Facilitation

Sometimes we need a conversation. And sometimes we need someone to hold it.

In groups, teams, and relationships, conversations can benefit from having someone independent holding the space and inviting deep listening to what is being said and being felt. I'm passionate about facilitating in a way that enables everyone to take part, to ensure the more difficult, vulnerable, and excluded 'stuff' is given space to be heard and seen, and to explore and communicate in ways that create shared understanding.

Over the past 25 years, I've gained extensive experience in facilitation with small and large groups, both in face-to-face sessions and online. I've worked with professionals, academics, students and the general public, including for the water industry, government organisations, community groups, partnerships, universities and NGOs. They have variously asked me to support groups and teams to generate creative conversations, make collective decisions, find a way through conflicts within a team, work with strong emotions, and to create space for difficult conversations together.

Key Principles

When facilitating I commit to:

Working in collaboration with my client to design the most appropriate process
Being clear and transparent about the intentions of the process
Collectively ensuring that all voices are heard, however difficult the message
Acknowledging, naming, and working with the experience and contributions of diversity in myriad forms, including recognising my own position
Recognising and responding to the emergent energy of the group
Ensuring any learning is acknowledged, both personally and collectively
Inviting participants to own their own judgement and to stay curious

People say ...

"I had the pleasure of working with Will professionally on multiple occasions … Both in person and online he is quickly able to build connections through his variety of professional experience and expertise. During the sessions Will provides an open and safe space for participants to feel comfortable to share their challenges and reflect on their experiences. He offers guidance without being judgmental and is driven by deep compassion for the participants and letting them identify how to implement their learnings and own path forward.” (JT)

“Will is a brilliant facilitator. Listens to everyone but ensured that we were moved on if we got into a rut. He challenged us - just what we needed.” (Participant, Lancaster University)

"Will is a caring, graceful, wise, intelligent and erudite facilitator who is full of charm and gentle humour. His work is infused with his passions - and as a result his authenticity shines through. Will is intuitive and is able to hold a group skilfully and with sensitive regard to the safety and wellbeing of all. He is humble, able to learn from others as much as offering insights and is a superb role model for spacious and generous co-learning. Any person, team or organisation who gets to work with Will, will be very pleased, grateful and delighted that they decided to!" (EP and KP)

“Will's research background and creative yet challenging facilitation skills gave me confidence in letting him control the program. Because he had been an academic, I knew that he understood what we were trying to do. I think the benefit for me was having someone I could trust in charge of the day so that I could participate and think about the science... We came out of the day with exciting proposal ideas and clear commitments for taking them forwards.” (Participant, Sheffield University)

Find out more

If you’d like to explore facilitation options with me, please get in touch.

Let's have a conversation