Episode notes
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…
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The Facilitation Studio
Improving your facilitation game · Arts & Books · English
Are you looking to up your facilitation game? Look no further than the Facilitation Studio! This podcast provides the foundations for good facilitation, as well as tools, techniques, and templates to help you elevate the collaborative experiences you lead. I’m John Sunart, an experienced facilitat
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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…
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30 Apr 2026 · 12 min
#23 Mapping: the engine your workshop runs on
Mapping is how you get all of your collaborators on the same page, speaking the same language and ready to work together productively. It's how you build the shared picture that the rest of the workshop runs on top of. This is the first of four deep-dives into the workshop activity types — Dream, Map, Distil, Prioritise — picking up from issue #7 (the four types) and issue #22 (the Butterfly that links them). I get into why mapping has to be an active thing the group does together rather than something presented at them, what the spectrum of mapping tools actually looks like (from immersive…
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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]…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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4 Oct 2024 · 14 min
#17 Your remote workshop checklist
Mastering Remote Workshops: An Essential Toolkit & Checklist Join me for this jam-packed episode where we dive into the essentials of running a remote workshop; get a sneak peek into an expert’s desk setup designed to boost workshop delivery, from must-have gadgets to delightful extras. You'll also find a step-by-step checklist for a stress-free preparation, ensuring your tech and participants are ready to rock. Plus, learn about the tools to keep sessions dynamic and engaging. For those ready to up their game, explore an exciting course on crafting impeccable workshop agendas. Let's make…
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30 Aug 2024 · 17 min
#16 Should your workshop be hybrid, remote or in-person?
Remote, In-Person, or Hybrid: Choosing the Right Format for Your Workshop In this issue, we dive into the pros and cons of delivering workshops in different formats: in-person, remote, and hybrid. You'll learn about the key benefits of each, such as building relationships and managing environments in-person, achieving global reach and pre/post engagement in remote sessions, and the complex yet rewarding hybrid setup. We highlight ideal scenarios for each type to help you make a deliberate choice for your next workshop 00:13 Introduction: Choosing Your Workshop Format 00:47 In-Person…
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16 Jul 2024 · 11 min
#15 The Art of the Presentation – Part 2: Your Slides and Your Structure
#15 - The Art of the Presentation pt 2: Slides, Structure, and Strategy In this episode from the Facilitation Studio, we jump into presentation slides and structure. Learn about the effective use of slides, keeping presentations concise, and prepping like a pro. Plus, get top tips on slide design and pacing, explore the intense PechaKucha method, and discover why practice is your best friend. 00:00 Introduction to the Art of Presentation 00:22 Upcoming Online Course Announcement (survey link - https://maven.com/forms/1a1043 ) 01:00 Effective Use of Slides 02:54 Guidelines for Preparation and…
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