PODCAST · business
Facilitation Lab Podcast
by Douglas Ferguson
Welcome to the Facilitation Lab Podcast, where Douglas Ferguson, founder of facilitation academy Voltage Control, speaks with Voltage Control Certification Alumni and other facilitation experts about the remarkable impact they're making. These discussions embrace a method-agnostic approach, so you can enjoy a wide range of topics and perspectives as we examine all the nuances of enabling meaningful group experiences. This series is dedicated to helping you navigate the realities of facilitating collaboration, ensuring every session you lead becomes truly transformative. If you'd like to join a live session sometime, you can join our Facilitation Lab Community. It's an ideal space to apply what you learn in the podcast in real time with peers. Sign up today at voltagecontrol.com/facilitation-lab.
Episodes
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New Friction 10: Why Zero Tech Debt Is the Real AI Engineering Unlock
In this episode of the New Friction podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Bryon Jacob, a technology advisor and AI strategist who previously co-founded data.world as CTO and spent a decade at HomeAway. Jacob argues that the teams succeeding with AI-assisted software development share one…
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New Friction 9: AI Doesn't Remove Friction, It Moves the Bottleneck to Judgment
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Yvette Cronje, Head of UX Design for HP's unified consumer app experience, about how design leadership is shifting as AI compresses production time. Cronje argues that AI hasn't removed the hard part of design so…
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New Friction 8: AI Doesn't Remove Friction, It Just Moves Upstream
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Alyssa Coughlin, Director and Chief of Staff for Autodesk's Data, AI, and ML Platform organization, about what it actually takes to move a large engineering company from AI-enabled to AI-native. Coughlin describes…
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New Friction 7: Decisions, Not Doing, Are Now The Bottleneck
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Jeff Chow, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Miro, about where friction is showing up inside product teams as AI reshapes how work gets done. Jeff describes how PMs prototyping in high fidelity, designers...
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Episode 175: Drawing Your Way Through Conflict and Change
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Kristi James, a Lead Change Manager at the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme in Berlin. Kristi traces her facilitation instincts back to childhood event planning and an early corporate career…
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New Friction 6: Why Miro's AI Bets On The Canvas, Not Chat
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Joe McLean, Group Product Manager for the AI Stream at Miro, who led the overhaul of Miro's Sidekicks and Flows AI surfaces launched at Canvas 25. Joe traces how his hobbyist love of Eurorack modular synthesizers...
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New Friction 5: Scaling AI From Personal Habit To Company Capability
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Taran Lent, Chief Technology Officer at Illumia, about how his organization moved from individual AI experimentation to enterprise-wide capability. Lent describes building an "enablement task force" that…
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New Friction 4: AI Readiness Is A Behavioral Transformation, Not A Technical One
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Sarah B. Nelson, Distinguished Designer at Kyndryl and co-founder of Kyndryl Vital, about why AI's promise to remove friction is actually surfacing the human dynamics organizations have always avoided facing. They...
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New Friction 3: Why AI Transformation Is About Alignment, Not Tools
In this episode of the New Friction podcast, host Douglas Ferguson speaks with Peter Bell, founder of Gather.dev and author of the forthcoming O'Reilly book Scaling AI Adoption in Engineering. Bell draws on his work running invite-only peer communities for senior engineering leaders to diagnose…
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New Friction 2: What Higher Education Knows About AI That Industry Doesn't
In this episode of the New Friction podcast, host Douglas Ferguson speaks with Jeff Grabill, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University at Buffalo, recorded in the immediate aftermath of the IHE US AI Summit 2026, which both men attended. Grabill recounts what emerged from that...
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New Friction 1: Is AI Really Eliminating Friction?
In the inaugural episode of New Friction, host Douglas Ferguson and Erik Skogsberg explore how AI has shifted organizational friction from execution to decision-making and alignment. While AI accelerates production, it magnifies existing dysfunctions when teams lack collaborative habits. They...
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New Friction 0: A new series from Douglas Ferguson
New Friction is a podcast from Douglas Ferguson on the real organizational challenges of AI transformation. AI made execution almost free but most organizations are still stuck. Not because the technology doesn't work, but because the people problems got harder: decision-making, governance, and...
