Some quick thoughts on feedback
I’m currently designing a feedback session for an upcoming team retreat. Feedback can be surprisingly complex because it’s about creating the conditions both for more explicit appreciation AND for the courage to address uncomfortable issues. While we can encourage a feedback culture, there’s no point in forcing it: feedback is most useful when we ask […]
Decision phases: an introduction
Decisions are hard enough when you’re just trying to move on your own, but with a group, they can be even harder. No wonder that many groups, organisations and projects are struggling with decision making. One of the first questions that many ask is WHO takes the decision for WHAT (and HOW others are consulted). […]
Undercover facilitation: An introduction
Have you ever been in a meeting that didn’t go so well – and wished someone would do something about it? What if that someone was you? Let me introduce you to the concept of undercover facilitation – a set of moves that any participant can make to get a meeting back on track. This […]
Hybrid meetings: Design for the senses
You won’t be able to smell, touch or taste all other participants in your hybrid meeting, but… can you see them? Can you hear them? Walking through your participant’s sensory experience of a hybrid meeting can be a great check for your setup and technology. Consider the following: Hearing As a general rule of thumb, […]
Let’s play the meeting puzzle!
When I try to solve a puzzle, I go through phases. I might start with the edge, then identify a few noticeable features, then sort pieces by type, going bit by bit – until finally there’s only a few less obvious pieces left and everything falls into place. Preparing a meeting is a bit like […]
Large groups online: a short guide
A colleague asked: “How do you handle very large online workshops with hundreds of people?” They then told me that they don’t just want to run a series of presentations with limited Q&A, but that they are interested in meaningful interactions during their workshop. Start with why A good place to start is by clarifying […]
Levels of impact
Here at ON:SUBJECT, we love to work with people who are trying to change the world. Like you! They are working really hard. But the problems are enormous and the change they want to see is so big that it’s not easy to see whether their actions are making a difference. You might recognize this. […]
Flavours of decision-making
Does your organization have a defined way of taking decisions? While the need for a decision on a certain issue is easy to see, we often have less clarity who’s making what decision and how input will be handled. This can either lead to unnecessary delays – when we avoid decisions – or frustrations – […]
Stuck? Simple tools for clarity and decisions
Decision making can be hard. When we’re working with a group or an organization on complex issues that really matter to us, it gets even harder: no analysis will ever be complete, and no possible approach will ever be perfect. Instead of getting stuck in endless discussions, here are a few steps that can help: […]
4 reasons to start your meetings with a check in
Check ins are a fundamental ritual in nearly every meeting I am involved in. I use them because: Depending on the size of the group and the length of the meeting, the time of check ins can vary: Most of the time we ask for one word, one thought, a sentence – and sometimes we’ll […]