Although facilitation is about moving people to where they want to go, the simple truth is that nobody moves anywhere unless they move themselves. The Socratic Method is a way to help people see when they need to move, and where they need to move to. It produces better learning and better solutions because it leads people to explore, challenge their thinking, and discover answers for themselves. Self-discovery facilitates action because individuals uncover for themselves what needs to be done and why.  Click here to read the full article.

It’s easy when we’re trying to present something new, particularly in a training environment, to be overwhelmed by all there is to know and say on the subject. In fact, I’m often asked by trainers, “How do I cover all the information I have to share in the limited time I have?” In this week’s article, Dethroning the God of Content, we explore how to put engaged learning ahead of content delivery.

I’ve also included a short five minute video below that covers virtually same “content” in another way. It talks about how to manage fitting all the content you need to teach into the time you have. This short lesson looks at both practical tips and shifts in your attitude about content that will help you with this dilemma.

I wrote the Ten Steps to Facilitating Major Life Change a few years ago after making a couple very large changes in my own life. Review this to support you in your own life changes and use it as a handout for your clients who may be stuck or hesitant, but serious about making a change in either their professional or personal lives. I look forward to hearing how this works for you and your groups.

Consider your typical social conversation. Do they always go as smoothly as you’d like? Or what about those small group roundtables you’re involved in at luncheons, community gatherings, or at workshops? On these occasions, some basic group process skills come in very handy. In this week’s article, Five Ways to Facilitate Group Conversations, we review a few basic skills anyone can employ in small groups to make the conversation flow. Use them yourself and pass them on to your friends and clients who may be less familiar with these skills than you.

In this week’s MFJ issue, The Art of Not Doing, we explore the radical idea of not doing to support the emergence of solutions to our problems both individually and in our groups.