitation-lab.
Episodes
- Episode O: New Friction: A new series from Douglas Ferguson
New Friction is a podcast from Douglas Ferguson on the real organizational challenges of AI transformation. AI made execution almost free but most organizations are still stuck. Not because the technology doesn't work, but because the peop…
- Episode 174: The Greatest Secrets to Engaging Facilitation: Unlocking Team Potential
"I showed up just wanting to observe, but a deep prompt and a one-on-one conversation led to a beautiful, unexpected connection." - Erin Warner In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Erin Warner,…
- Episode 173: How Can Authenticity Transform Facilitation and Workplace Culture?
"I wondered what would happen if I opened a C-suite meeting with a dad joke or a meme, and it made people actually look forward to coming." - Renita Joyce Smith In this episode of the Facilitation Lab Podcast, host Douglas Ferguson intervi…
- Episode 172: The Greatest Lessons in Trust and Generosity from Online Communities
"When I started my career, people said there's no way a computer can create real human connection, and I was like, I think it can." - Sophie Bujold In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Sophie Bu…
- Episode 171: How Can Rituals in Design Enhance Facilitation and Organisational Resilience?
"Making experiences, whatever they are, human is one of the key learnings of human-centered design, and at least one of those that I really keep close to my heart." - Marco Monterzino In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, Dougla…
- Episode 170: The Best Practices for Creating Safe and Engaging Learning Environments
"I need people to not just feel safe, but to actually feel excited and engaged in whatever the moment is bringing, to take risks, and to grow in real time." - Grace Losada In this Facilitation Lab Podcast episode, host Douglas Ferguson int…
- Episode 169: The Greatest Secrets of Blending Magic and Psychology for Team Growth
"The emotions that come out from magic, the spaces that magic allows you, they are quite global." - Rubens Filho In this Facilitation Lab podcast episode, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Rubens Filho, Director of Spells & CEO of Abracadem…
- Episode 168: How Can Facilitation Foster Genuine Connections and Healing in Our Communities?
"When I see humans unable to center and organize, it feels like nails on a chalkboard to me." - Lori Boozer In this episode of the Facilitation Lab Podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Lori Boozer, a narrative strategist and wellness…
- Episode 167: How Can Facilitators Foster Bold Participation and Collaboration in Nonprofit Organizations?
"Sometimes in facilitation, it's a dance between creating space for others and offering perspectives that move the conversation forward." - Robin Cory In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson speaks with facil…
- Episode 166: From Talking Sticks to Blockchain: Revolutionizing Governance Through Collaboration
"The very fact we came together and wrote a constitution, even if it's not a perfect constitution, is a monumental achievement because people from 50 countries had to come together and get something done."- Charles Hoskinson In this episod…
- Episode 165: The Greatest Shift: From Competition to Collaboration in Idea Generation
"It's so much more beneficial when everyone gives up ownership of ideas and creates something that belongs to the whole group."- Emilia Åström In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Emilia Åström,…
- Episode 164: How Can Facilitators Ignite Creativity in Diverse Workshop Environments?
"Somewhere along the line, as we grow up, we get so used to doing things a certain way that we lose touch with that creative side of the brain. As kids, we tried all sorts of things and never stuck to a certain methodology or structure, bu…
- Episode 163: How Can We Combat Loneliness Through Shared Experiences?
"Connection moves at the speed of vulnerability. It takes courage to be the first on the dance floor or to reach out to someone, but those brave steps can lead to powerful connections"- Bahaa Chmait In this episode of the Facilitation Lab…
- Episode 162: Why Did the Facilitator Bring Legos to the Meeting? To Build Connections!
"One of the things that really motivates me is seeing the light in people's eyes when they come into the innovation center and we have them play with Legos or do something fun. Bringing enjoyment into work is something that really motivate…
- Episode 161: How Can Inclusive Facilitation Transform Decision-Making in Organizations?
