We are experiencing a long-overdue explosion of information and awareness about mental health. Just as we’ve steadily developed great interventions for our physical ills, we are now developing similar solutions for our mental ills.

But prevention is always preferable to cures.

Developing our mental fitness can have a hugely positive effect on us as individuals, collectives, and professionals, but it’s not yet a prominent part of the public discussion around mental wellbeing.

Jodie Rogers, founder of Symbia, mental fitness expert, and published author, is on a mission to make mental fitness a key part of how we live and work. She joins me in this episode to share how we can start practicing better mental fitness individually and collectively.

Find out about:

• What the difference is between mental health and mental fitness
• The evidence behind mental fitness and Jodie’s work in the field
• How Jodie coaches mental fitness in corporate settings
• How we can all work on our mental fitness independently
• The common cognitive traps we set ourselves and what we can do to increase our awareness of them
• How and why to prime a group before a workshop
• Why Jodie thinks it’s important to call out signals of discontentment, boredom, or disagreement in a group

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Thanks to our sponsor “Dancing with Markers”. Click here to get the workshops work discount for Lauren’s upcoming visual facilitation course.

Questions and Answers

[01:00] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator, if you do at all?

[04:20] Can you explain what mental fitness is?

[09:07] Would you call mental fitness a growth mindset?

[14:21] How do you go about teaching groups mental fitness?

[18:08] Does raising this group- and self-awareness improve our understanding of perceptual differences?

[19:50] Do you use any specific tools or ideas to help people understand how their attention works?

[25:56] Do you have a favourite tool or exercise for applying mental fitness?

[29:16] How do you recognise whether a group is mentally available or if there is tension in it?

[31:46] How would you advise someone about calling out visible tension in a group?

[36:04] What sort of scene-setting do you do to make ‘calling out’ possible in a group setting?

[41:03] What makes a workshop fail?

[43:26] What would be your advice for showing up even when we don’t feel very mentally fit?

[45:20] What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?

Links

Symbia, Jodie’s company

Jodie’s Mental Fitness Scorecard

Connect to Jodie:

LinkedIn 

Check out the podcast map to see the overview of all podcast episodes: https://workshops.work/podcast-map

This episode is all things groups! It is not uncommon to see questions about starting and running groups in mental health message boards. There has also been a great deal of conversation about running counseling groups via telehealth or managing them safely in person. PA lists the following benefits of group counseling: support, accountability, perspective, relief, and diversity. Now, more than ever, clinicians are looking for ways to provide these for clients, and here to help us learn more about starting and running a small group is Dr. Lyz DeBoer Kreider, PhD. Dr. Lyz covers group counseling basics, including the process of forming a group, running a group, and managing group dynamics. She also shares the steps she took when starting her very first group and her favorite groups to run. Finally, Dr. Lyz explains how group interactions provide insight into daily client struggles and how to balance group dynamics. 

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Kimberlyn and Leilani discuss the tendency to push grief away, how they move with and experience grief, how as witches they stand in the shadow and transform it, and the power of friends to hold space and heal.  They share their thoughts on fast processing and The Handmaid’s Tale.  And listen as they read the poem "Spell for the End of Grief" by Amie Whittemore, 2020-2021 Poet Laureate of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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First things first, we try not to confuse ourselves or our listeners as we distinguish between conspiracy theories and actual conspiracies. Then we unpack a bunch of questions about why people (even some of the smart ones) are so easily suckered by conspiracy theories. Are we experiencing a spike in conspiracy theories akin to the days of the Red Scare and the Salem Witch Trials? What's the role of science and technology in spreading such theories? Have lizard people infiltrated the government in order to hide the truth about how flat the Earth really is? Find answers and learn how conspiracy theories have us chasing our own tails, squashing our ability to think critically, and distracting us from dealing with systemic problems like climate change. Tanya Basu, senior reporter at MIT Technology Review, joins the gang to suggest healthier ways to communicate with conspiracy theorists.

