Focus Facilitator Pillows

"Isn't it great? I found little 'Classroom Mode' switches behind their ears."

"Shall we start with an icebreaker?"

"Obviously some people here don't appreciate the gravity of our situation."

Inclusive speech

"Hello? Speaking, not listening."

'Complete sentences?? Jeez, how verbose can you get?'

'Here's another one that'll make you blow your stack.'

The Importance of Planning Thoroughly in Advance

Lots of personal improvement classes are going on down there. The white blood cells are teaching a self-defense class. The neuron is instructing others about improving communication skills. And a proton and cornea cell have teamed up to teach a class on staying focused and positive! Is the helium atom participating in any of this? No, he thinks he's above it all!

'All those in doubt, raise your eyebrows.'

"This is the communications workshop, right? Let’s get started, I’m prepared!"

"This isn't the big city anymore, Jim. I'm the facilitator now."

'I thought people were quite receptive to the change seminar.'

The first week of the brainstorming session went slowly.

'Come on, Walter, you're wasting out time! Stop using complete sentences!'

"You're wondering why I've called you here."

"Despite years of management training john still found it difficult to give negative feedback."

How to engage an audience

'I'm feeling a sense of conclusion here, so let's draw things to a close.'

'He has a very open mind. Everything goes in one ear and out the other.'

Start the session by doing something unusual.

'The customers' suggestions make a lot of sense. I say, let's hire the customers and fire the staff!'

'This training session is all about challenging assumptions. For example you see someone looking depressed, dishevelled, unkempt it's easy to jump to conclusions. But they may not be a social worker, they may be a client!'

The meeting will start a little late, intelligence is lost in the building somewhere.

As the Chief Corporate Adrenal Gland of the company, Fred's recommendations were rarely a surprise.

"We can't even agree what to argue about any more!"

The facilitator from hell.

'Ladies and gentlemen, today we're going to get down to nuts and bolts.'

'And now, Gentlemen, that we have our thinking caps on, let us continue.'

'Benson will you stop trying to dominate the meeting.'

'We're running late and I have much to cover. Can you hold your eight-part question for later?'

"Nothing beats work events to mingle, build relationships, and backstab fellow colleagues."

"Motion denied then"

The First Powerpoint

"Hey - let's not us re-invent wheel."