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Episode 144

December 22nd, 2021

144: From out of the box to unboxing: A mindset shift to facilitation and life with Jimbo Clark

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    Intro

    A nickname like “The Box Guy” belies Jimbo Clark’s effervescence and brilliance. In fact, Jimbo has spent many years trying to help us open the boxes we put ourselves in (or put over ourselves).

    And this mindset shift sits at the heart of our conversation in this episode – understanding the boxes we operate in and under, exploring what it means to step outside of them, and seeing what changes when facilitators adopt an unboxing mindset.

    Jimbo is an exemplary facilitator and a wonderful podcast guest, bringing light and charm in abundance to accompany his razor-sharp expertise.

    Find out about

    • Why we need to look at, in, and around our own ‘box’ before we ask anyone to look at theirs
    • The importance of taking what’s on the inside and displaying it on the outside
    • How to help a group visualise their own box and physically create it – so they can escape it
    • The many reasons why facilitators need to have an ongoing relationship with self-awareness and self-development
    • Why we can’t lose sight of the client’s purpose in a workshop – and how that can present difficulties
    • What facilitators have in common with midwives

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    Questions and Answers

    01:23When did you start calling yourself a facilitator? 03:06What makes Larry Philbrook your facilitation ‘godfather’, rather than ‘mentor’? 07:21What makes a ‘world class’ facilitator? 12:11So, what makes you ‘The Box Guy’? 15:48What do you take from leadership’s reaction to ‘boxes on heads’? 20:41At what point does the magic occur with this exercise – is it through the process, or at the end result? 25:23 You used the phrase “open box” not “outside the box” 27:05 What is ‘reboxing’? 30:58How do you facilitate the ‘me to we’ moment? 38:03 A recent experience of mine has been to ask what I can do less of – to reduce and delegate. 02:59 How can we put a value on the work of facilitation – is it possible? 05:25 Talking about pricing for facilitation services. 13:16What makes a workshop fail? 17:21To whom (or what) do we have a responsibility in a workshop? 23:25What would change if the title of ‘facilitator’ become divorced from the specific role? (In the way that ‘leaders’ don’t always have to be CEOs.) 32:32Do we have to do big things to have big impacts? 36:35How can we make the best choice when it comes to platforms that enhance the experience of a workshop? 39:41What would you like listeners to take away from this episode?

    Links

    Jimbo’s Business

    Connect to Jimbo

    On LinkedIn