I'm a recovering academic who uses her insights from behavioural economics to develop methods that facilitate collaboration. In my weekly newsletter, I share the summary of my latest interview on the "workshops work" podcast along with an application of facilitation as a life and leadership skill.
Another failed experiment || 🎙️ Episode 333 on Facilitating with Fabric, Feeling, and Freedom with Paula Short
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Dear Reader, Over the past two weeks I have been resisting it. I don’t need one, I said to myself. I’m not fully off. I’ll reply here and there. It’s just a few emails. I’ll do it after the run, after lunch, dinner.... tomorrow. The out of office reply... I cannot even think of a good reason for my resistance. Somehow, I was fond of the experiment trying to balance vacation and work. Maybe I felt guilty for taking six weeks off. Surely, there was some laziness before leaving, since I didn't have to finish up any work. I could work a bit here and there. Well, let me tell you that I learned my lesson. The moment I turned on the automated email response, my shoulders dropped, my laughter sounded just a little freer, and the lunch break felt a bit more expansive. As if my nervous system received a message that it was finally safe to relax. And now I know that an automated email is one of the most useful and beautiful and easiest boundaries to set. And an analogy for the door-half-open, the half-hearted yes, the wish for someone to protect our time that we don't dare to protect ourselves. Over-commitment is such an easy way to erode trust and a slippery-slope into burnout. To me, this was a great reminder that boundaries don’t push people away. They show clarity. And a simple email can help others understand when and how we will be available and develop some empathy when we are not. 🎙 Meanwhile, on the podcast…A Mary Poppins’ bag of glitter, a big beating drum, a lump of clay, and a shiny gold crown. Bringing her wonderful, precious collection of props to the show, is the brilliant Paula Short. As a personal development psychotherapist, talented actress, and the founder of a 1997 youth centre, facilitation has been a guiding constant in Paula’s life and work. Now as a self-exploration retreat host, she facilitates deep transformation through the expressive arts, helping people to welcome unchartered emotions without shame. We explore how donning the cloak of the villain in a fictional story can become an embodied breakthrough, why the collective support of the group can be liquid gold, and why Paula has such an issue with tissues. A special, heartfelt conversation – join us! Find out about:
🎧 Click here to listen to the interview📥 Check out my 1-page summary 👀 Watch the unedited interview on Youtube 📌 Find podcast episodes that match your needsDid you know? You can search all episodes by keyword on our Buzzsprout page to find exactly what you need. Click here to find the episodes by keyword. 🔖 Inspiration at Your Fingertips: Get the Podcast Summary eBooksAre you looking for inspiration for your next workshop or guidance on which podcast episode to explore next? Discover the eBooks compiling summaries of all 300 “Workshops Work” podcast episodes—a rich collection of facilitation insights and practical tips. These digital coffee table books are perfect for sparking new ideas or delving deeper into workshop best practices. Click here to get your copies. That’s it from my side! I hope you enjoy the content and find inspiration in the stories and the podcast. I wish you the courage to draw a boundary before you burn out. I’ll see you next week! Myriam
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How can we facilitate collaboration?
I'm a recovering academic who uses her insights from behavioural economics to develop methods that facilitate collaboration. In my weekly newsletter, I share the summary of my latest interview on the "workshops work" podcast along with an application of facilitation as a life and leadership skill.
Dear Reader, What if growing smaller actually meant growing stronger? This question came to mind when my newsletter provider announced a significant fee increase (based on the number of subscribers). I've been obsessed with numbers believing that more is merrier and more followers or subscribers means more reach. But just because we are sending a message doesn't mean someone receives it. I've learned from years of facilitation that just because we're sending a message doesn't mean someone...
Dear Reader, Do you have a sense of community in your work? Working solo can feel isolating, which is why many freelancers seek out peer groups. But even in a team, it’s easy to feel lonely. Most conversations are about the what: what needs doing, by when, by who. Important, yes, but not very connecting. Today, in an All Hands meeting with my associates, all freelancers, I was reminded what community feels like. And it wasn’t because of icebreakers or formal bonding. It came from what we...
Dear Reader, Nothing tests a fresh insight faster than walking through your own front door.... I literally just stepped through the door, coming back from a week-long retreat with Mr Embodiment, Mark Walsh (you might remember him from podcast 282). As I was writing, it struck me: I was doing the exact opposite of what I’d taken away from the retreat, and what I was about to write about 🤯 Instead of arriving properly - making tea, changing into comfortable clothes, maybe just breathing for a...