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Episode 174: The Greatest Secrets to Engaging Facilitation: Unlocking Team Potential
"I showed up just wanting to observe, but a deep prompt and a one-on-one conversation led to a beautiful, unexpected connection." - Erin Warner In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Erin Warner, founder of Head + Heart Coaching and Facilitation. Erin...
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Episode 173: How Can Authenticity Transform Facilitation and Workplace Culture?
"I wondered what would happen if I opened a C-suite meeting with a dad joke or a meme, and it made people actually look forward to coming." - Renita Joyce Smith In this episode of the Facilitation Lab Podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Renita Joyce Smith, CEO of Leap Forward Coaching and...
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Episode 172: The Greatest Lessons in Trust and Generosity from Online Communities
"When I started my career, people said there's no way a computer can create real human connection, and I was like, I think it can." - Sophie Bujold In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Sophie Bujold of Cliqueworthy. Sophie shares how her early...
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Episode 171: How Can Rituals in Design Enhance Facilitation and Organisational Resilience?
"Making experiences, whatever they are, human is one of the key learnings of human-centered design, and at least one of those that I really keep close to my heart." - Marco Monterzino In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, Douglas Ferguson interviews Marco Monterzino, a human-centered...
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Episode 170: The Best Practices for Creating Safe and Engaging Learning Environments
"I need people to not just feel safe, but to actually feel excited and engaged in whatever the moment is bringing, to take risks, and to grow in real time." - Grace Losada In this Facilitation Lab Podcast episode, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Grace Losada, Vice President of Learning and...
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Episode 169: The Greatest Secrets of Blending Magic and Psychology for Team Growth
"The emotions that come out from magic, the spaces that magic allows you, they are quite global." - Rubens Filho In this Facilitation Lab podcast episode, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Rubens Filho, Director of Spells & CEO of Abracademy, about using magic as a tool for transformative learning...
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Episode 168: How Can Facilitation Foster Genuine Connections and Healing in Our Communities?
"When I see humans unable to center and organize, it feels like nails on a chalkboard to me." - Lori Boozer In this episode of the Facilitation Lab Podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Lori Boozer, a narrative strategist and wellness visionary. Lori shares her journey from law to…
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Episode 167: How Can Facilitators Foster Bold Participation and Collaboration in Nonprofit Organizations?
"Sometimes in facilitation, it's a dance between creating space for others and offering perspectives that move the conversation forward." - Robin Cory In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson speaks with facilitation experts Tammy Shubat and Robin Cory, both Voltage...
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Episode 166: From Talking Sticks to Blockchain: Revolutionizing Governance Through Collaboration
"The very fact we came together and wrote a constitution, even if it's not a perfect constitution, is a monumental achievement because people from 50 countries had to come together and get something done."- Charles Hoskinson In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson...
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Episode 165: The Greatest Shift: From Competition to Collaboration in Idea Generation
"It's so much more beneficial when everyone gives up ownership of ideas and creates something that belongs to the whole group."- Emilia Åström In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Emilia Åström, facilitator at Howspace and co-creator of "Perspectives."...
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Episode 164: How Can Facilitators Ignite Creativity in Diverse Workshop Environments?
"Somewhere along the line, as we grow up, we get so used to doing things a certain way that we lose touch with that creative side of the brain. As kids, we tried all sorts of things and never stuck to a certain methodology or structure, but I think facilitation brings out that childlike…
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Episode 163: How Can We Combat Loneliness Through Shared Experiences?
"Connection moves at the speed of vulnerability. It takes courage to be the first on the dance floor or to reach out to someone, but those brave steps can lead to powerful connections"- Bahaa Chmait In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Baha Chmait…
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Episode 162: Why Did the Facilitator Bring Legos to the Meeting? To Build Connections!
"One of the things that really motivates me is seeing the light in people's eyes when they come into the innovation center and we have them play with Legos or do something fun. Bringing enjoyment into work is something that really motivates me personally."- Ralitsa Dimitrova In this episode of…
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Episode 161: How Can Inclusive Facilitation Transform Decision-Making in Organizations?
