Tag Archives: participation

What if there are no walls I can use in my facilitation event?

Posted on September 17, 2026 by jofacilitator

This is a bit lighter than some of my posts, but I had a wonderful time remembering creative responses to this challenge! This week I had an email from a colleague who said “I’m working with a low budget non-profit … Continue reading →

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Authentic Inclusion

Posted on August 27, 2026 by jofacilitator

Inclusion of all those who have a stake in the results of a decision in contributing to the consensus on that decision is an ethical value that undergirds authentic facilitation.  It is often very challenging.  There are many blocks, both … Continue reading →

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A First Step in My Facilitation Journey

Posted on April 3, 2026 by jofacilitator

Someone asked me this question:  If a career as a facilitator is lifelong, when did you decide you wanted to become a facilitator? When I started facilitating, there was no profession called facilitation.  I started out as a teacher. I … Continue reading →

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Using the Focused Conversation Method with Dots to Prioritize Consensus Workshop Results

Posted on March 26, 2026 by jofacilitator

I’m not sure when I discovered this process based on the Focused Conversation Method, but it allows thinking through a number of perspectives on priorities at different levels to discover which item is the biggest priority overall. Instead of just … Continue reading →

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Focused Conversation On Current Events with One or a Few Others (Or with Self)

Posted on February 25, 2026 by jofacilitator

This conversation was catalyzed by a conversation with a couple of other ToP facilitators in this month’s ToP Community of Practice meeting about how in current times it is challenging to have conversations about anything because people cannot agree on … Continue reading →

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Facilitating Diversity

Posted on February 19, 2026 by jofacilitator

(Photo from the front cover of The Art of Focused Conversation, Second Edition) This week in February 2026 marked significant religious events in several different traditions. Lunar New Year, the beginning of Ramadan, and Ash Wednesday all happened within 2 … Continue reading →

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My Working Assumptions as a Facilitator

Posted on February 5, 2026 by jofacilitator

I have recently read reflections by several facilitators on group norms, facilitator neutrality, and “facilitation as manipulation”. I think that this is an important topic, especially in these times. Thirty-two years ago a group of people (I was a part … Continue reading →

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Focus Group/Plenary Process for Large Group Consensus-Building  

Posted on January 29, 2026 by jofacilitator

The process used in “Large Scale Participatory Process: A Municipal Consultation…” in this blog uses the Consensus Workshop Method at two levels, first using the same focus question in a number of small groups or focus groups to create consensus … Continue reading →

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Facilitating Your Family 2: Another story about facilitating one’s family

Posted on January 16, 2026 by jofacilitator

In 1992, Wayne and I and our 2 sons were living in a small apartment belonging to the organization we worked for, after having lived in many places around the world in our married life. We had already decided to … Continue reading →

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Facilitating Your Family

Posted on January 12, 2026 by jofacilitator

A couple of colleagues mentioned in social media posts before the holidays that it is very challenging to facilitate family members – that chaos can erupt very quickly.  I was reminded of a story of facilitating my family years ago.  … Continue reading →

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