
tHE aRTFUL FACILITATOR
a master class
The artful facilitator’s journey begins within, by challenging deeply held beliefs, letting go of control, and trusting others.
It’s about embracing the sacred responsibility of guiding a committed group toward their shared aspirations. This work is profoundly human.
This is a master class—not about icebreakers or proverbial parking lots. There are plenty of workshops for that.

Instead, we’ll investigate some seldom-discussed principles, which have both moral and instrumental influence on the conditions the facilitator creates, and the engagements they enable.
​
-
The less you do, the more they will accomplish.
-
The quiet one, the introvert, and always, the truth-teller must be heard.
-
Jargon is cheap—the enemy of simplicity and clarity.
-
Closure is often better deferred than rushed.
-
Listening to hear is more valid than listening to judge. Listening to hear is more useful than listening to judge.
Those who are serious about gathering people together in collaboration, including:
-
Executive directors and department heads
-
Board, committee, and task force chairs
-
Artistic directors
-
Teaching artists
-
Faith community leaders
-
​Community organizers
-
Consultants and subject matter experts​
-
Shaping purposeful questions, the lifeblood of any useful engagement.
-
Effectively sequencing a fruitful dialogue amongst others.
-
Managing energy, emotion, and time.
-
Exploring proven frameworks that lift every voice in the room.
-
Working with evidence-based approaches that assure informed decision making.
-
Listening beyond the words — deeply into the heart of another’s intention.
Join John McCann, Partners in Performance President, the week of May 12. Over three sessions—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from noon to 2 PM Eastern—we’ll come together to explore the power and process of facilitation. Six focused hours designed to connect, engage, and deepen your understanding of what it takes to lead transformative conversations.