"The power of facilitation is to bring all the voices to the table, and as you may have heard this saying, "nothing for us without us," and I love that, it resonates so much."-Alexis Scranton In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Alexis Scranton…
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Episode 160: Finding The Click
"It's most costly in the wasted human energy and time that goes into things that people in the end don't care about. That is what's the most frustrating to me, seeing people pour their energy with the hope that it's going to pay off, and then in the end, when people shrug, it's just so...
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Episode 159: The Greatest Shift: From Traditional Training to Engaging Facilitation
"You can talk the talk all you want, but the group is going to know if you're not walking the walk. As the facilitator, you have to be the one that's ready to lead in what you're asking them to do."- Caterina Rodriguez In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson…
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Episode 158: How Can Embracing Vulnerability Transform Your Leadership Journey?
"I saw her facilitate and I thought, "Wow, she's really drawing things out of the group instead of telling them what to do." That was so powerful, and I thought to myself, "I want to do that. I want to be able to do that type of work someday."- Dr. Karyn Edwards, PCC In this episode of the...
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Episode 157: From Extrovert to Empowerment: The Art of Facilitating Group Dynamics
"There is so much humanity in vulnerability. If you're going to ask others to be vulnerable, you have to be willing to do so yourself and let your walls down to have rich, honest conversations."- Alyssa Coughlin In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with...
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Episode 156: How Can Curiosity Drive Justice and Social Change in Organizations?
"I was blown away, absolutely enthralled and fascinated. My granddad turned to me and said, "You've got an inquiring mind, don't ever lose that." It has essentially formed who I am."- Dan Walker In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson interviews Dan Walker from...
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Episode 155: Unlocking the Secrets of Engaging Facilitation
"Seeing the magic of bringing people together, setting clear agendas, and leaving with action items was eye-opening for me."- Lipika Grover In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Lipika Grover, a consultant, executive coach, and facilitator. They...
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Episode 154: How Can Effective Facilitation Transform Personal Connections and Group Dynamics?
"If you don't have those underpinnings of being anchored to something, it's really difficult to do anything else. That's just baseline sort of human functioning."- Kellie Artis In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Kelly Artis, founder of Mission...
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Episode 153: How Adventure-Based Facilitation Can Transform Team Dynamics
"Take that risk, take that step forward. Don't think about it, just do it. Sometimes you just have to take that step, and by doing that, my life changed completely."- Tony Toto In this episode of the Facilitation Lab Podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Tony Toto, a facilitator at the...
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Episode 152: How Can Facilitation Transform Leadership in Times of Change?
"I think that is one of the best gifts that you can give other people is yes, we're all just chemical biological beings at the beginning of these, and we have all the choices in the world to go somewhere else."- Nathan Hughes In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson...
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Episode 151: How Observation and Play Enhance Your Facilitation Style
"I take the opportunity to build culture and connection with that team to make them stronger. And that's something that's really rewarding for me—when I leave the process to see after nine months of working with them that this team is much more close, more connected, and trusts each other…
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Episode 150: The Most Impactful Visual Tools for Facilitating Team Alignment
"Now more than ever, we need facilitation, which is different than being a facilitator."- Jim Kalbach In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, Douglas Ferguson talks with Jim Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at MURAL and author, about his facilitation journey and expertise in mapping. Jim shares…
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Episode 149: How Can Effective Facilitation Transform Team Dynamics and Collaboration?
"Change is inevitable; it's how you adapt to it. It's the tools that you look for, the how do you want to grow so that you can adapt better to these changes that come your way."- Neallie Kani In this podcast episode, Douglas Ferguson hosts Nelly Carney, a UX Specialist from Hogan Assessments, who...
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Episode 148: How Can Facilitation Transform Professional Learning in Education?
"I allow myself to be very vulnerable and open because I know I'll grow in it, but I also know it helps others step into being vulnerable alongside me."- Susan Wilson-Golab In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, Douglas Ferguson converses with Susan Wilson Go Lab about her evolution…
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Episode 147: The Impact of Delightful Facilitation
"Delight is actually a combination of multiple emotions; it is joy coupled with surprise. So, I've really been thinking about how I can bring in more of that delight with very small tweaks to our everyday rituals at my company."- JJ Rogers In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host...
