Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Power of Metaphor to Shift Images: Story, Song, Symbol

Posted on December 3, 2025 by jofacilitator

(Image of the Iron Man statue in the 5th City community in Chicago) I was reminded of the event below when teaching the course The Power of Image Change.  In the course, we talk about how underlying images of self … Continue reading →

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Reflecting on the Past Created an Aha! that Changed the Future

Posted on November 21, 2025 by jofacilitator

Our underlying images of ourself and the world have a profound effect on our mental health and our behaviour. Messages that come to us in all kinds of ways can change those images. When those images change, our behaviour changes. … Continue reading →

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Healing Wounds by Sharing the Journey

Posted on November 13, 2025 by jofacilitator

(Photo is not of this story, but it is a creative Journey Wall.) Around 30 years ago, two community service organizations were serving a similar niche in an overlapping geographical area. One of these organizations was very large, with a … Continue reading →

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Addressing a Culture of Conflict within an Organization

Posted on November 6, 2025 by jofacilitator

This post was originally posted as “Organizational Transformation through Facilitation” in June, 2015. I think it may be informative in 2025, so I am reposting it. Once I had a client whose understanding of their mandate and mission was to … Continue reading →

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“No Time for Planning a Meeting”

Posted on October 23, 2025 by jofacilitator

I have heard this more and more often. Huge demands for productivity in meetings, but less and less time allotted to them. Here is a story of a team’s discovery about the impact of taking time to prepare a meeting. … Continue reading →

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History of Developing the ToP Action Planning Process for Strategic Planning

Posted on October 7, 2025 by jofacilitator

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

Posted on October 4, 2025 by jofacilitator

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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Another Story about the Organization Journey Map

Posted on September 27, 2025 by jofacilitator

Another Story of the Use of the Organizational Journey Map:  (see the original post for the map) The chief of a police force in a small city was eager to get participation of all officers in decision-making.  He had scheduled … Continue reading →

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Using the Organizational Journey Map

Posted on September 23, 2025 by jofacilitator

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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What if? Thoughts about Action in the Current Political Climate

Posted on February 25, 2025 by jofacilitator

Note: Although the content of the context talks about the Democratic party in the US, the actions could be about any political party in any country. Context: Selected quotes taken from a post by Rosemary Cairns via The Atlantic. “What … Continue reading →

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