34. The Art and Science of Facilitation with Marsha Acker

"Facilitation is a key leadership skill." – Marsha Acker In this podcast episode, Innovation Meets Leadership host Natalie Born talks to Marsha Acker, a skilled facilitator can identify hidden dynamics in conversations and guide participants towards actionable outcomes. Marsha emphasizes that following good facilitation principles in meetings is crucial for success, even without a facilitator present, to avoid wasted time, lack of clarity, and missed opportunities. The conversation centers around the cost of repeated and unproductive meetings in organizations, and the speakers identify warning signs of ineffective meetings, such as impulsive eye rolls and unclear decisions. Key skills for effective facilitation are neutrality, intentional planning, clear design, engaging all voices, and knowing when to provide input. Facilitation is a skill that takes practice and maturity, and staying present and curious when things get difficult is key to successful meetings.  Marsha Acker is an executive & leadership team coach, author, speaker, facilitator, and the host of Defining Moments of Leadership Podcast. She is the author of The Art and Science of Facilitation: How to Lead Effective Collaboration with Agile Teams and Build Your Model for Leading Change, coming in early 2023. Marsha is the founder and CEO of TeamCatapult, a respected and sought-after leadership development firm that equips leaders, at all levels, to facilitate and lead sustainable behavioral change. Key Highlights: The Power of Facilitation  The Importance of Effective Facilitation in Meetings  Mastering the Art of Facilitation  Key Quotes: "As a facilitator, the beauty is in standing back, looking at the lay of the land, and cutting right to the heart of what we're really trying to say. It's about bringing focus to the discussion and preventing things from going off in different directions." – Marsha Acker. Connect with Marsha   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marsha-acker-3486a72 Defining Moments of Leadership Podcast: https://teamcatapult.com/podcast/   LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone empower their businesses through collaboration, innovation, and transformation by sharing this episode or clicking here to listen to our previous episodes. These are proven solutions to advance your innovation process. Check out our website innovationmeetsleadership.com, or connect with me on Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube Don't forget to subscribe and leave a 5-star review. Let's go transform something!