Trudi Boatwright session today

 ART OF EMCEE ING by Trudi Boatwright 

Is this going to be respectiful to the audience ? Or not ? Is this in service to the audience ? They paid a ticket to view us and view you in action !! 

Beginning of the day is very important. Your job is to piece is all together , for best audience experience . Summing up. 

What do want our audience want us to FEEL ? 

You have to engage your audience so well that, when the 25 th person is receiving the award, the audience is still clapping enthusiastically. 

Mentally preparing the audience , how the day is going to run like. 

Keep a little unpredictability to your audience. She EMCEE ed to an Ted X event. 

What is my audience need ? What do my organizers need ? What to the sponsors need ? What to the speakers need ? 

Your clear instructions is a gift to the audience. If the audience talking about you , you have failed. They should be talking about the event and the day . 

Meet your speaker personally , before talking about her / him on the stage. The human part of it. Not her / his autobiography. 

Love this absolutely, speak to the speaker , sense the energy and understand them better. 

Speak about her expertise and wrap her in humanity. 

At the end, a practice activity, to introduce a star speaker.  Make organizers look good. Be friends with your Tech people. They are the once who salvage the day. 

" Are they any cultural things to be aware of " ? 

Today

Anton Tharaka 17:39

We say Guest is king / customer is king - love the statement u said Audience is king

Vibhuti Sharma 17:40

The word I serve the audience is a wonderful way to think

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 17:41

Wellsaid 

Sai Ramachandran 17:41

Time filler

Abhirup Banerjee 17:41

manage

vinay wandrekar 17:41

Entertain

Mohamed Mahdy 17:41

entertainer

Pinky Bahroos 17:41

Engaging transitions 

dorji dhradhul 17:41

Entertain, keep engaged

Pragnya Venigalla 17:41

Energy manager

divesh soni 17:41

Connect the dot

Sai Ramachandran 17:41

Lead the audience

sandeep amar gupta 17:41

Stringer

ulhas bodhankar 17:41

weaver

You 17:41

Kind of event management , an interface

Vibhuti Sharma 17:41

Connector

Satish Kolla 17:41

Connection point

Anton Tharaka 17:41

Connector

Shalini Mukund 17:41

audience entertainer

John Jayakumar 17:41

Uplift

dorji dhradhul 17:41

Lead

Bhawna Soni 17:41

fluid what ever comes

You 17:41

interface between the audience and the others who run the show

dorji dhradhul 17:41

Connect

Rekha Jain 17:42

Orchestrate the entire time for all the folks there 

Nirmala M 17:42

Facilitator

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 17:42

Magician of words and connection 

Abhirup Banerjee 17:42

actor , u dont get to know whats going on in the backstage

Nina John 17:42

Creates the background and context for the event

You 17:42

Yes of course an EMCEE facilitates

Nirmala M 17:42

Speaker

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 17:42

manufacture conections

Tanya Mehra 17:42

Energy Enablers

Saumya Tripathi 17:42

Catalyst of the event 

Vibhuti Sharma 17:42

Ability to absorb the noise

Sagar Amlani 17:42

Brand Manager for the event and speaker

Cruzina Ramesh 17:42

connector

Rekha Jain 17:42

Damage controllers 😄

You 17:43

With a highly alert presence of mind and " reading the room "

Cruzina Ramesh 17:46

yes

You 17:46

Yes

Pinky Bahroos 17:50

It supported in building the tension

Vibhuti Sharma 17:51

Multiple things happening and it just comes through seamlessly to create a story

Vibhuti Sharma 17:52

Somewhat taking people on a journey by building a bridge

You 17:54

YEs, client contracting in advance, saves us a lots of blushes , later

You 17:58

But your voice is a little low - Sasgar Amlani jee

You 18:02

travel towards unconscious competence

You 18:02

then, we will be less self conscious ,and be in the flow of things

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:05

presence of mind, situational awareness

You 18:08

WE have attended a Ted X at Hyderabad and we experienced this.  2 different kind of energy depending on the topics dealt it

dealt with

Vibhuti Sharma 18:09

Good one , sensing the pulse and how to match that energy

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:09

sinusoidal

You 18:13

Our personality alignment is important

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:17

Being visibily invisible

Sagar Amlani 18:18

Let’s Park the questions - Now in the chat :)

Vibhuti Sharma 18:20

Love this absolutely, speak to the speaker , sense the energy and understand them better

