Facilitators Connect

It's been 3 months since Michiel Hauwaert and I (and many more people!) were packing our bags for what seems to be the final retreat of Facilitators Connect! What a ride it has been! Thank you so much for everyone who has trusted us since the beginning (and after the beginning 😌), for AGAIN purchasing a ticket and this time to follow us to the South of France. To this enchanting castle 👑 Thanks Annette Simmons, Jan Beuls, Myriam Hadnes and Angel Takooree 🏰 for the amazing sessions. Each session brought more insights, discussions and questions to empower us facilitators and to improve not only professionally but also personally! ✨ Thank you all participants for your enthusiasm and to bring so much knowledge to the castle, to your own sessions! I really enjoyed being part of it and I will incorporate the things that I learned into my own work! 🙏 Thanks Fien De Vos for all the beautiful images and videos captured at the event! Even though my family was not at the event, Michiel's was. And I think bringing family to the event might be the secret little sauce that sparks even more magic. 🧡✨ They did a tremendous job helping us out anytime we needed a few extra hands! Thank you family Hauwaert to include me after the event and visiting local places! 🤓🏝 AND grateful for the growth we've seen with Facilitators Connect! We crossed 1,000 followers here on Linkedin and couldn't be happier! It was the final retreat, but NEVER SAY NEVER. Follow us and who knows, maybe in a few years, we might be BACK. ☀️ In the meantime, anyone fancy a small get together? Angel Takooree 🏰Bjoke De Vos ▪ De Rekolt 🌾Damien Gauthier – Innovation and Presentation for ExpertsElena Nikolskaya 👋Tom MaesTom Nobbe Kat Mather 🚀🏰 Murray Cowan Abdullah BinSabbar Alexandre JUDGES Amanda Perkins Maria B. Michèle Brackenier Charlotte Bellen Hannes Hauwaert Thomas Hauwaert

I spent four days in a chateau in France (and it was a business expense). 🏰 Two weeks ago, I attended Facilitators Connect a conference-style retreat with other facilitators from around the world. The fantastic speakers provided so much inspiration for personal growth. 🤝🏼 Annette Simmons shared her immense wisdom with us about facilitating psychological safety. ❓ Myriam Hadnes reminded us of the value of sitting with our questions instead of rushing to answer them. 🧱 Angel Takooree 🏰 introduction to Lego Serious Play was a revelation. The depth of our conversations while building with Legos was unexpected and impressive. 📈 Jan Beuls taught us how to implement organizational change and introduced us to the phases of change. I also got to know each of the other 20ish participants during mealtimes, breaks, and dips in the pool. 🏖️ I made long-lasting connections, laughed so hard that my face hurt, and now I wake up to the European contingent giving each other encouragement and advice in our group chat! Huge thanks to Katrien Schepers and Michiel Hauwaert for organizing this incredible experience! I am truly in awe of what you put together and am forever grateful. 🫶🏼 📸 Fabulous photos by Fien De Vos 💙

This year's location was beyond astonishing 😍 Pictures by Fien De Vos Location Chateau du Raysse @ Casoulès, France

Last week I took part of the second year of Facilitators Connect a retreat for facilitators across Europe and the World. Here are a few of the numerous things I learned: 🏰 A castle in France is a wonderful place for a retreat, but even more important are the people you will meet there and the size of the crowd. Thank you Michiel Hauwaert 🏰 and Katrien Schepers 🏰 for organizing, scouting locations, and gathering amazing people around you. 👭 Small group of less then 50 are perfect to meet and get to know each and everyone. 🧠 Amazing and diverse speakers are key: Thank you so much Annette Simmons, Myriam Hadnes and Jan Beuls for the incredible insights and our discussions around dinner. Thank you also to Angel Takooree 🏰, Tom Nobbe, Kat Mather 🚀🏰, Alexandre JUDGES We learned and grew together, touching a vast range of topic such as - psychological safety, territorial games and storytelling - the art of asking the right questions - managing change to last - crafting amazing courses - Facilitating Lego Serious Play - rapid prototyping - discovering new synergies with department dating - and many many more. I am very happy to have given a short workshop on public speaking for facilitators there and helped the community. Even more important, I come back with new friends and deeper connections. Can't wait to see you all again :)

