Side conversations: The gift they give facilitators Posted by Steve Ray on October 17, 2018 in Facilitation, Management Gems, Working as an independent facilitator, Make a comment Address the vexing problem of side conversations in groups without shaming …That’s a mental shift that YOU have to make first as a facilitator. Here’s how: Read more
The power of YES: 3 Tips to responding when you disagree Posted by Steve Ray on June 14, 2018 in Management Gems, Working well with others, Make a comment How much do you protect yourself and your opinion? When you experience resistance to your ideas, it can be an opportunity to connect and explore. Read more
Here’s how a leader refused to make rules and found success Posted by Steve Ray on April 12, 2018 in Management Gems, Working well with others, Make a comment People often ask: ‘How do we adapt to a new environment without losing our culture or sliding away from the principles that have made our workplace the preferred place to work?’ Our co-founder Glen Ochre was a big fan of this maverick boss, Ricardo Semler from South America. He is a quirky and successful example […] Read more
Hateful comments: Defensive or Curious? Posted by Steve Ray on March 27, 2018 in Working as an independent facilitator, Working well with others, Make a comment You could read a million books, but they will all be flotsam and jetsam in the wake of the state that we’re automatically transformed into when accosted by a hateful attack. Read more
Group culture: The magic of facilitating group agreements Posted by Steve Ray on October 27, 2017 in Facilitation, Working as an independent facilitator, Working well with others, Make a comment “How can we work well together?” Last year, we worked with a group of IT professionals who were blown away by our use of group agreements when working with a group for the first time. Many of them had specialist technical expertise, but didn’t have the skills to work well in their project groups. Their […] Read more
Groupness: A facilitator’s guide to helping a group connect Posted by Steve Ray on August 10, 2017 in Facilitation, Working as an independent facilitator, Make a comment We all LONG to hang out with other people. We just can’t help it. It’s locked into our DNA. We are social animals, and being a part of a group in some way is just a healthy survival imperative. Naturally, some of us are more gregarious than others, however even if we like to be […] Read more
Deep listening: Going beyond a technique… Posted by Steve Ray on May 4, 2017 in Facilitation, Management Gems, Working well with others, Make a comment Are you truly listening? Or is there something going on for you which is undermining your support of this person speaking to you? Read more
The Power of Noticing and Naming Posted by Steve Ray on April 12, 2017 in Facilitation, Working well with others, Make a comment Sometimes we have stuff going on in our lives that gnaws away at our equanimity. We’re driving along feeling OK and then we remember ‘that thing’ – an unresolved issue in our life which sits like some kind of boulder inside of us, and which we desperately wish wasn’t there. Sometimes taking the step […] Read more
Challenging Encounters Posted by Steve Ray on July 26, 2016 in Management Gems, Make a comment Please allow us to challenge you if you believe you need to deal with difficult people. Read more
7 Steps for Emotional Intelligence/Resilience Posted by Steve Ray on July 25, 2016 in Management Gems, Working well with others, Make a comment How easily can you pick yourself up after a big emotional experience? How easy do you find it to have ‘challenging conversations’, especially when there is high risk involved? Do you manage to be true to yourself, your values, beliefs and needs? And say what you need to say or do what you need to do? Read more