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:20

fact check is important

You 18:20

Don't throw in details that John the Speaker himself is not aware of 😅

Vibhuti Sharma 18:21

True that - that's the human emcee

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:22

not to assume what they say we can say

Cruzina Ramesh 18:22

seek their permission

ulhas bodhankar 18:27

Sonali 👍

You 18:28

Super , Sonali

Sandhya Rudraraju 18:33

So sorry I lost power

ulhas bodhankar 18:33

Rekha 👍

Sandhya Rudraraju 18:33

Not sure till what part you could hear

You 18:33

But your intro was powerful , Sandhya

ulhas bodhankar 18:33

Sandhya 👍

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:33

aweosme Sandhya and Rekha

Rekha Jain 18:34

You did a fab job too 😊🤗

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:35

fab...Ramana sir

You 18:35

( Not sure till what part you could hear) Earlier part

You 18:36

Well done, Shalini Mukund

Shalini Mukund 18:37

The plug in effect

ulhas bodhankar 18:37

Dr Raina 👍

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 18:39

Thank you Ulhas ji 

Great learning from all pieers PSAians 

You 18:39

Techies are the ones who can salvage the dya when things go wrong

Nina John 18:41

Be empahetic

Vibhuti Sharma 18:43

The human touch

You 18:43

This comes with experience I think. The composure to do the right thing

You 18:43

I will put up a LinkedIn post , my key learnings , is tha tok ?

Santosh Akella 18:44

making it human!

dorji dhradhul 18:44

Wonderful … human connection

You 18:44

" Always make your organziers and sponsors and speakers , LOOK GOOD " Always

Dr Suresh Verghis MCC 18:44

Connecting with the speaker 

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 18:44

Warm up the audience 1st 

Gauge the audience 

Customer is always king

Human connect 

ulhas bodhankar 18:44

upgrade to be a good emcee :-)

Cruzina Ramesh 18:44

audience is the king

Vibhuti Sharma 18:44

Being human in your approach and serve the audience

Nina John 18:44

The lived experience you portray.

Rekha Jain 18:44

Be vulnerable and keep the human connection alive...keep weaving in

Tanya Mehra 18:44

Weave their experience

Shalini Mukund 18:44

stay connected with everyone and everything I the emcee role

Mohamed Mahdy 18:44

Make it human... take the audience in a journey

Satish Kolla 18:44

Bring in the Human element of the Speaker, connect with the audience

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:44

Be visibily invisible,like we say in training, the faaciltator should not be the hihglight

Bhawna Soni 18:44

cultural check

Tanya Mehra 18:44

Gift clarity and ease to the audience

Anton Tharaka 18:44

Thank you Trudi - Its was a great learning session  Key learning is : Macro and micro study — Audience first , Organisers, Sponsor and then Speaker

vinay wandrekar 18:44

Understand the energy in the room

Sandhya Rudraraju 18:44

You are so kind and thank you for the powerful session reminding to be your natural self and authentic :)

Vibhuti Sharma 18:44

calm in the chaos

You 18:45

Always, ask yourself '" is this  in SERVICE of our audience of the day ? " for, they PAID for the ticket and gave a part of their life, their time,

And life being ephermeral

Rekha Jain 18:45

Act of major and minor...when and when not to be ..

Nirmala M 18:45

Being Yourself - Authentic

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 18:45

3 words define what you bring to stage as Emcee 

Nina John 18:45

Lived experience  that came through!

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:45

Thanks a Trudi this was very insightful

Key learnings 

Today

Anton Tharaka 17:39

We say Guest is king / customer is king - love the statement u said Audience is king

Vibhuti Sharma 17:40

The word I serve the audience is a wonderful way to think

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 17:41

Wellsaid 

Sai Ramachandran 17:41

Time filler

Abhirup Banerjee 17:41

manage

vinay wandrekar 17:41

Entertain

Mohamed Mahdy 17:41

entertainer

Pinky Bahroos 17:41

Engaging transitions 

dorji dhradhul 17:41

Entertain, keep engaged

Pragnya Venigalla 17:41

Energy manager

divesh soni 17:41

Connect the dot

Sai Ramachandran 17:41

Lead the audience

sandeep amar gupta 17:41

Stringer

ulhas bodhankar 17:41

weaver

You 17:41

Kind of event management , an interface

Vibhuti Sharma 17:41

Connector

Satish Kolla 17:41

Connection point

Anton Tharaka 17:41

Connector

Shalini Mukund 17:41

audience entertainer

John Jayakumar 17:41

Uplift

dorji dhradhul 17:41

Lead

Bhawna Soni 17:41

fluid what ever comes

You 17:41

interface between the audience and the others who run the show

dorji dhradhul 17:41

Connect

Rekha Jain 17:42

Orchestrate the entire time for all the folks there 

Nirmala M 17:42

Facilitator

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 17:42

Magician of words and connection 

Abhirup Banerjee 17:42

actor , u dont get to know whats going on in the backstage

Nina John 17:42

Creates the background and context for the event

You 17:42

Yes of course an EMCEE facilitates

Nirmala M 17:42

Speaker

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 17:42

manufacture conections

Tanya Mehra 17:42

Energy Enablers

Saumya Tripathi 17:42

Catalyst of the event 

Vibhuti Sharma 17:42

Ability to absorb the noise

Sagar Amlani 17:42

Brand Manager for the event and speaker

Cruzina Ramesh 17:42

connector

Rekha Jain 17:42

Damage controllers 😄

You 17:43

With a highly alert presence of mind and " reading the room "

