September 8, 2025 - Who’s Lying? A Facilitator’s Guide to Uncovering Hidden Dynamics

SFN Zoom session on September 8 at 5.30-7.00pm

Join HERE

 

or go here...

ZOOM LINK

               Who’s Lying? A Facilitator’s Guide to Uncovering Hidden Dynamics

                                    DESCRIPTION: Let’s play a game of werewolf!

In this immersive social deduction game, you’ll sharpen your communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills while navigating trust, persuasion, and uncertainty. Werewolf challenges you to listen closely, think strategically, and adapt your approach—all essential for leaders navigating complex business environments.

This version of Werewolf is designed specifically for online facilitation—perfect for virtual workshops, team building, or facilitator training. Come ready to play, reflect, and explore the hidden dynamics that show up in every group.

About our presenter 

Julie has championed improv principles across her career—as a way to enhance creativity, build trust, and navigate complexity. Whether leading teams at Telstra’s startup accelerator muru-D, Workday Foundation, Salesforce Foundation, or as a technology specialist in a middle school, she’s always looked for where play and purpose intersect.

That instinct led to the creation of Playful Purpose, a space for bringing the other AI (applied improv) into the real work of leadership, systems change, and remembering that we’re human. Because play isn’t fluff—it’s a powerful tool for better business outcomes. It invites adaptability, unlocks flow, and creates the kind of psychological safety where bold ideas (and people) can thrive.

SFN in the room session - August 11th, 2025 - Gamestorming:

 Gamestorming: Fast-Tracking Collective Commitment with Aligned 2 Achieve

  UTS Room to be advised

Facilitators tell us that the most challenging part of any workshop is turning good conversation into shared commitment.

Aligned 2 Achieve (A2A) fixes that problem with a gamified, visually rich mapping board that gets participants on one page (literally) in under four hours. It builds on research showing that most organisations over-estimate their strategic alignment, leaving execution to chance, and it matches the Facilitator’s love of playful, evidence-based processes that “capture hearts and minds”.

A2A’s Game-Board Alignment gives facilitators a plug-and-play system that turns any off-site into an actionable roadmap.

What we’ll cover: a live demo of the A2A board; the three-step mapping sequence that surfaces goals, blockers and strategies; and tips for weaving the game into your own practice. The method is rooted in cutting-edge research on breaking silos and readying talent for change and echoes popular gamestorming techniques for vision and strategy meetings.

Why it matters: According to Harvard research, teams with high strategic alignment grow revenue 58% faster and are up to 72% more profitable than their peers. A2A lets you deliver that uplift in a single, immersive session, backed by a board that keeps the conversation visible and the energy high.

Speaker bio — Simon Townsend

Simon Townsend is a Creative Thinking Partner and design-thinking specialist who has spent 20 years helping organisations translate big ideas into action. From Sydney, he leads Twelve2, where he builds products focused on turning insight into measurable change. Aligned to Achieve is his latest venture, focused on improving team strategic alignment.

Simon’s facilitation style blends human-centred design, data-driven insight, and playful experimentation and is focused on strategic alignment. He has guided C-suite teams across technology, HR, and procurement, demystifying complex ideas and helping leaders “simplify, focus, and execute.” His workshops are known for high engagement and concrete takeaways.

SFN July 14 The business of facilitation - with our dream panel of businesswomen

 

The Business of Facilitation SFN Zoom session on July 14 at 5.30-7.00pm Join HERE   or go here... https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81347050527 Some of you are considering turning your facilitation skills into a consulting business. Are you crazy?   Some of you have already begun this challenging journey.  It’s a big decision, with extraordinary rewards, but not for the faint of heart.   So, we have created a panel of experienced consultants who do facilitation and training,  and have built successful businesses as freelance consultants doing this work.    This topic is in response to a number of requests from participants over the years.   The panel will make a short presentation on “The Three things I wish I knew before I  started this journey” then be open to questions.   Our Panel Simone Mauss Antoinette Colbran Suzie Moore   Ian Colley will moderate the panel and, if begged, can speak of his 30 years of experience  running a full-time facilitation practice.   His advice would be to go and get a proper job, but he is a pessimist.