"The power of facilitation is to bring all the voices to the table, and as you may have heard this saying, "nothing for us without us," and I love that, it resonates so much."-Alexis Scranton In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast…
- Episode 160: Finding The Click
"It's most costly in the wasted human energy and time that goes into things that people in the end don't care about. That is what's the most frustrating to me, seeing people pour their energy with the hope that it's going to pay off, and t…
- Episode 159: The Greatest Shift: From Traditional Training to Engaging Facilitation
"You can talk the talk all you want, but the group is going to know if you're not walking the walk. As the facilitator, you have to be the one that's ready to lead in what you're asking them to do."- Caterina Rodriguez In this episode of t…
- Episode 158: How Can Embracing Vulnerability Transform Your Leadership Journey?
"I saw her facilitate and I thought, "Wow, she's really drawing things out of the group instead of telling them what to do." That was so powerful, and I thought to myself, "I want to do that. I want to be able to do that type of work somed…
- Episode 157: From Extrovert to Empowerment: The Art of Facilitating Group Dynamics
"There is so much humanity in vulnerability. If you're going to ask others to be vulnerable, you have to be willing to do so yourself and let your walls down to have rich, honest conversations."- Alyssa Coughlin In this episode of the Faci…
- Episode 156: How Can Curiosity Drive Justice and Social Change in Organizations?
"I was blown away, absolutely enthralled and fascinated. My granddad turned to me and said, "You've got an inquiring mind, don't ever lose that." It has essentially formed who I am."- Dan Walker In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podc…
- Episode 155: Unlocking the Secrets of Engaging Facilitation
"Seeing the magic of bringing people together, setting clear agendas, and leaving with action items was eye-opening for me."- Lipika Grover In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Lipika Grover…
- Episode 154: How Can Effective Facilitation Transform Personal Connections and Group Dynamics?
"If you don't have those underpinnings of being anchored to something, it's really difficult to do anything else. That's just baseline sort of human functioning."- Kellie Artis In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas…
- Episode 153: How Adventure-Based Facilitation Can Transform Team Dynamics
"Take that risk, take that step forward. Don't think about it, just do it. Sometimes you just have to take that step, and by doing that, my life changed completely."- Tony Toto In this episode of the Facilitation Lab Podcast, host Douglas…
- Episode 152: How Can Facilitation Transform Leadership in Times of Change?
"I think that is one of the best gifts that you can give other people is yes, we're all just chemical biological beings at the beginning of these, and we have all the choices in the world to go somewhere else."- Nathan Hughes In this episo…
- Episode 151: How Observation and Play Enhance Your Facilitation Style
"I take the opportunity to build culture and connection with that team to make them stronger. And that's something that's really rewarding for me—when I leave the process to see after nine months of working with them that this team is much…
- Episode 150: The Most Impactful Visual Tools for Facilitating Team Alignment
"Now more than ever, we need facilitation, which is different than being a facilitator."- Jim Kalbach In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, Douglas Ferguson talks with Jim Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at MURAL and author, about his…
- Episode 149: How Can Effective Facilitation Transform Team Dynamics and Collaboration?
"Change is inevitable; it's how you adapt to it. It's the tools that you look for, the how do you want to grow so that you can adapt better to these changes that come your way."- Neallie Kani In this podcast episode, Douglas Ferguson hosts…
- Episode 148: How Can Facilitation Transform Professional Learning in Education?
"I allow myself to be very vulnerable and open because I know I'll grow in it, but I also know it helps others step into being vulnerable alongside me."- Susan Wilson-Golab In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, Douglas Ferguson…
- Episode 147: The Impact of Delightful Facilitation
"Delight is actually a combination of multiple emotions; it is joy coupled with surprise. So, I've really been thinking about how I can bring in more of that delight with very small tweaks to our everyday rituals at my company."- JJ Rogers…
- Episode 146: Embrace Discomfort to Adapt to New Ways of Working
"I am a poor participant when I am poorly led, but when I'm well led through a process, I'm really willing to play along."- Rebecca Sutherns In this podcast episode of the Facilitation Lab, host Douglas Ferguson talks with Dr. Rebecca Sout…
- Episode 145: Empowering Leaders For Sustainable Change
"We need facilitators to create that room. There are very few and the scientists who are quite enthusiastic as well as the decision leaders, what they know right now is PowerPoint one PowerPoint after another. And which is quite boring but…
- Episode 144: Impactful Facilitation Techniques for Building Multicultural Teams
"I think that is my superpower. I do connect. I believe that no one can be successful without the other. We need each other to thrive and we have to realize that we are strong in certain areas and others are strong in other areas. And toge…
- Episode 143: Making Meetings Less Painful and More Productive
"It was a humbling experience because I was the one leading those unproductive meetings or leading the teams astray and just talking about the work and really not having any action items or decisive plan of action afterwards. It was both a…
- Episode 142: Transforming Team Dynamics
""When you just take the time to apply a few of these facilitation techniques, it really can help people focus, help them make better, more efficient decisions, and ultimately feel like they're all bought in on it."" - Phil Canning In this…
- Episode 141: From Awkward Silence to Powerful Breakthroughs
"Listening in the silence, observing, seeing what's not being said in that silence, that tells a whole story as well." - Reshma Khan In this podcast episode, Douglas Ferguson interviews Reshma Aziz Khan, the CEO and Founder of Kenzo Consul…
- Episode 140: The Most Essential Facilitation Skills for Building Trust and Collaboration
"We live in such a polarized world right now, at least in the US, and I'm not going to get into that, but I think it is important that we be able to hear each other, really hear each other. Not necessarily agree, but how do we start to mov…
- Episode 139: Control the Room Is Now Facilitation Lab!
