Ten Directions

What I learned about myself from the Next Stage Facilitation Intensive

Sarah Kitonsa — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 19:32:58 +0000

The opportunity for me to participate in Next Stage was very serendipitous. I was still riding the high of submitting my dissertation while, at the same time, experiencing a kind of muted postdoctoral PTSD. Fresh off the doctoral research mill, I wasn’t looking for another shiny bandwagon to hop onto. I hadn’t even started thinking about […]

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How to Unlearn Better

Amanda Suutari — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:28:00 +0000

I love to paint. I love bringing ideas to life on canvas through colour, pattern, movement and light. However, lately I’ve been challenging myself to move into new territory – to loosen up, take more risks, and let things emerge rather than arrive at a predetermined destination. And this new work? Let’s just say, I […]

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What does it mean to ‘own’ your facilitator voice?

Lauren Tenney — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 20:30:39 +0000

Recently we led a learning session in our community entitled “Owning your Facilitator Voice”. In this rich and fruitful inquiry we explored our own values about facilitator neutrality, and how they shape the way we bring in our voice and experience while facilitating. We also invited the group to consider ways we might bring more […]

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The Power of Group Wisdom for Learning and Innovation

Mark Fackler — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 22:28:17 +0000

I am a lifelong student of leadership and mindfulness. From my early days, I was fascinated by human dynamics. Even in grade school, I asked myself, “Why did the room react that way?” Founding, leading and exiting a high tech company steeped me in the complexities of leadership with the infinite issues that arise. After […]

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We Are All the Same. And Different.

Jonas Altman — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 17:55:00 +0000

The sun sets at La Barceloneta, bathing the sky in hues of orange and pink. Suddenly, a man emerges and snatches my friend’s purse. Reacting instinctively, I grab the strap and, in a surprising twist, attempt a spin kick – which narrowly misses its mark. The thief punches me in the head. Undeterred, I yank […]

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Unlocking Depth in Conversations: A Hack for Inspired Leadership

Rebecca Colwell — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 18:14:49 +0000

Discovering the Power of Depth In a world increasingly dominated by fleeting interactions, the art of facilitating depth in conversations is not only uncommon but immensely powerful. At a recent workshop, a leader asked me, “How can I have my group connect more deeply with what matters in our conversations?” It’s a sentiment many of […]

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Grow Your People, Grow Your Organization

Rebecca Colwell — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 20:33:47 +0000

The world is facing a growing leadership talent gap. More than ever, organizations need sophisticated, self-managing leaders able to thrive in complex and rapidly-changing professional environments. But demand for this type of talent vastly outpaces the supply. Several factors contribute to this gap, including the retirement of baby boomers, the rapid pace of technological advancements, […]

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What should I do when my group is failing?

Rebecca Colwell — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 17:35:51 +0000

Your facilitative leadership is perfectly positioned to make a difference, to help make your groups flourish, but knowing what to do when the culture itself is under performing is another matter altogether. “I get this feeling that my group could be better, but I am at a loss about how to reach higher levels of […]

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Catalyze more engaging conversations: Framing the topic

Rebecca Colwell — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 16:26:49 +0000

As CEOs, business leaders, consultants, coaches, entrepreneurs – we have lots of ideas about relevant “topics” to bring up in our group meetings. However, HOW you introduce and talk about topics is often a powerful determinant of whether the experience is an engaging one – or falls flat. Some meetings and conversations feel more like […]

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Alignment: Not the same as agreement!

Ten Directions — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:44:09 +0000

Recently a leader in one of our cohorts shared a challenging facilitation experience: “I was facilitating a project meeting for a large organization with leaders from different teams present. While everyone was on the same page about some aspects of the project – such as the timeline and key roles – I was also aware […]

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