Steve Ray, Author at Groupwork Centre

Groupwork Centre’s Microskills Card Deck

Posted by Steve Ray on July 26, 2021 in Facilitation, Facilitation resources, Working well with others,

For those of you who still reach into the “deck of microskill cards” that exist within your heads, or perhaps in your notebook from one of the courses you have done with Groupwork, here now, is the REAL thing! Ever wanted a deck of Microskill cards – here they are!We’ve produced a physical card-deck of […]

Free Webinar: How to create a bold and dynamic team Tue 23/4 at 12.30pm

Posted by Steve Ray on April 17, 2019 in Management Gems, Working well with others,

Three people seated in a workshop room, leaning back and not looking at each other

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Side conversations: The gift they give facilitators

Posted by Steve Ray on October 17, 2018 in Facilitation, Management Gems, Working as an independent facilitator,

Classroom with 4 12-year-old students. A girl is whispering into the ear of another girl while two boys in the background are chatting with each other

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:

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,

Mediaeval knight in full armour brandishing a sword and shield

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.

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,

Ants on a gum leaf; the leader ant is looking ahead but also looking at the team

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 […]

Hateful comments: Defensive or Curious?

Posted by Steve Ray on March 27, 2018 in Working as an independent facilitator, Working well with others,

Cartoon image of a young man talking to a computer

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.

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,

“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 […]

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,

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 […]

Deep listening: Going beyond a technique…

Posted by Steve Ray on May 4, 2017 in Facilitation, Management Gems, Working well with others,

Are you truly listening? Or is there something going on for you which is undermining your support of this person speaking to you?

The Power of Noticing and Naming

Posted by Steve Ray on April 12, 2017 in Facilitation, Working well with others,

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 […]

Challenging Encounters

Posted by Steve Ray on July 26, 2016 in Management Gems,

Please allow us to challenge you if you believe you need to deal with difficult people.

7 Steps for Emotional Intelligence/Resilience

Posted by Steve Ray on July 25, 2016 in Management Gems, Working well with others,

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?

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Groupwork Centre Blog articles by Steve Ray

Groupwork Centre’s Microskills Card Deck

Free Webinar: How to create a bold and dynamic team Tue 23/4 at 12.30pm

Side conversations: The gift they give facilitators

The power of YES: 3 Tips to responding when you disagree

Here’s how a leader refused to make rules and found success

Hateful comments: Defensive or Curious?

Group culture: The magic of facilitating group agreements

Deep listening: Going beyond a technique…

Challenging Encounters

7 Steps for Emotional Intelligence/Resilience

Facilitation Training Short Course

Advanced Groupwork Facilitation Course (Online) (Note: 2022 course is now under way, 2023 course details to be announced later this year)