Recently, I joined the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) global summit as a presenter and attendee, connecting with a vibrant community of facilitators from over 65 countries. The IAF brings together professionals who believe in the power of facilitation to create meaningful change in groups, organisations, and communities worldwide.
Lawrence Philbrook and I hosted the first Open Space event of the Summit in the Asia Pacifc time zone. The engagement was fast, and fun, and it was fantastic to hear and see the range of topics that emerged through the power of Open Space. We passed the Open Space baton to Hector Villarreal Lozoya and Gerardo de Luzenberger who continued in other time zones over the next couple of days.
I brought out my trusty marker pens to take on the role of sketch note taker for a few sessions. Using my graphic note taking skills I captured “Adapting with Play” led by Stephen Berkeley and Kavi Arasu which explored the idea of first identifying facilitation challenges before examining how technology can support the process. It posed the question: How can we approach this with the right balance of curiosity, humility, and courage? I also sketched notes for Shawn Chung and Laura Hsu who led us through conversation types that can facilitate better exchanges, collaboration, inquiry and decision-making.
There’s something powerful about listening deeply and translating conversations into visual notes that help groups see their thinking come alive on the page. As a scribe, my role was to stay present, capture the essence of what was being shared, and create a visual record that the group could refer back to. Sometimes, the simplest tools – pen and paper – can help teams make sense of complex conversations and keep track of their valuable insights. It was good to hone my skills again.
What stood out to me about this forum is the shared commitment to growing our practice, setting high professional standards, and demonstrating the value of skilled facilitation. It’s energising to be part of a global conversation about how effective facilitation can help us better serve our clients and tackle today’s complex organisational challenges.
Contact
Dr Cathryn Lloyd
cathryn@maverickminds.com.au
+61 406 007 753