*WATCH ON YOUTUBE* 

Today's episode is the first of a two-part documentary series that follows a group of thirty-somethings through their annual skiing / snowboarding weekend in Northern Michigan. Meet Alex, Bridget, Chelsea, Dan, JJ, Marlee, Nicky, Phil, Red, Sarah, Tyson, and Will, whose candid interviews throughout the weekend offer an authentic glimpse into the social dynamics that make this and most every ski trip such an interesting journey. Enjoy this authentic and organic FIRST half of THE SKI TRIP, which concludes Tuesday, 26/Feb.

Music by Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Big Gigantic, GRiZ, PALA. Theme by HILTON.

ATITA Links
ATITA on IG

What would you give for a clear set of guidelines for healthy, vibrant interactions with everyone?  Join Kimberlyn and Leilani as they share their delight in having agreements in their spiritual circle.  They end with a poem by  Amanda Kay Burke, "Be Thankful For It All."

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Julie Huffaker is a breathe of fresh air bringing passion and hope to leadership and life.  She is a social scientist fascinated by how people come together in groups and outperform themselves.   She has more than 25 years' experience helping organizations deliberately evolve leadership, culture, strategy and capacity.  She has a PhD in Organizational Leadership and Change, a MA in Human Development and a MBA.   She is a Principal and Founding Partner at consultancy Deeper Funner Change.  Her wisdom and compassion are unmatched and her impact of helping people change how they communicate is unparalleled.  She is passionate about paddle boarding and diving deep into personal and group interactions.  She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Show notes:

- Kristin's episode on LET IT OUT with Maddie

- My episode on the Create podcast

- today in fruit post on my instagram

- The Create Podcast

- Tiffany Topol (songwriter)

- C.R.E.A.T.E Community Facebook Page

If you Liked This Episode Try Out: Kristin Hanggi + Maddie Corman

On episode 038, I speak with Sam Bradd, graphic recorder and facilitator, change-maker and principal of Drawing Change. With his team, Sam contributes to positive change by helping their clients to solve complex problems and distil big ideas that promise to make the world a better place.

Sam helps me and the audience to grasp the complexity of visual facilitation - we begin with the basics, such as the difference between visual facilitation and graphic recording, explore the concept of the graphic recorder being a "public listener" and dive deep into the concept of psychological safety.

You will learn techniques to get the maximum impact from the visual recording - in terms of the connection between the participants, their engagement with the topic and their contribution. I was particularly intrigued by Sam's view on workshops and group dynamics - from the perspective of the graphic recorder, the observing facilitator. 

Click here to download the free 1-page summary

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Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.

Questions and Answers 

[2:00] What is the story behind your company's name "Drawing Change"?

[3:41] If you were a hashtag, what would you be?

[7:09] What do you have in mind when you refer to visualisation as a translation? 

[8:58] How do you organise information in a visual?

[10:54] What is the difference between a visual recorder and a visual facilitator? 

[15:02] How can you create a safe space for a group while your focus is on the drawing? 

[22:06] Are visual facilitators always working in duos? 

[22:55] Would you have a conversation about the visual with the participants during the session? 

[30:18] How long did it take you to stop overthinking everything you draw? 

[34:16] What is the best way to integrate the visual in the post-workshop process?

[36:51] Do you have a story that showcases the impact of the visual?

[39:53] From the perspective of the "public listener", what makes a workshop fail?

[44:08] Which exercise provides you with the most insights for drawing?

[50:31] Do you also work with corporate clients?

[37:55] This means that you would first expose all the extreme differences in perspectives?

[50:31] And then it comes to decision making in step 4?

[54:13] What is the nugget to take away from our conversation?  

