Library of facilitation techniques

You can help a large group of people identify obstacles and opportunities for spreading ideas or innovations at many levels. Panarchy enables people to visualize how systems are embedded in systems and helps them understand how these interdependencies influence the spread of change. Participants become more alert to small changes that can help spread ideas up to other system levels; they learn how shifts at larger or lower system levels may release resources to assist them at another level. With better appreciation of the Ecocycle dynamics at play, the group creates “opportunity windows” for innovations to spread among levels and across boundaries.

This method quickly provokes a deeper set of reflections and insights among group members. While standing in two concentric circles, everyone forms a pair with someone else and completes an open-ended sentence in less than thirty seconds. After one minute, the participants move to the right, form a new pair, and complete the next sentence. This allows the entire group to simultaneously have a conversation, share ideas & insights, and quickly get to know many new persons.

You can eliminate or mitigate common bottlenecks that stifle performance by sifting your group’s portfolio of activities, identifying which elements are starving for resources and which ones are rigid and hampering progress. The Ecocycle makes it possible to sift, prioritize, and plan actions with everyone involved in the activities at the same time, as opposed to the conventional way of doing it behind closed doors with a small group of people. Additionally, the Ecocycle helps everyone see the forest AND the trees—they see where their activities fit in the larger context with others. Ecocycle Planning invites leaders to focus also on creative destruction and renewal in addition to typical themes regarding growth or efficiency. The Ecocycle makes it possible to spur agility, resilience, and sustained performance by including all four phases of development in the planning process.

This is a structured discussion activity for exploring a topic by answering questions in three different set-ups: individually, in pairs and in teams. 

The "Release & Recharge" activity effectively combines physical movement, stress reduction, creativity enhancement, inclusivity, mindfulness, personal connection, and joy—all crucial elements for an impactful icebreaker in various workshop settings.

In pairs or small groups players silently become non-human objects together

1. All behaviour is connected (no behaviour is isolated).

2. All behaviour is created jointly (and is in fact circular).

3. You cannot not behave.

4. All behaviour provokes feedback.

5. A change in one part of a system results in a change in another part.

A collective witnessing practice where participants anonymously name truths they are carrying and then the group then takes turns physically and verbally “holding” one another’s truths, building shared understanding, acceptance, empathy, and surfacing patterns in the group.

A Self-Awareness, Empathy, and Non-Violent Communication Practice for Leaders and Team members

The Planets Activity is a reflective and relational practice that helps leaders map the inner landscape that drives their behaviour at work. Using a simple metaphor of three concentric circles, participants identify their core needs (NVC), the feelings that arise when these needs are met or unmet, and the observable actions they take on the “surface” as a result. By distinguishing clearly between needs, feelings, and behaviours, leaders gain a deeper understanding of their own patterns and those of others. This creates a foundation of empathy, emotional literacy, and shared language that enhances collaboration, reduces misinterpretation, and supports more human, responsible leadership.

It has been a highly acclaimed activity for every team and training session, and it is easy to deliver while having the greatest impact on the workshop or training.

Originally created by Xavier Garcia-Weibel & Julie Leitz

Human-Centric Leaders www.humancentricleaders.com

xavier@humancentricleaders.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/xaviergarciaweibel