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Episode 146: Embrace Discomfort to Adapt to New Ways of Working
"I am a poor participant when I am poorly led, but when I'm well led through a process, I'm really willing to play along."- Rebecca Sutherns In this podcast episode of the Facilitation Lab, host Douglas Ferguson talks with Dr. Rebecca Southern about her journey in facilitation and the nuances of...
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Episode 145: Empowering Leaders For Sustainable Change
"We need facilitators to create that room. There are very few and the scientists who are quite enthusiastic as well as the decision leaders, what they know right now is PowerPoint one PowerPoint after another. And which is quite boring but they don't know what to do, how different, what other…
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Episode 144: Impactful Facilitation Techniques for Building Multicultural Teams
"I think that is my superpower. I do connect. I believe that no one can be successful without the other. We need each other to thrive and we have to realize that we are strong in certain areas and others are strong in other areas. And together, when we do connect, we can do really incredible…
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Episode 143: Making Meetings Less Painful and More Productive
"It was a humbling experience because I was the one leading those unproductive meetings or leading the teams astray and just talking about the work and really not having any action items or decisive plan of action afterwards. It was both a humbling experience but also really exciting because I…
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Episode 142: Transforming Team Dynamics
""When you just take the time to apply a few of these facilitation techniques, it really can help people focus, help them make better, more efficient decisions, and ultimately feel like they're all bought in on it."" - Phil Canning In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas...
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Episode 141: From Awkward Silence to Powerful Breakthroughs
"Listening in the silence, observing, seeing what's not being said in that silence, that tells a whole story as well." - Reshma Khan In this podcast episode, Douglas Ferguson interviews Reshma Aziz Khan, the CEO and Founder of Kenzo Consulting Limited. They discuss Reshma's background in the...
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Episode 140: The Most Essential Facilitation Skills for Building Trust and Collaboration
"We live in such a polarized world right now, at least in the US, and I'm not going to get into that, but I think it is important that we be able to hear each other, really hear each other. Not necessarily agree, but how do we start to move a little bit closer to each other? And probably that's...
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Episode 139: Control the Room Is Now Facilitation Lab!
We are excited to announce that Control the Room is now the Facilitation Lab podcast!
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Episode 138: Product Managers Unlock Flow Through Facilitation
"In today's world, compassion and kindness in the business environment is the most valuable thing that you can bring to your business or any working session." - Eli Wood In this podcast episode, Douglas Ferguson and Eli Wood discuss the importance of facilitation in working with interdisciplinary...
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Episode 137: Humanizing Change
In this podcast episode, Douglas welcomes Tim Creasy, the Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci, to discuss the field of change management. Tim shares his origin story and how he became interested in understanding human systems and implementing change at scale. They discuss the intersection of...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to the Facilitation Lab Podcast, where Douglas Ferguson, founder of facilitation academy Voltage Control, speaks with Voltage Control Certification Alumni and other facilitation experts about the remarkable impact they're making. These discussions embrace a method-agnostic approach, so you can enjoy a wide range of topics and perspectives as we examine all the nuances of enabling meaningful group experiences. This series is dedicated to helping you navigate the realities of facilitating collaboration, ensuring every session you lead becomes truly transformative. If you'd like to join a live session sometime, you can join our Facilitation Lab Community. It's an ideal space to apply what you learn in the podcast in real time with peers. Sign up today at voltagecontrol.com/facilitation-lab.
HOSTED BY
Douglas Ferguson
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Facilitation Lab Podcast have?
Facilitation Lab Podcast currently has 187 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Facilitation Lab Podcast about?
Welcome to the Facilitation Lab Podcast, where Douglas Ferguson, founder of facilitation academy Voltage Control, speaks with Voltage Control Certification Alumni and other facilitation experts about the remarkable impact they're making. These discussions embrace a method-agnostic approach, so you...
How often does Facilitation Lab Podcast release new episodes?
Facilitation Lab Podcast publishes regularly with 187 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Facilitation Lab Podcast?
You can listen to Facilitation Lab Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Facilitation Lab Podcast?
Facilitation Lab Podcast is created and hosted by Douglas Ferguson.
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