We are excited to announce that Control the Room is now the Facilitation Lab podcast!
- Episode 138: Product Managers Unlock Flow Through Facilitation
"In today's world, compassion and kindness in the business environment is the most valuable thing that you can bring to your business or any working session." - Eli Wood In this podcast episode, Douglas Ferguson and Eli Wood discuss the im…
- Episode 137: Humanizing Change
In this podcast episode, Douglas welcomes Tim Creasy, the Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci, to discuss the field of change management. Tim shares his origin story and how he became interested in understanding human systems and implementi…
- Episode 136: Stamp Out Boring Workshops: A Facilitator's Mission
"It's to stamp out boring workshops around the world forever because i think if you do have the opportunity to bring teams together or people together that's kind of sacred time so how do you get and this isn't about getting the biggest ro…
- Episode 135: Clarity Without Certainty
"I wanted to find a different way to think about the future and specifically wanted to understand the decision making process that leaders go through when they're facing extraordinary amounts of uncertainty. Because frankly, a lot of what…
- Episode 134: Creating Systems That Prompt Behaviors In A Certain Way
"Well, for me, I like to think of ensemble as a behavior rather than a specific group of people. And to think of ensemble behavior as a situation when I'm looking at the group that I'm with and we are working to make something that's diffe…
- Episode 133: The Art Of The Possible With AI
"I mean, frankly, in a lot of ways it's kind of a frightening time. So both of my parents are artists and I've grown up surrounded by musicians and artists of all different kinds, and a lot of them are reaching out to me and asking about w…
- Episode 132: Moving From Bricklayer To Architect
"Design systems are the tool that enable us to step out of being individual makers, crafters on particular interfaces. And it elevates our craft to a point where we're able to spend more time focusing on our users, bringing in our stakehol…
- Episode 131: No Company Thrives Without Good People
" I feel like I'm a unicorn at times because I'm able to speak different languages in the way that I can connect with people, right? So I was a solar entrepreneur. The pain points that I would have as a solo entrepreneur and growing and sc…
- Episode 130: Learn To Change Your Business
"... that ties back to OKRs because it's like what is the one thing that we're going to work on? And that's hard to do, because if you try to focus on 10 things, you're not focusing on anything. But that's what's nice about OKRs and why th…
- Episode 129: Step Into The Light
" Transitions are scary. Change is scary. So depending on the context, it could be a good thing, it could be a bad thing. And all of that can activate our fear response and our grief response. So there's a lot of neuroscience theory and br…
- Episode 128: Creating The Conditions For Change To Emerge
" It is looking into the narratives that an organization holds about itself, and that people hold about themselves, and understanding if these narratives are helpful or hindering to the change. And then actually from there trying to unders…
- Episode 127: Building Innovation Muscles
" That is one of the most difficult things, especially in a corporate environment, I think to get people to have that zone of safety. A lot of times when we talk to people within our organization like a Nelnet and we ask them to come up wi…
- Episode 126: Creating Environments For Group Genius
"I think I was lucky to be a teacher of very young children as my first career. They taught me so much about the joy of teaching and learning. Within the first few months of teaching it was clear to me that mutual learning created authenti…