Library of facilitation techniques

Observing the lives of others is not only an essential element of how we define our own identities, it can also be a great spark for creativity. This activity was inspired by a blog post by Russell Davies.

This specific activity is perfect both for honing your listening and observation skills, but also how to turn this into an everyday documentary-style output. Oh and by the way, he does warn that this activity should be done with a certain level of sensitivity to the subjects you are observing.

Ho'oponopono is a Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness that involves expressing remorse, asking for forgiveness, expressing gratitude, and expressing love in order to heal and transform relationships. It aims to bring about healing, understanding, and connection within oneself and with others.

On a board there is a Sun, a Sun with a cloud, and a cloud with a thunder. Participants write their name on a postit and put it in the area that matches their current mood.

Use this fabulous ice breaker to see the diverse perspectives of your group using creative prompts. The activity allows the team to create a quick and fun image of a fictional monster using generative AI using only 3 characteristics.

Mostly this is great for an online workshop, but with a little supervision it can be pretty cool in an in-person session.

We live and work in turbulent times, juggling never-ending to-do lists, back-to-back meetings, and constant context switching. When people enter a meeting, they often carry mental clutter – unfinished tasks, lingering thoughts, or stress from the previous discussion.

This simple yet effective exercise helps participants mentally transition into the meeting by externalizing their distractions, physically letting them go, and creating a fresh focus for the discussion ahead. I use this whenever I sense a group (whether virtual or in-person) is distracted, overwhelmed, or coming straight from another meeting. It works well when combined with a check-in question that gets everyone speaking.

This poem can help bridge diversity in a group.

A scripted roleplay highlighting the importance of accountability and good governance.