Links to check

• Sam's business page: www.drawingchange.com
• Anthony Weeks on "Public Listening"
• Episode 033 with Oscar Trimboli on Deep Listening
• Kelvy Bird, levels of listening and generative scribing: kelvybird.com 
• Sam's articles on how to use photo facilitation cards
• Our sponsor Session Lab - An online agenda builder and exercise library

Connect to Sam

on LinkedIn on Instagram

Check out the podcast map to see the overview of all podcast episodes: https://workshops.work/podcast-map

In this episode, I talk to Megan Mateer, former corporate strategy consultant and now founder, facilitator, and changemaker. She founded Empatiko, a movement that aims to be a catalyst for human connection in the workplace and therefore accompanies organizations through that cultural transformation. 

Meg and I talk about conflict in group settings and how to use conflict as an opportunity for insight, clarity and connection in the context of workshops. You will hear about the difference between healthy and unhealthy conflict and how to deal with the latter when it arises in different shapes. Also, we speak about another form of conflict in the workshop space: a conflict between the facilitator and the group. 

Don’t miss the part where Meg runs us through the process of avoiding conflict by using the example of someone coming late to a meeting. Tune in to learn tools to make healthy conflict your ally and avoid unhealthy conflict from derailing so that your workshops work. 

Click here to download the free 1-page summary

Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.

Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own - take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.

Questions and Answers

[1:20] How did you get from being a corporate strategy consultant to becoming the founder of Empatiko.

[6:55] When you say that conflict can create a connection, what do you mean by that? 

[7:51] What are the elements that trigger conflict?

[9:00] Would you say that we most often ignore conflict to then deny it when it comes up?

[10:41] Since conflict is triggered by differences in assumptions, values and needs, how do you deal with conflict once it comes up?

[11:53] Would you explicitly ask self-reflection questions in the workshop space when you feel that there is conflict?

[16:52] At the moment you feel “an elephant in the room”, how would you deal with it? 

[19:28] Why don’t you walk us through the concept of non-violent communication? 

[24:45] As this doesn’t sound like “conflict” anymore to me, how would you actually define conflict and how do you avoid conflict to derail into something unhealthy? 

[27:32] How do you deal with what you call “explosive conflict”?

[30:21] Would you then call a break when conflict arises and how would you then continue? 

[31:56] How can we deal with a situation when the conflict is about us as facilitators?

[37:14] Coming back to the resolution of conflict among participants, how can you use the energy created by the conflict?

[41:46] What is your favourite exercise that usually works?

[43:17] For what kind of topic would you use the framework of the fishbowl?

[44:34] How would you finish the sentence: “Workshops fail if…” 

[45:17] What would you like the listener to remember who fell asleep after minute one?

[46:42] If someone wants to reach out, connect to or work with you, how can they find you?

Related links you may want to check out:

• Meg’s business page: www.empatiko.org
• Non-violent communication (Wikipedia)
• Liberating Structures
• Our sponsor Session Lab (affiliate link) 

Check out the podcast map to see the overview of all podcast episodes: https://workshops.work/podcast-map

Psychology studies have found that human groups have a tendency to scapegoat, especially during stressful times. What is scapegoating and who tends to be chosen to be the scapegoat in a group? What can you do when it's happening to you or in your world? In this episode Dr. Alexandra shares what psychology studies and literature have found about groups and scapegoating. She shares stories of case examples of scapegoating at work and at a funeral. Lastly, she reviews practical tips for what to do if you find that you are the scapegoat or if your group is scapegoating someone else. The podcast touches on the work of Abraham Maslow, Clay Alderfer and Leroy Wells, Jr. This podcast was sponsored by PonderRosa Studios of Lafayette, NJ. PonderRosa offers a professional New York experience and sound in a private, creative setting, including a comfortable environment for artists to reside while they record. If you enjoyed this podcast of Psychology America with Dr. Alexandra, please rate it on Itunes, press subscribe, or share it with a friend. Would you like to share your ideas, experience or comments on the topic of scapegoating? Visit psychologyamerica.com 

This show was created with love on my volunteer time. One small gift you can give me back is to take the time to leave the show a comment and rating on iTunes. You can also support the production costs of the show by buying me a $3 coffee at buymeacoffee.com/dralexandra. I will be encouraged by your support, and thank you!