About Simone, Suzie and Antoinette

Simone Mauss is the visionary founder of Collective Insight.  She is driven by a deep passion for helping businesses and governments create  more sustainable ways of working together on our planet.  Her vision is to awaken humanity to the powerful resource of collective intelligence,  which can be accessed through skillful facilitation and collaborative ways of working.  Simone is driven by a deep passion for helping businesses and governments create  more sustainable ways of working together on our planet.  Her mission is to help leaders create environments where individuals freely contribute,  harnessing collective insight for dynamic, innovative, and effective teams. See more here Suzie Moore began her business over 25 years ago, with the prosaic aim of making enough  money to survive, while doing what she loves, which is facilitation!    She is known for designing and delivering inclusive and engaging learning and development  processes for senior leaders, managers and individual contributors throughout Australia and  Asia Pacific.   Suzie is a facilitation specialist who works with clients to develop and facilitate  processes that capture hearts and minds to facilitate positive individual, team and  organisational change.  She has worked across industries and has designed flagship leadership development  programs for organisations in the corporate and government sectors.  See more about Suzie here

Antoinette Colbran is an author, facilitator, emcee, business owner and public speaker.  

Her business Benchmark Expert Witnesses has been around for 27 years.  Antoinette provides expert witnesses to law firms around the Country.  Her speaking role is about 

it never being too late at any age to start a business, engage in a new employee role, get fit and healthy and start new activities all through life changing adversity around financial change.  Antoinette tells her very own story of survival having experienced massive lifestyle change. 

 www.antoinettecolbran.com.au

SFN June 16: Slowing down the pace Reflect and Integrate through Journal writing - with Kate Scholl

Monday June 16 at 5.30pm- 7pm

Join on Zoom at: 

 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87334154301

This workshop will introduce some brief simple journal writing exercises to use in facilitation that assist participants to reflect, slow down, draw on their own experience and knowledge, and/or integrate their learning or perspectives. Helping people connect with their own perspectives and experiences often assists in building community within the group. The time will include actual use of some of the methods. Bring your journal or something to write in. 

The workshop provides some time to reflect on your own experience and gain a deeper appreciation of how journal writing aids in reflection and integration in a facilitation setting. Kate will offer some methods that might be of use in your practice. 

Kate Scholl has a background in theological education, management and administration, adult formation and education, and volunteer engagement. She retired in 2020 after 14 years with the St Vincent de Paul Society working in member engagement, training, and mission & spirituality. In 2022 she was invited back by Vinnies to work part time in their housing company enabling volunteer engagement. 

She has 40 years’ experience as a facilitator and presenter in educational, pastoral and retreat settings and held a range of volunteer roles with the Eremos Institute. This has nurtured her passion for writing, the spiritual search, listening to first nations voices, and community building.

She has a strong interest in how we make meaning and live fully connected to the depth and beauty that we are. Kate is an accredited consultant for the Intensive Journal® workshops developed by Dr Ira Progoff and offers these in Australia. Upcoming workshops are on the Eremos website: https://www.eremos.org.au/events and information about these workshops be found at https://www.eremos.org.au/intensive-journal--workshops 

SFN May 12: From Maze to Meaning with Greg Lourey

 

From Maze to Meaning: Embodied Practices for Powerful Facilitation with Greg Lourey Somatic Learning and Gestalt Principles for Transformative Insight Face to face session | Monday 12 May at 5.30pm (University of Technology, Sydney) UTS Building 15,   622-632 Harris Street, Ultimo  Level 1 Room 10

