Facilitation Week Reflections: A Journey of Connection, Clarity & Co-Creation
There’s a kind of quiet magic that happens when people gather—whether in a circle, a Zoom room, or a breakout space—with open minds and a shared purpose. This year, during IAF’s Global Facilitation Week, I was fortunate to experience that magic not once, but three times.
Each session I facilitated was a doorway into a different dimension of human collaboration. And as I reflect back, I can’t help but smile at the journey we took—together.
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Chapter One: In Sync with Shalaka – When Two Minds Facilitate as One
Our first session felt like a symphony coming together. I co-facilitated with the incredible Shalaka Gundi, and from the moment we began planning, it was evident we shared a common rhythm.
Session 1: Closing the Communication Loop!
May 15, 2025 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM IST | NICMAR University, Pune
Audience: Functional Leads
Co-Facilitated with Shalaka Gundi, CPF
In this closed session, we worked with functional leaders at NICMAR University to explore the power of closing the communication loop. Participants reflected on their communication patterns and engaged in exercises to improve clarity, confirm understanding, and give and receive feedback effectively. The group walked away with practical tools to reduce assumptions, build accountability, and foster a more connected workplace culture.
We designed a session that invited participants to reflect, imagine, and act with intention. The theme was rooted in possibility thinking in disruptive times—a topic both close to our hearts. Together, we navigated the flow, listening not just to each other but to the emerging needs of the group.
There was a moment, about halfway through, where I paused and simply watched the participants—leaning in, eyes lit with curiosity, co-creating ideas in breakout groups. That’s when I knew: we weren’t leading the session anymore. The session was leading us. That’s the sweet spot facilitators live for.
Session 2: Living Our Values – One Day at a Time!
May 17, 2025 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM IST
Audience: Employees of Phoenix Real Estate Solutions
Co-Facilitated with Shalaka Gundi, CPF
This values-based session was an invitation to slow down and reflect on what truly matters. Through storytelling, visual mapping, and collective dialogue, participants explored how personal and organizational values can be practiced in daily decision-making. It was a warm, authentic, and energizing space where empathy, alignment, and inspiration came alive.
Chapter Two: The Open Workshop – Across Borders, Bound by Purpose
The final session was an open online workshop—open to anyone who wanted to explore how facilitation can build bridges in today’s divided, complex world. The diversity in the room was exhilarating: participants from different countries, representing every sector you can imagine.
Flying Solo, but never alone
The last session was one I facilitated independently—a workshop designed to help participants explore the role of facilitation in building sustainable futures. I remember feeling the flutter of anticipation just before I went live. Would the design land well? Would the energy sustain in an online session for such a deep topic with a group of strangers in an open workshop?
It did !!!
From the opening check-in to the powerful “predictive analytics” activity, participants poured their insights, questions, and hopes into the space. We shared laughter, breakthroughs, and even a few moments of silence that spoke volumes. I walked away feeling inspired by the collective wisdom that had emerged of how our ways of working are changing in organizations in a disruptive world with new trends & challenges emerging in categories of hybrid workspaces & remote teams across cultures. The group came to conclusion with a few new innovative ideas to include for making their organization future proof as these new trends continue to firm up.
I designed it as a highly interactive session, using virtual tools to spark dialogue and creativity. What I loved most was how people leaned in to listen deeply, to truly hear one another. One participant said, “This felt less like a webinar and more like a living room conversation across continents.” I couldn’t have asked for a better compliment.
The Threads That Wove It All Together
Looking back, each session was unique—different partners, formats, and topics. But they all shared one thing: the spirit of facilitation as a force for connection.
Facilitation Week reminded me of why I do what I do. It’s not about leading from the front. It’s about holding space. Making the invisible visible. Creating environments where people feel safe enough to speak, curious enough to explore, and brave enough to change.
To my fellow facilitators, collaborators, and participants—thank you for walking this journey with me.
Let’s continue to reimagine what’s possible.
