#23 Mapping: the engine your workshop runs on

More from The Facilitation Studio All episodes →

1. 

   14 May 2026 · 6 min

   #24 Before you say yes

   Before you say yes A leader has made a decision and wants the team involved. You design a proper workshop. Then you ask the sponsor what will actually change based on what people say, and they pause — "we're fairly committed to the direction, we just want the team to feel heard." You've just been handed a brief to perform a workshop, not run one. This episode looks at the hidden cost of running workshops that shouldn't have been workshops — the slow draining of what I call collaborative capital, and how it shows up as consultation fatigue. I name three signals that a brief is already decided…

2. 

   16 Apr 2026 · 6 min

   #22 The Butterfly Process

   The Butterfly is the mental model I use to understand how workshops actually move. Two wings, active work and reflective work, and a single point at the centre that every transition passes through without exception. In this episode I walk through what that centre point actually looks, sounds, and feels like in practice. I also explain why the Butterfly and the Double Diamond aren't competing frameworks, they're doing different jobs. One is your compass. One is your collaborators' map. Sections [~00:00] Opening — the blur vs. the purposeful workshop [~02:30] Introducing the Butterfly [~05:00]…

3. 

   2 Apr 2026 · 8 min

   #21 The whisk, the recipe and knowing how to cook

   Ever watched someone run a Design Sprint on a three-year strategy question? Every step executed perfectly. Entirely wrong outcome. That's not a facilitation problem — that's a vocabulary problem. In this episode I'm unpacking a distinction that I think sits at the heart of getting better at this work: the difference between a tool, a method, and a process. They're not the same thing, they don't do the same jobs, and mixing them up is one of the most common reasons workshops fail to deliver. We use a kitchen analogy to work it out. A whisk is a tool. A Victoria sponge recipe is a method.…

4. 

   19 Mar 2026 · 13 min

   #20 Moving from intent to activities

   Most people start planning a workshop by dropping activities onto a board. An icebreaker here, a brainstorm there, a How Might We and some dot-voting to tidy things up. Two hours, looks solid. The problem is, you've just picked the words before you know what you want to say. In this episode, I'm talking about the step that sits between your intent and your agenda — the one most facilitators skip entirely. Critical questions are the scaffolding that holds your activities in place, and without them, you're building on hope rather than structure. I'll walk you through the five steps I use to…

5. 

   6 Mar 2026 · 9 min

   #19 Do we live in a dotocracy?

   Should we be living in a dotocracy? Everyone uses dot-voting. It's fast, it feels democratic, and it gives a room full of people a satisfying sense of progress. The problem is that most of the time, it's being asked to do something it was never designed for. In this episode I'm talking about the difference between narrowing a list and making a decision — and why confusing the two is one of the most common ways workshops quietly go wrong. I'll cover why dot-voting without criteria is just a popularity contest, why the dots are contagious, and why not everyone's vote is equal — and why that's…

6. 

   S1 · E18 · 14 Jan 2025 · 16 min

   #18 Your in-person workshop checklist

   In this episode, we dive into the essentials for running successful in-person workshops. From packing the ultimate kit—including agendas, print materials, Sharpies, and super sticky Post-its—to setting up the perfect environment and managing logistics, this issue has got you covered. Learn the tricks to handle tech failures, plan ahead, and keep your workshop running smoothly. Plus, get tips on efficient time management and prepping your space for an engaging, collaborative session. 00:00 Introduction and Recap 00:23 Preparing for In-Person Workshops 00:49 Essential Workshop Kit 06:45…