Category Archives: Facilitation Stories

Stories about Facilitation and Authentic Participation

Addressing Distrust in a Public Consultation with a Focused Conversation

A school district needed to address the fact that some schools were very old and needed very expensive renovation, and that there were new neighbourhoods in the city that needed new schools.  The budget was limited and not everything could … Continue reading

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History of Developing the ToP Action Planning Process for Strategic Planning

In 1988, non-profit organizations were required to have a strategic plan in order to get their funding from the province for the next year.  Wayne and I facilitated ToP strategic planning for each of 12 regional non-profit organizations that were … Continue reading

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Listening to Polarized Viewpoints and Creating Consensus

Currently we are more and more aware of social issues facing our society – such as addictions as in alcohol, gambling, and illegal drug use; as well as unemployment and job loss, housing, etc.  Many social issues trigger emotional responses … Continue reading

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Using the Organizational Journey Map

This Map is copyrighted: Copyright Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs, 1998 Usually the best way to use the Organizational Journey Map is to work with a group in the same room that represents all the levels of the organization, or … Continue reading

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From SWOT to SWTO

Most people remember the acronym SWOT for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. One time I had a client ask to do a SWOT before they renewed their strategic plan.  It was a difficult time right after a provincial election that was … Continue reading

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Addressing a Request for Strategic Planning in a Half Day

I was contacted by a person working for a small non-profit who knew something of ToP methods.  She said they needed a strategic plan, but they only had a half-day available to do it. On the face of it, this … Continue reading

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Facilitation Stories

This series of posts will be stories from my facilitation career, highlighting lessons I learned from working with clients. I intend for these to be helpful for those I am mentoring, but in general to all facilitators. Perhaps it will … Continue reading

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“Kitchen Table” Conversation to Discern Challenges and Actions to Address Them

One of the things I have heard the most in the last few months is a yearning to understand how different people can think so differently about what is going on in the world. Others have said that making meaningful … Continue reading

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I’m proud to announce that The Art of Focused Conversation, 2nd Edition is Available!

The Art of Focused Conversation, Second Edition: More Than 100 Ways to Access Group Wisdom in Your Organization by R. Brian Stanfield and Jo Nelson The Art of Focused Conversation is the quintessential theoretical and practical guide to group communication … Continue reading

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Dialogue to Heal an Adversarial Worldview

Dialogue to Heal an Adversarial Worldview by Jo Nelson, CTF, IAF-CPF EmeritusFrom <The Power of Dialogue- Conversations with Masters> series Dialogue to Heal an Adversarial Worldview by Jo Nelson, CTF, IAF-CPF EmeritusFrom <The Power of Dialogue- Conversations with Masters> series … Continue reading

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