053 - Four Perspectives on Facilitating Virtual Conversations

 As facilitators, we are used to holding physical and mental space for groups – but what changes when we do this virtually and how can we facilitate effective collaboration in digital spaces?

The Virtual Collaboration Campus is a community of 35 facilitators who are coming together (virtually, of course!) to discuss and teach the ways we can effectively organise and conduct virtual meetings and work.

Storytelling, collaborating, space sharing, understanding, and listening remain the same in virtual spaces, but they can take on different forms, require different approaches, and have their own idiosyncrasies.

In preparation for the Virtual Collaboration Campus, some of the contributors join me on Workshops Work to discuss their thoughts on virtual collaboration.

In this episode, hear Yannis Angelis, Tanja Murphy-Ilibasic, Tina Meckel-Wille, and Mary Alice discuss their specialisms and get a taste of the content that will be delivered in the Virtual Collaboration Campus.

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Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.

A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!

Questions and Answers

[01:53] What has Tanja Murphy-Ilibasic learned from being a translator that she can apply to her work as a facilitator?

[02:49] How does Tanja apply Conversational Intelligence to a workshop space?

[08:43] Does Tanya have a favourite exercise to help a group understand the power of words?

[12:01] Why does Tina Meckel-Wille feel we undervalue virtual collaboration?

[13:27] What does Tina believe makes a good virtual conversation?

[16:14] How does Tina create a safe space where vulnerable, deep, and intimate conversation can take place through a screen?

[24:08] Does Tina have a favourite exercise to conduct in virtual workshops?

[25:26] What does Tina believe makes a virtual workshop fail?

[29:47] How does Mary Alice Arthur believe we can bring the mentality of the Art of Hosting and the campfire conversation into the virtual world?

[35:59] How does Mary Alice believe we can control the physical space or use physical communication in the virtual space?

[39:32] When did Yannis Angelis start calling himself a facilitator?

[42:26] What did Yannis learn from being a mediator that he can apply to being a facilitator?

[43:17] How would Yannis translate the stage in a virtual space?

[44:28] How does Yannis use storytelling to guide the group?

[46:47] How does Yannis use storytelling to make workshops work?

[48:34] How does Yannis think we can become better story-listeners?

[50:14] What does Yannis think makes workshops fail?

[51:42] What word would Yannis use to describe the experience of being in a virtual network