🌟 Facilitators Connect 2024: it's a wrap, a unique one 🌟 Dit jaar bracht Facilitators Connect 2024 ons naar het immer charmerende zuiden van Frankrijk, een perfecte locatie om te reflecteren, te leren en te verbinden. Met alweer een heel diverse en internationale groep vol inspirerende deelnemers en sprekers, was deze retreat een krachtig en verrijkend platform voor freelancers die vergaderingen en workshops begeleiden. Heel blij dat ik er bij kon zijn! De interactieve sessies daagden ons uit om dieper te graven in ons werk met groepen. De vraagstellingen waren niet alleen prikkelend maar ook bijzonder waardevol voor onze groei als facilitators. Van nieuwe technieken leren tot het delen van persoonlijke inzichten : elke minuut was het absorberen waard. Dus, dikke dankjewel, Facilitators Connect 2024, Katrien Schepers 🏰 en Michiel Hauwaert 🏰. Topeditie! ( vastgelegd door topfotografe Fien De Vos 👌 )Mijn Lego-serious-play visualisatie is het eerste waar ik mee aan de slag ga 😉

About that time I gave a keynote in my shorts, 🙈 About that time I gave a keynote in an old castle! 🏰 Saturday, I had the honor to be the last speaker at Facilitators Connect 2024, and share my experience about managing change. Although I was a speaker, I had the opportunity to follow the rest of the program and be inspired! I have to say, this event surprised me in a very positive way. Why? The organization managed to create a very safe environment in which everyone felt valued. We openly spoke about our challenges and challenged each other to step out of our comfort zones and grow. 🚀 How did the organization achieve this? There was time reserved for participants to share their own expertise or try out new things. Since the speakers were invited for the entire retreat, we were able to bond and learn from others as well, breaking down any hierarchy. Finally, there were only open-minded people! 😁 By the time it was my turn to take the stage, I felt it would be inappropriate to suddenly dress up for my keynote. (Yes, we were walking around in shorts; it was a little holiday as well!). I did not want to stand out as a speaker, so I just stayed my authentic self. I would like to thank Katrien Schepers 🏰 and Michiel Hauwaert 🏰 for the opportunity to speak at their event but even more for the effort they did for this great event. Thanks to them, many of us were able to grow in a very enjoyable setting! 😁 To everyone I met there, thank you for the psychological safety, the great (and sometimes confronting) questions, and the great time we shared! 🙏 Great pictures of Fien De Vos 📷

Taking time out to be amongst inspiring people… Connecting with so many facilitators globally Facilitators Connect in one place.. I'm already blown away by the beautiful location, the warm friendly environment. Great to see familiar faces again in person and to make new connections. I've learned so much more about psychological safety and the games people play. I'll be making my way through these books over the next few months. Thank you Annette Simmons for your amazing wise wisdom and experience. I absolutely loved the different exercises and the techniques that you use! The cards were absolutely thought provoking. So much depth and theory to understand, but lots of practical tools to add to our facilitator toolbox too! #WorkshopFacilitator #PersonalDevelopment #Facilitator #Training

I love it when a plan finally comes together. After year of hard work and stress yesterday we finally had the kickoff of our second edition of Facilitators Connect! What more do you need than a group of amazing people, some sparkling wine and good food? Well i can name you one thing 😅 Patience.. for the good food to arrive! (the caterer arrived 2hours later than planned..) But overall a very smooth start. Looking forward to the sessions from Annette Simmons on psychological safety and Angel Takooree 🏰 with Lego serious play! Katrien Schepers 🏰

Last chance to join our unique retreat for managers, coaches, facilitators!! 🤩🤩 Reach out if you want more info! (and I bet you do!!) 28th august- september 1st Near Toulouse Facilitators Connect

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