Discover the hidden layers of group energy, deepen your presence as a facilitator, and gain tools to unlock insight and transformation in any setting. In this dynamic and experiential session, you’ll explore how to read the room differently, engage more deeply, and facilitate from the body, not just the mind.   About Greg Greg has worked with executives and senior teams in the United Kingdom, US and Australia over a period of 30 years. Greg brings a unique blend of applied business theory, practical business expertise and human psychology having held senior strategic leadership positions in a global professional services organisation, on company boards, working as an executive coach and facilitator and in practice as a clinical psychotherapist. Greg’s approach centres on being a thinking partner with his clients. At the heart of this dialogue is presence and authenticity as a powerful place from which to be with the challenges that organisational life brings. His clients have included financial institutions, property development companies, the education sector, Health sector, Mining and related services and professional services firms. Greg completed his degree in Commerce whilst working at PricewaterhouseCoopers. There he specialised in assurance services to multinationals, government instrumentalities and SMEs. Greg worked in London where his clients operated in rail, international shipping, newspaper distribution, telecommunications and banking. On returning to Australia, he became office managing partner for PwC for the Hunter Region. Greg held the position of Chair, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee for a federal government corporation for 8 years and was a member of the Board for an Independent Grammar responsible for Finance for 5 years. Greg also completed his training as a clinical psychotherapist and has a Masters degree in Creative Music Therapy. As a life-long musician Greg, when not working in the corporate sector, works with special needs individuals and groups in schools, hospitals and facilities as a therapist using music to support physical, cognitive and emotional development through music. Greg plays guitar, piano, cello, saxophone and percussion. Greg’s other interests include recreational flying as a private pilot and the Japanese art of Aikido and Zen. Greg lives in Sydney with his wife and has 1 daughter, 1 grand daughter and 2 step sons.

Simulation Done Well - Engaging with Fun for Learning - March 10 Elyssebeth Leigh

 

Simulation Done Well - Engaging with Fun for Learning SFN zoom session |  Monday 10 March at 5.30pm (Sydney time) with Dr. Elyssebeth Leigh

10 March at 5:30pm Sydney time (join earlier to test your AV equipment and chat with colleagues)   Zoom Session Click above or go to: https://zoom.uts.edu.au/j/85880392707 Using deceptively simple activities, join Elyssebeth next Monday in exploring the key features of simulation as a powerful learning tool. How do you uncover a client's needs? Play the Bouquet Game and reveal their priorities! Why do you see things the way you do? Play the Circle Game to explore alternative perceptions of what is possible! What do you need to know about others to work well with them? Play a 'Who am I' Game and discover something about yourself and others! Join these original activities and discover the structure, components and methods for creating engaging learning environments. Stick till the end for a review of what makes a good simulation and how to be an effective simulation facilitator. About Dr. Elyssebeth Leigh Dr. Elyssebeth Leigh is a distinguished educator and leader in experiential and simulation-based learning. With over 40 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to creating and managing simulations that replicate real-world conditions, enabling learners to practice and refine their skills. Her recent work includes co-authoring "Facilitating Simulations" with Dr. Laurie Levesque, published in 2024. Dr. Leigh has served on the boards of the International Simulation and Gaming Association (ISAGA) and Simulation Australasia, including a four-year tenure as General Secretary of ISAGA. In recognition of her lifetime contributions to simulation in Australia, she received the Ray Page Award. Her extensive research and publications emphasize the skills required for effective facilitation of simulations, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in educational settings.

The Plentitude of Play or Nonsense to Newsense - February 10 Johanna de Ruyter

 

The Plentitude of Play or Nonsense to Newsense SFN zoom session |  Monday 10 February at 5.30pm (Sydney time) with the joyful Johanna de Ruyter

10 February at 5:30pm Sydney time (join earlier to test your AV equipment and chat with colleagues)   Zoom Session Click above or go to: https://zoom.uts.edu.au/j/85880392707 Play isn't just frivolous fun, and it's never just nonsense. It can be  a delightful tool for problem-solving and generating fresh ideas, for energising groups, for releasing tension, for shifting perspectives on issues. Nonsense to newsense is another way into sense-making that invites us to awaken our ability to listen in different ways and to engage other senses to make sense. In a world that often prioritises logic and structure, we forget that some of the most groundbreaking ideas stem from moments of pure, unfiltered play. This session is an invitation to step outside the ordinary, the rational and the logical and embrace the whimsical, the unconventional and dance with invitations that may seem nonsensical at first glance but could hold seeds of insight if we allow ourselves to play! About Johanna De Ruyter Johanna de Ruyter is a theatre practitioner with 40 years of passion and practice in improvisation, at the core of which is playfulness. She has been a Facilitator and Coach working with a range of organisations to translate and incorporate theatre principles and practices into cultural and communication development. Some of the companies she has worked with are Playback Theatre Sydney, The Ariel Group and Wicked Elephants Coop.