Being embarrassed to ask a question can have disastrous consequences. Think sex ed, health issues, politics or any other hot topic. Not feeling free to ask questions can lead to a flood of misinformation and dangerous behaviour that spreads. Years ago, at a drug and alcohol workshop for … [Read more...] about A primer for creating a safe space for sensitive questions
Draw a letter E on your forehead with your finger. Seriously. Right now. Did you draw it so that you could read it (from your orientation) or that someone else, someone looking at you could read it (which is called ‘other orientation’)? This is a quick way of looking at leadership … [Read more...] about Your how-to for building a vibrant learning culture (brought to you by the letter E)
You’ve got hard won subject matter expertise. You’re set on changing the world (or your corner of it). You’re keen to share your wisdom with the world but you’re afraid of falling into the trap of creating a workshop that: Is boringIs nothing much more than a lectureDoesn’t engage your … [Read more...] about How to make your workshops not suck in three easy steps
The pressure’s on. It’s a new year which likely means a new and never-ending to do list right? Wrong. We focus wayyyy too much on our to do’s and not enough on our to don’ts. Let me explain. When was the last time you took something OFF your plate of to … [Read more...] about Want more breathing space? Ramp up with this easy ‘ta da’ technique
Do you have fire-itis? Symptoms of fire-itis include: You’re beyond on fire, you have so many to-do lists you need lists for your lists You’re overwhelmed and/or exhausted You’re burning and brimming with ideas, inspiration, and you’ve got more projects on the go than the population of a … [Read more...] about The signs, symptoms of fire-itis and what to do about it
Remember that time when your mom or dad or caregiver stood with a ruler between your nose & theirs? You know, that time they said ‘this is how far apart you stand in social conversation.’ Nope? No memory of that? Of course not. You implicitly learned how far apart to stand when talking to … [Read more...] about Remember when you stood with a ruler between your nose & theirs? How culture influences teaching.
My brain screamed at me to not show shock or surprise. While my heart was busy jumping into my throat I focused on being as supportive as I possibly could. We were wayyy over time. I was facilitating a small group of youth at a leadership conference & one by one they shared extremely … [Read more...] about What trainers are missing & why it’s critical you have one (whether you teach or not)
It was 4am. A bunch of sleepy faces looked up at me from their seats. I swear I could feel crusty bits of sleep dust in my eyes though I’d vigorously washed my face to wake up. I was about to deliver a workshop to a group of factory workers. I had to knock it out of the park because the workshop … [Read more...] about How I reacted when a ‘problem student’ asked me how old I was