Cruzina Ramesh 17:46

yes

You 17:46

Yes

Pinky Bahroos 17:50

It supported in building the tension

Vibhuti Sharma 17:51

Multiple things happening and it just comes through seamlessly to create a story

Vibhuti Sharma 17:52

Somewhat taking people on a journey by building a bridge

You 17:54

YEs, client contracting in advance, saves us a lots of blushes , later

You 17:58

But your voice is a little low - Sasgar Amlani jee

You 18:02

travel towards unconscious competence

You 18:02

then, we will be less self conscious ,and be in the flow of things

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:05

presence of mind, situational awareness

You 18:08

WE have attended a Ted X at Hyderabad and we experienced this.  2 different kind of energy depending on the topics dealt it

dealt with

Vibhuti Sharma 18:09

Good one , sensing the pulse and how to match that energy

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:09

sinusoidal

You 18:13

Our personality alignment is important

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:17

Being visibily invisible

Sagar Amlani 18:18

Let’s Park the questions - Now in the chat :)

Vibhuti Sharma 18:20

Love this absolutely, speak to the speaker , sense the energy and understand them better

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:20

fact check is important

You 18:20

Don't throw in details that John the Speaker himself is not aware of 😅

Vibhuti Sharma 18:21

True that - that's the human emcee

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:22

not to assume what they say we can say

Cruzina Ramesh 18:22

seek their permission

ulhas bodhankar 18:27

Sonali 👍

You 18:28

Super , Sonali

Sandhya Rudraraju 18:33

So sorry I lost power

ulhas bodhankar 18:33

Rekha 👍

Sandhya Rudraraju 18:33

Not sure till what part you could hear

You 18:33

But your intro was powerful , Sandhya

ulhas bodhankar 18:33

Sandhya 👍

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:33

aweosme Sandhya and Rekha

Rekha Jain 18:34

You did a fab job too 😊🤗

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:35

fab...Ramana sir

You 18:35

( Not sure till what part you could hear) Earlier part

You 18:36

Well done, Shalini Mukund

Shalini Mukund 18:37

The plug in effect

ulhas bodhankar 18:37

Dr Raina 👍

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 18:39

Thank you Ulhas ji 

Great learning from all pieers PSAians 

You 18:39

Techies are the ones who can salvage the dya when things go wrong

Nina John 18:41

Be empahetic

Vibhuti Sharma 18:43

The human touch

You 18:43

This comes with experience I think. The composure to do the right thing

You 18:43

I will put up a LinkedIn post , my key learnings , is tha tok ?

Santosh Akella 18:44

making it human!

dorji dhradhul 18:44

Wonderful … human connection

You 18:44

" Always make your organziers and sponsors and speakers , LOOK GOOD " Always

Dr Suresh Verghis MCC 18:44

Connecting with the speaker 

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 18:44

Warm up the audience 1st 

Gauge the audience 

Customer is always king

Human connect 

ulhas bodhankar 18:44

upgrade to be a good emcee :-)

Cruzina Ramesh 18:44

audience is the king

Vibhuti Sharma 18:44

Being human in your approach and serve the audience

Nina John 18:44

The lived experience you portray.

Rekha Jain 18:44

Be vulnerable and keep the human connection alive...keep weaving in

Tanya Mehra 18:44

Weave their experience

Shalini Mukund 18:44

stay connected with everyone and everything I the emcee role

Mohamed Mahdy 18:44

Make it human... take the audience in a journey

Satish Kolla 18:44

Bring in the Human element of the Speaker, connect with the audience

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:44

Be visibily invisible,like we say in training, the faaciltator should not be the hihglight

Bhawna Soni 18:44

cultural check

Tanya Mehra 18:44

Gift clarity and ease to the audience

Anton Tharaka 18:44

Thank you Trudi - Its was a great learning session  Key learning is : Macro and micro study — Audience first , Organisers, Sponsor and then Speaker

vinay wandrekar 18:44

Understand the energy in the room

Sandhya Rudraraju 18:44

You are so kind and thank you for the powerful session reminding to be your natural self and authentic :)

Vibhuti Sharma 18:44

calm in the chaos

You 18:45

Always, ask yourself '" is this  in SERVICE of our audience of the day ? " for, they PAID for the ticket and gave a part of their life, their time,

And life being ephermeral

Rekha Jain 18:45

Act of major and minor...when and when not to be ..

Nirmala M 18:45

Being Yourself - Authentic

Dr Raina Khatri Tandon_Mumbai India 18:45

3 words define what you bring to stage as Emcee 

Nina John 18:45

Lived experience  that came through!

Flt Lt Sonali Shirpurkar 18:45

Thanks a Trudi this was very insightful

Yateen Gharat session last session 08 Feb 2026- Design the Process questions in a fac session

 Designing the process questions . 

Yateen : Give me a situation , I will design or frame questions . 

Yatish Chandra  : Ownership ? Had a client level discovery conversations. 

