Facilitation is something we do a lot of at Fathom, from one-time design studios or prioritization sessions to weeks- or months-long sessions to forge a partnership or get people aligned. We truly enjoy finding out what makes a group of individuals tick and helping them work well together to achieve something meaningful.
Facilitation is something of an art—balancing participation among the room, staying neutral, and finding shared goals (even when it seems there aren’t any!). But what happens when you blend the “art” of facilitation with the more “scientific” principles of human-centered design—like solving the right problem, putting users’ needs at the center, and designing with empathy? Human-centric facilitation.
We recently hosted a virtual panel discussion about why Fathom takes a human-centric approach to facilitation and why it works—and judging by the robust conversation and rapid-fire questions in the chat, we must have struck a nerve! Below you'll find a video replay of the discussion, slides from the presentation, and additional resources from the panelists to help you in your next facilitation engagement.
Video replay (36:43)
Slides (174 Kb)
Recommended reading
The Change Monster: The Human Forces that Fuel or Foil Corporate Transformation and Change
“I love the author’s description of the Change Curve—the standard phases of change initiatives and the feelings teams and individuals commonly experience at each stage: optimism, fear, curiosity, exhaustion, and delight. When you know what to anticipate, it becomes easier to facilitate teams as they ride the change curve.”
—Kate McRoberts
Power Dynamics: The Hidden Element to Effective Meetings
“This article makes an incredibly complex topic like ‘power’ accessible without watering it down and offers some helpful tips that are important to remember for every meeting, big or small.”
—Catherine Idema
Gamestorming: A Playbook for Rulebreakers, Innovators, and Changemakers
“This book (and accompanying website) is my go-to when I need a fun team-based activity for generating new ideas and strategies, or for coming to a shared view and making decisions.”
—Lynsey Struthers
5 Characteristics of Good Facilitation
“This post really resonates with my personal style and aspirations as a facilitator. It provides great, practical tips and underscores the importance of creating an environment of psychological safety.”
—Julie Pettit
