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.
Letting others see us || 🎙️ Episode 347: When 100 People Feel Like One Team with Perle Laouenan-Catchpole
|
Dear Reader, What did you hide about yourself at work today? Recently, a client asked whether I could host a workshop. Normally, I’d check my calendar and if I am not available on that date, I'd respond with something neutral and suggesting alternatives. This time, I didn't need to check my calendar because I knew the reason I was unavailable. Without overthinking, I told them: “I won't be free that day because I’ll be at the municipality with my fiancée to register our wedding.” Within minutes, I received the most heartfelt replies I’ve ever got from this client. It started with an “Awesome!!!” — yes, three exclamation marks — followed by congratulations and the willingness to find another time. Even though I spent my time studying 'unprofessionalism' — even though I know that showing up human invites humanity back — I was still caught off guard by how instantly our dynamic shifted. Politeness creates distance. Humanity creates connection. So this is a reminder to myself that every time we hide a little part of ourselves — our excitement, our struggles, our joy — we unconsciously tell others to hide too. And the result is a workplace full of people wearing polite masks, wondering why everything feels so transactional. This is how we create psychological safety: showing ourselves and the person behind our title, role, costume. When we show up as a human being with a story and a heart we give permission for others to do the same. What if the things we've labeled 'unprofessional' are exactly what bring ease, joy, and flow back into our work? What's one 'unprofessional' truth you could share this week? Maybe it's why you're really unavailable. Maybe it's what you're actually excited about. Maybe it's just admitting you're tired. Whatever it is, try it. And watch what happens. 🎙 Meanwhile, on the podcast…Gathering hundreds of people is most facilitators’ worst nightmare – but for Perle Laouenan-Catchpole, it’s her dream. With her signature feminine energy and warmth, Perle connects large online groups as one, cohesive team, creating a sense of belonging that sends ripples of impact throughout the group. Her secret? Comfort must always come before safety, simplicity will always triumph over complexity, and facilitating true connection begins with understanding yourself first. This is a beautiful, passionate conversation for anyone that wants to step into their superpower, and learn the art of online, human connection. Find out about:
🎧 Click here to listen to the interview📥 Check out my 1-page summary 👀 Watch the unedited interview on Youtube 🎧 Podcast Club is ComingFrom January 2026, the workshops work podcast will become the Unprofessionalism podcast but it shall flourish after retirement: I am building a podcast club on Substack: For now, the idea is still raw and evolving, which is a good thing, I believe, as we can shape it together! At the heart of it lies a shared intention: to keep the 355+ podcast episodes alive and to use the collective wisdom to fuel our own facilitation practice. I want to keep it simple and accessible, which means: I won’t start a new community 😅 Instead, I’ll be using Substack as the podcast archive and platform because it allows you to access all the content: audio, video, 1-page summary, links, group chat and comments! I imagine keeping the full content free of charge but adding a paywall to comments, the chat and monthly calls — once the group reaches a critical mass of at least 20 people. And if there is one thing I’ve learned from NeverDoneBefore, it’s the power of co-creation. So we’ll begin with a first gathering in November. It’s a chance for early believers to shape this club together. Sign up for the free gathering If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of, you can join the Substack here: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/ *** That’s it from my side! I hope you enjoy the content and find inspiration in the stories and podcast. Wishing you a week filled with unprofessional truth. I hope to see you next week! Myriam
|
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 tells you that you’ve done a good job? Pause for a second before you answer. Is it a number, a feeling, a comment from someone else, or the simple relief of being done? Most of us have a metric, even if we’ve never named it. And once it’s there, it starts steering far more than we realise. I noticed this recently, in the most unlikely of places: on my meditation cushion. Before my last Vipassana retreat, a “good” meditation was easy to define. It was a sit where my mind...
Dear Reader, I came back from ten days of silence on Sunday. No phone. No writing. No reading. No podcasts. Just long hours of sitting, scanning sensations, and noticing how quickly the mind wants things to be different. Less pain. More comfort. A way out. Vipassana calls the practice equanimity. The capacity to stay with sensation as it is, without craving when it’s pleasant and without aversion when it’s unpleasant. Not suppressing. Not indulging. Simply noticing. When we stop feeding our...
Dear Reader, By the time you read this, I’ll be sitting in silence. Today will be day six out of ten. Ten hours of meditation a day. No phone, no notebook, no book, no calendar. Just me, my breath, and whatever Goenka has to say about observing sensations without reacting to them. It’s my sixth Vipassana (listen to my insights after the last), which means I should know by now that the first two days feel excruciating. My mind throws a tantrum like a toddler whose iPad has been taken away....