Yateen : More context . 

Yatish : Lack of ownership by middle managers. Most facilitators try to treat the symptoms. 

Problem : Lack of ownership . 

Yateen : How may we create an environment , where everyone will OWN the situation and show accountability ? 

What's our understanding oof our ownership ? What are the evidences of situations , where ownership is clearly visible ? and where it's missing ? 

What's our current reality ? Where are want to go ? What is the support we need, from the top management ? From the team members ? 

Which one we really want to act on ? 

Is this what we resolve ? We need a robust process to execute this .  There should be enough divergence , there should be enough churning ( manthan) and conclusion questions. 

This can just one  process . You may require a number of processes. 

I looked at a situation and converted all  these questions into divergence. Points of discussion . 

Is it realliy possible to cure the systemic problem of accountability with 5 or 6 questions ? OYR model ? Above the line or below the line or Oz principles ? That would be a content . Reflect deeply before delivering the content. 

I am very natural at creating questions. But people struggle . Even MCC coaches struggle . 

I need more context in order to frame questions . 

Thinking rooms. Discussions Rooms. Situation will be given to you . Frame or create process questions . Process by itself does not work. It works is questions.  Take 3 or 4 minutes . For individually frame questions. 

THINKING ROOM : 

The situation is -

Sales for current quarter is dipped by 20%.

Organization is having a good product, customer reviews are great, just this 

quarter sale is dipped.

You are invited as a Facilitator.

Prescribed outcome -: Team “must reflect”  on what happened? 

What was missing? What are strategic directions for next quarter?

Stake holder want you to facilitate  conversations with Sales team without ruffling too many feathers.

Your job today is to - Create Process questions to facilitate this conversation

. ***** 5 min personal reflection and questions design. Thinking rooms - 10 min

Given Situation : all agree ? 

DIAGNOSTICS 

(1 ) What is your take on the sales drop ? Both internal factors , external factors ? And competitive factors ? Seasonal factors ? Think PESTEL factors and 4 P s.

(2) In the last 10 years or 15 years , what was this quarter's sales , in the whole of the year ? Dips are natural and seasonal or this happened only this quarter ? 

(3)  What ideas do you propose or suggest , to pick up the sales next quarter and make up for the drop this quarter ? Some actions that are in our control .  ( 15 % solutions ) 

Sessions 2 : ( ACTION PLAN and SUGGESTIONS ) 

(1) what are the factors that are in our control that can be acted upon ? 

(2) What are your suggestions to the management ? 

(3) 

PLENARY , YATEEN : 

Focus question is the mother of all questions . We need some clarity is on why we are here . Guide them specifically, wehy we are here. 

Divergence enabler questions. None can be closed ended questions. Simple questions. No jargon. 

 " How we may achieve a goal by the end of 2026 ? " What is the ask. 

They may debate. Discuss. This is called Manthan. Discussion must happen. Clarify of question is extremely important. 

Typically ' what all the things can do ? 

Manthan : ' What if we did this ? ' what went wrong last time ? The churning . Is where you expect a lot of discussion . A lot of putting forth their points. 

During convergence time : particpants may jump back to another , second divergence phase and that's absolutely ok. 

Closing : Action. 

And then , are my questions guiding them , step by step, towards the desired outcomes . 

Use appropriate processes. 

Brain is a dot connecting thing. Gently challenge the status quo. 

SONALI VAIDYA QUESTIONS 

1. What areas of our work together do we feel good about?
   
2. What challenges are we facing
   
3. What was a difficult situation in the last quarter that you managed well?
   
4. What factors in our environment - internal & external are contributing to this challenge
   
5. What are some opportunities for change?
   
6. What do we want to focus on moving forward?

DEVANG PATEL : 

I divided the theme in three cohorts ( each cohort four questions each) , participants solve all 12 questions individually phase wise and then rotAte .....cohort A - questions on what happened ( last one year what was done / not done , observations) b) reasons for  it to happens c) choices available now , who will do what' 

From Ajith Kamath session on Design thinking

 Room No 4 . Break out . 

Divergence & Convergence . And their importance. 

Tita , Indonaesia : At the state of divergence, people create idea . It's not the amount of talking but DIVERSITY of it. More people speaking and not just volume. 

Monica Sharma ; In the context of facilitation , when you throw open gathering , expansive thinking is possible, along with contradictions . 

Converging : You do a fine tuning of the lot . 

Throwing open the funnel. 

CVR : Divergence is ideation . Deep democracy . Convergence : Action . Actionable ideas. Execution . 

Amy Chen from Taiwan : Facilitators are neutral to the situation . Hold space. Pay attention to the participants. Stay neutral. 

Fair opportunity to all participants. 

Facilitation Week session on right questions , the power of ...

 First Question , session opener . What made you sign up and join the session today  ? 

Questions affect paradigm shifts . Mind loves compelling questions . Put a question on a big piece of paper and put on space ? So that it would start working on you ? 

