Most of us have participated in a brainstorm before: ideas bounce around the room, every option is captured, and the output is a big list of possibilities. So, how do you narrow down the prospects to identify the most viable ideas that will actually move the needle for your business? I came up with my own formula to tackle this challenge, which I’m breaking down here in hopes it helps your teams find clarity sooner, and identify the best solution to the problem at hand.

I’ve made it my mission to bring more ease into more areas of my life this year. I’ve found that it’s difficult to meet challenges with ease at first, but once you get into the rhythm the attitude is contagious and pays dividends, both personally and professionally. Here’s what I’ve been practicing every day.

How do meeting leaders and workshop facilitators make sure teams can collaborate and produce their best work without being bulldozed by someone loud and intimidating? A bit of effort before and during a session can keep things running well and reduce the likelihood that this type of behavior will emerge from participants. And when it does, I’ve got tips for that too.

If you’re new to leading workshops, this survival guide is for you. It also has a few good reminders and nontraditional suggestions for facilitators who have been at it for a while. I know it can feel like a high-stakes game, but there are specific actions you can take to manage the experience for yourself and your participants (whether you’re leading your first or fiftieth workshop). Here are my top nine tips for a better workshop.

Does growth create opportunity? Absolutely. But is it the best and only way to run a business? Absolutely not. Here’s why I intentionally choose solopreneurship year after year.

What kicks off a day of collaborative work on a good note? How do you create a sense of camaraderie amongst colleagues or perfect strangers? The truth is simple: icebreakers. I know there’s a perception that they’re old school, or fluffy, or even cheesy. But that’s only if you aren’t using them correctly. Here are three common scenarios in which icebreakers are particularly helpful, along with specific examples so you can copy and paste them into your next session.

Great facilitators can design their workshops to diffuse the thinking that only some people are creative, no matter their title. These are the five methods I bake into my workshops to ensure every team member is allowed to tap into their creative prowess.

I’m a big fan of balancing work and play, professional and personal. These “opposing” dimensions have quite a bit of overlap in the Venn diagram of life. The things we do to become more skilled in our careers usually blend into the ways we navigate life outside of work. And the curiosities we explore show up in unexpected ways within our professional interactions. These books cover that and more.

Defensive thinking stops new ideas in their tracks, or from ever even getting off the ground. It also requires a lot of intention and finesse to mitigate. However, doing so is critical to peeling away a rigid mindset that could be blocking your team members, workshop participants and meeting attendees from their greatest ideas. Here’s how.

What does a workshop need in order to shift from good to great? How do you ensure the team leaves with many fruitful outcomes rather than a few OK options? Leading impactful workshops starts with a strong facilitation skill set that plays to people’s strengths, manages against biases, and leads with humility. When you make a few adjustments to how you lead and prepare, the result is a more productive and aligned group. Here’s how.

The most fruitful teams know their purpose, what their responsibilities are, and have a sense of camaraderie with their colleagues. When these dimensions align, people perform better (which is good for both them and the company alike). But how do we get teams to get along? Cooperation doesn’t come at the snap of a finger — it’s cultivated with intention and is the precursor to everything else.

2020 required many of us to learn new tools, methods and techniques to fit the new digital/virtual/remote way of working. Attitude is quite possibly one of the strongest assets we have for navigating the unknown, but there are a handful of other adaptations facilitators should consider to help manage the (seemingly) unmanageable