Get over transactional questions . Transformational questions are different . Questions should stimulate creativity . They must challenge underlying assumptions . Where do you find the right questions ? 

What is mine to do ? Your ' No ' is yes to something else . So, don't be afraid of closing the doors . 

Sometimes some questions do not work. Because, the scope is in the wrong place . Either the scope is too big or too small . 

( 1) Assumption (2) Construction and (3) Scope ! Touche !

What is one question that really matters to you right now ? 

Nancy Bragard 18:11
What becomes possible for me when I have quieted down my mind to give more space to my heart and soul?

 How can I crack open conflicted silence among members of my congregation?

How can I crack open conflicted silence among members of my congregation?

How might I create a healthy boundaries to be happier?

How can I better offer my gifts to the world?

How do I know whether my question is right or wrong? Any guide to acknowledge ?

A question I have found very helpful, both for myself and others, is:

"In saying/doing/asking what one is saying/doing/asking, what is one really saying/doing/asking?”

How might I towards the sweet point between learn, earn and contribute? 

What becomes possible for me when I have quieted down my mind to give more space to my heart and soul?

how might I be able to create real impact through my work

3 breaks out rooms, with only 2 participants, pair up activities. With only one question . 

What is one question you are most absorbed in - right now ? 

Roll Dice  ( Flow Game Dice ) 

https://flowgame.net/dice/

WEST: It is the rest between the notes that makes the music. Where do you need to pause? (Green)

NORTH: What is your unique leadership? Ask the others for their intuition. (red)

Break out room questions . 

What are you able to hear , what is nature whispering to you ? 

Memorable Training Session I attended . Fac Week 2026 Feb Blog

 

A GREAT FACILITATION SESSION I ATTENDED ( MARCH 2006 . AS A PARTICIPANT )

 

I won’t say ‘ the best ‘ because , it would invite unnecessary comparisons , within myself . I happed way back in March 2026 , in my first job as a Branch Training Manager ( BTM ) in Bajaj Capital , a BFSI company ! At that time, most of us haven’t heard of the word ‘ facilitation ‘ !

Conducted by our RTM, our reporting manager , who asked me to keep his name, confidential !

THE FACILITATOR :

We didn’t know much about him at that time, except that he did his MBA-HR in England and worked in Prudential Insurance for a few years. It was the sponsors of the first 60 over cricket world cup that India won in 1983 !

THE CONTEXT :  It was a new , upstart , national level BFSI company . With nearly 50 branches in the state of combined Andra Pradesh . They started recruiting Branch Training Managers a couple of years ago for each branch.

Now, we are a team of 30 BTM s reporting to our Regional Training Manger functionally and to the Area Sales Managers, administratively . In a Matrix form of dual reporting system.

THE PROBLEM :  Training department and all of us were a legal compliance focused and due to sales pressures, sales managers were all results focused, and this creating a daily functional frictions .  Also, equally important, how to reduce attrition rate in the sales department and what’s our contribution towards the same.

To reduce that and to improve mutual understanding between the Sales Department and the Training Department, our RTM called for a meeting in Hyderabad. That was the meeting objective . In March 2006 . Exactly 20 years ago .

THE TEAM : Back in 2006, almost none of us 30 BTMS had any formal training qualification !  One third of us are like me, coming from sales back ground to sales training . Others are from academia , like Economics & Commerce lecturers, some from BFSI ( Banking , Financial Services, Insurance ) industry experience in other functions .  

For us , training meant slide delivery , new product launch training , sales training etc. None of us ever heard the word “ Facilitation “ . Yet, when I look back after 20 years, this is one of the great facilitated sessions by our Manager, the RTM.

DURATION : It was a 2 days session .

 

PRE SESSION PREPARATION :  He sent an official mail to all of us. He set the context, stated the problem . The friction between Sales Managers and Training Manger in the branch and asked us to come with 3 specific Branch Related issues, apart from general issues.  He also asked us to come with possible solutions to the problems , within our company rules and norms . Since we are 30 in numbers, each Trainer gets no more than 5 minutes to 10 minutes to present our cases.

 

THE SESSION : All this back ground details I had to provide to give my readers , who are facilitators, with the CONTEXT at that time.

Our RTM set the context on day 1 , set the agenda and requested all of us not to interrupt any speaker, whether we agree or not. There was a time keeper, who will ring first bell at 5 minutes and second at 7 minutes and CLAP after 10 th minute !

He was accompanied by our Regional Training Coordinator, who came with his laptop and fiercely typing away points.

At the end of each presentation , we handed over the written paper, with a few points , to our Training Coordinator.

Our RTM was watching.  As our friend Vinisha Jayaswal used to say , ‘ he was present but it was an invisible presence ‘ .    If any one entered the meeting room, no one would notice him running the show ! He was sitting , not on the stage but among participants, in a remote, invisible corner.

Only occasionally and gently correcting the presenters when we went off the track or asking us to maintain silence – if the side talk decibel levels increased a threshold level !

 

On day 1, he spoke only for 10 minutes , summing up the session, taking questions and providing some spot solutions and ending on time ( NOW when I look at it , adhering to our SOT 4 formula ! ) with a tea and chat.

 

SESSION DAY 2  :

We didn’t know these words but this was the day of convergence . Our Coordinator has collated all the ideas from 30 of us, all coming to 85 to 90 . Some being the same.

Our RTM gave us one copy to each one of us , which has these 90 ideas . We need to READ all of them  . That was the first round. Now when I look back 20 years ago, it looks like a Textra game.

Then, he divided us into 7 groups of 4 each. Gave us 10 ideas each . We need build a consensus and select top 3 ideas from the same.

Each team has to present, (a) why they are the best as per our company policies and rules (b) if implemented , the possible effect on the individual , team and the company.  5 minutes each.

Top 20 ideas were selected. Now we understand, this is the convergence process ! At that time , we didn’t know . Back in 2006.

Post lunch second day , since none of us were formally trained to be trainers, he gave us a Training session !

On basic Adult Learning Principles or andragogy , principles from Malcolm Knowles, Blooms Taxonomy . Also demonstrated, how they look like when weaved into every day training .

And took practice sessions from 2 or 3 of us.

Session End reflection . He certainly corrected some of us during and after presentation , on body language, eye contact , choice of words etc. When required.

When I look back with the knowledge I have gained on facilitation thanks to IAF , this ranks as one of the memorable, unforgettable facilitated session I have ever attended. That’s why , it’s finding a mention after 20 long years !

It has the following , as I see it now :

(1)  Divergence. Idea generation . Brain storming . Problem statement .

(2)  Valuing every voice and idea . Deep Democracy principles. No one was more equal than others or less.

(3)  Convergence and the basis for it.

(4)  Action planning. We didn’t know but there was a bit of ORID in all that.

(5)  Psychological Safety . We were all new to the company and to the training profession . For ALL of us, it was our first training job . But we enjoyed it ! Many of us still remember it. I am in touch with a few colleagues even now !

(6)  It had group wisdom harvesting

(7)  The session was refreshingly free of  jargon . Had our boss used any Technical Lingo or jargon , we would have felt the apprehension that, this Training function and profession , was too difficult for us to handle.

This, as a participant . This was my first in training profession . There is another I can say , a great one, is the latest I attended in Bangalore. But more of it later ! 

No Photos are available . We all had ‘ feature ‘ phones in 2006.

I thank IAF for allowing me to share this !

C V RAMANA . IAF Hyderabad Hub , India Chapter .

Membership Number ; 38625

 

 

Nimble Facilitation by Rebecca Sutherns 10 Sept 2025

 how will the insights from this workshop will be used and carried forward. 

Shivani Suri : What is that we are going to change ? Are there any unstated outcomes ? Risks , opportunities , which have not been brought out ? 

Who needs to be in the room ? What style of internvention will work with the group ? 

Understand if there are any group dynamics and other levels of influence ? 

Vibhu Dewan : 

Screensnot f questions taken . Plenary . 

Break out room No 2 . 5 minutes. Now, answers. One day workshop . In person. First of the several . You have been asked to be the overall process designer . Go and actually develop a session plan. You are sitting collaborators . Your go to design .

Where do you start the design . 

Workshop design : SWOT Analysis . SCOT - Challenges . 4D model of appreciate enquiry . What is working well for them. Dream ? 

Madhujit : A little bit of warming up . Check in . 

Start with SCOT & continue with 4D . 

Rebecca : What if you are a detail oriented and scripted person and being facilitated by a person who is spontaneous ? What's your reaction ? And vice versa ? Mix and match . And be very self aware . Your preference is not everybody's preferences . 

I am type 1 and my audience is type 2 , how can I leverage that diversity in a positive way ? 

I am a scripted person, I will be hyper scripted , under pressure. 

Parineeta : I am meeting a client for the first time and we don't know whether the client is scripted or spontaneous person ? 

Be aware of your bodily resoses. 

Rebecca : Be a nimble facilitator , have self awareness. Have some sort of tool you go to , while planning. 

Session Lab . Have a go to tool for planning . 

*

Break out room No 3 :  What is your client is very different from you ? 

What is the cofac has a different tolerance to details ? Contracting with the cofac at the very outset ? 

Why we have to be nimble in facilitation ? Beccause your cofac or client has a different style than you .  You are detailed and they are spontaneous and vice versa . Hence , be nimble. 

What LOGISTICAL questions do you ask your client , before your session ? 

How likely is it we get consistently same peopple in a series of session ? And what if we don't ? What do we do ? 

What do you do, if your beloved method doesn't work ? 

Grok , session design , Stake holder management - SCSC , ken wilbur model

 Good evening from India! I'm thrilled to help you design a 90-minute to 2-hour workshop on Stakeholder Management for NGO employees, using Ken Wilber’s Integral Model (All-Quadrant, All-Levels framework). The Integral Model is a holistic framework that considers four quadrants: Interior-Individual (I), Exterior-Individual (It), Interior-Collective (We), and Exterior-Collective (Its). This approach will ensure the workshop addresses the personal, behavioral, cultural, and systemic aspects of stakeholder management, tailored to the NGO’s context (fundraising, donor relations, vendor management, expense control, social media management).

Workshop Objectives

By the end of the session, participants will:

1. Understand stakeholder management through the lens of the Integral Model.
2. Develop skills to identify, prioritize, and engage stakeholders effectively.
3. Enhance interpersonal and systemic strategies for collaboration with donors, vendors, and internal teams.
4. Apply practical tools and frameworks to their NGO’s stakeholder management challenges.

Session Design (90-120 Minutes)

The workshop is structured to balance theory, reflection, group activities, and practical application, ensuring engagement and relevance for NGO employees. Activities are designed to be interactive, inclusive, and aligned with the Integral Model’s quadrants.

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Workshop Flow

1. Opening and Introduction (10 minutes)

• Objective: Set the tone, clarify objectives, and introduce the Integral Model.
• Facilitator Actions:
  • Welcome participants and briefly introduce yourself.
  • Outline the workshop objectives and agenda.
  • Introduce Ken Wilber’s Integral Model briefly:
    • I (Interior-Individual): Personal values, emotions, and intentions in stakeholder interactions.
    • It (Exterior-Individual): Observable behaviors, skills, and actions in managing stakeholders.
    • We (Interior-Collective): Shared values, culture, and relationships within and across stakeholder groups.
    • Its (Exterior-Collective): Systems, processes, and structures (e.g., donor databases, vendor contracts).
  • Use a simple visual (e.g., a quadrant diagram on a whiteboard or slide) to illustrate the model.
• Activity: Icebreaker – Stakeholder Web (5 minutes)
  • Ask participants to stand in a circle. Hand a ball of yarn to one participant, who shares their name, role, and one stakeholder they interact with (e.g., “I’m Priya, I handle fundraising, and I work with donors.”).
  • They toss the yarn to another participant, who repeats the process, creating a “web” of connections.
  • Debrief: Highlight how stakeholders are interconnected, setting the stage for the Integral Model.

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2. Quadrant 1: Interior-Individual (I) – Personal Mindset and Values (20 minutes)

• Focus: Explore personal motivations, biases, and emotional intelligence in stakeholder management.
• Facilitator Actions:
  • Explain how personal values and emotions shape stakeholder interactions (e.g., empathy in donor relations, patience with vendors).
  • Share a brief example: “A fundraiser’s frustration with a donor’s delay might stem from personal stress, affecting the relationship.”
• Activity: Reflective Journaling – Stakeholder Emotions (10 minutes)
  • Provide participants with a worksheet or paper.
  • Prompt: “Think of a recent stakeholder interaction (e.g., donor, vendor, colleague). What emotions did you feel? How did your mindset influence your approach? What values (e.g., trust, transparency) guided you?”
  • Participants write for 5 minutes, then pair up to share insights (5 minutes).
  • Debrief: Discuss how self-awareness can improve stakeholder engagement (e.g., managing frustration in vendor negotiations).
• NGO Relevance: Helps employees reflect on their emotional triggers in high-stakes donor or vendor interactions.

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3. Quadrant 2: Exterior-Individual (It) – Skills and Behaviors (25 minutes)

• Focus: Develop practical skills and behaviors for effective stakeholder management.
• Facilitator Actions:
  • Introduce key stakeholder management skills: active listening, clear communication, and negotiation.
  • Share a stakeholder mapping tool (e.g., Power-Interest Matrix) to prioritize stakeholders based on influence and interest.
• Activity: Stakeholder Mapping and Role-Play (20 minutes)
  • Part 1: Mapping (10 minutes):
    • In small groups (3-4 participants), provide a blank Power-Interest Matrix (a 2x2 grid: High/Low Power vs. High/Low Interest).
    • Prompt: “List your NGO’s stakeholders (e.g., donors, vendors, social media followers, internal teams). Place them on the matrix based on their power (influence) and interest in your work.”
    • Example: High Power/High Interest = Major Donor; Low Power/High Interest = Social Media Followers.
  • Part 2: Role-Play (10 minutes):
    • Each group picks one stakeholder from their matrix (e.g., a high-power donor or a low-interest vendor).
    • Assign roles: one person plays the NGO employee, another the stakeholder, and others observe.
    • Scenario: The employee must engage the stakeholder (e.g., convince a donor to renew funding, negotiate with a vendor for better terms).
    • Observers provide feedback on communication skills and strategies.
  • Debrief: Discuss how behaviors (e.g., active listening, persuasion) vary by stakeholder type.
• NGO Relevance: Equips employees with tools to prioritize stakeholders and practice communication tailored to fundraising, vendor management, or social media.

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4. Quadrant 3: Interior-Collective (We) – Building Relationships and Culture (20 minutes)

• Focus: Foster shared values and trust in stakeholder relationships.
• Facilitator Actions:
  • Explain how a collaborative culture and shared values (e.g., transparency, mutual respect) strengthen stakeholder relationships.
  • Example: “A culture of openness in the NGO can build trust with donors and vendors.”
• Activity: World Café – Building Trust with Stakeholders (15 minutes)
  • Set up 3-4 tables, each with a flipchart and a question:
    1. How can we build trust with donors through shared values?
    2. How can we foster collaboration with vendors or partners?
    3. How can internal team alignment improve stakeholder outcomes?
    4. (Optional) How can social media reflect our values to engage followers?
  • Participants rotate between tables every 5 minutes, discussing and noting ideas.
  • Final round: Each table summarizes key insights to the whole group.
  • Debrief: Highlight how a “We” focus creates a cohesive approach to stakeholder management.
• NGO Relevance: Encourages employees to align fundraising, vendor relations, and social media with the NGO’s mission and values.

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5. Quadrant 4: Exterior-Collective (Its) – Systems and Processes (20 minutes)

• Focus: Design systems to support stakeholder management.
• Facilitator Actions:
  • Discuss how systems (e.g., donor databases, vendor contracts, social media analytics) streamline stakeholder engagement.
  • Example: “A CRM system can track donor preferences, ensuring personalized communication.”
• Activity: Process Design Challenge (15 minutes)
  • In small groups, assign each a stakeholder group (e.g., donors, vendors, social media audience).
  • Prompt: “Design a simple system or process to improve engagement with this stakeholder. Consider tools, workflows, or policies.”
    • Examples: A donor follow-up schedule, a vendor performance review process, a social media content calendar.
  • Groups present their ideas in 1-2 minutes each.
  • Debrief: Discuss how systems reduce workload and enhance efficiency.
• NGO Relevance: Provides actionable ideas for expense control (e.g., vendor systems) and donor relations (e.g., CRM tools).

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6. Integration and Action Planning (15 minutes)

• Objective: Synthesize learnings and create actionable takeaways.
• Facilitator Actions:
  • Revisit the Integral Model, summarizing how each quadrant contributes to stakeholder management:
    • I: Self-awareness improves emotional intelligence.
    • It: Skills like mapping and communication drive results.
    • We: Shared values build trust.
    • Its: Systems ensure consistency.
  • Facilitate a group discussion: “How can you apply one idea from each quadrant in your work?”
• Activity: Commitment Cards (10 minutes)
  • Provide index cards or paper.
  • Prompt: “Write one action you’ll take in the next week to improve stakeholder management, considering all four quadrants.”
    • Example: “I’ll reflect on my emotions before donor meetings (I), practice active listening with vendors (It), align with my team on donor values (We), and update our donor tracker (Its).”
  • Participants share their commitments with a partner for accountability.
  • Collect cards (optional) to follow up post-workshop.
• Debrief: Emphasize how integrating all quadrants creates holistic stakeholder management.

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7. Closing and Q&A (5-10 minutes)

• Facilitator Actions:
  • Summarize key takeaways: self-awareness, skills, relationships, and systems.
  • Invite questions or reflections from participants.
  • Share a resource list (e.g., stakeholder mapping templates, books like Stakeholder Theory by Freeman, or online CRM tools).
  • Thank participants and encourage them to stay connected for feedback or follow-up.
• Activity: One-Word Takeaway (2 minutes)
  • Each participant shares one word summarizing their learning (e.g., “Trust,” “Systems,” “Empathy”).
  • End with a group cheer or clap to celebrate.

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Materials Needed

• Flipcharts, markers, and sticky notes.
• Handouts: Power-Interest Matrix template, reflective journaling prompts.
• Ball of yarn for icebreaker.
• Index cards for commitment activity.
• Projector/slides (optional) for Integral Model visual.
• Whiteboard for quadrant diagram.

Facilitation Tips

• Time Management: Stick to time limits for each segment; use a timer for activities.
• Inclusivity: Ensure all voices are heard, especially in group discussions.
• NGO Context: Tailor examples to fundraising, donor relations, vendor management, and social media.
• Energy: Keep the session interactive with movement (e.g., World Café, icebreaker) to maintain engagement.
• Adaptability: If time runs short, prioritize Quadrants 2 (It) and 4 (Its) for practical tools, or extend group activities for a 2-hour session.

Expected Outcomes

• I: Employees gain self-awareness of their emotions and values in stakeholder interactions.
• It: Practical skills (e.g., stakeholder mapping, communication) enhance donor and vendor engagement.
• We: A stronger team culture aligns with stakeholder values, improving trust.
• Its: Actionable systems streamline fundraising, expense control, and social media efforts.

This session design is concise yet comprehensive, leveraging the Integral Model to address the NGO’s unique stakeholder management needs. Let me know if you’d like to refine any part, add specific examples, or adjust for a particular audience segment!