workshops work Podcast

What if being professional is sometimes the very thing that gets in the way of good facilitation?
In this conversation, Myriam and Rob Evans explore what happens when we take off the professional armour and bring more of ourselves into the room. Rob shares how humour, warmth and genuine curiosity helped him win over a room of Lufthansa engineers — not because he had performed professionalism perfectly, but because he was the only consultant who seemed to be having any fun.
From there, the conversation goes deeper into the tension between expertise and not knowing. As facilitators, clients often expect us to arrive with answers. Yet some of the most important work begins when we can confidently say: I don’t know the answer, but I know how to help this group find it.
Together, Myriam and Rob explore authenticity, vulnerability and the risks of showing up without armour. They discuss why playing it safe isn’t always the safest option, how professional responsibility can make us controlling or critical, and why endurance can disconnect us from the signals our bodies are sending.
They also challenge a familiar assumption about change: that people change because we give them a convincing argument. Instead, meaningful change often requires an experience — an emotional encounter with the possibility that something different can happen.
This is a conversation about facilitation beyond methods and techniques. About trusting curiosity when you don’t know the answer, paying attention to what is happening in yourself as much as in the group, and perhaps taking ourselves a little less seriously along the way.
In this episode, you’ll explore:
Why lightheartedness can be a powerful facilitation resource
The difference between warm humour and sarcasm
How to confidently facilitate when you don’t know the answer
Why playing it safe can create its own risks
What authenticity asks of us when we remove our professional armour
How endurance can disconnect us from the wisdom of the body
Why emotional experience matters when people and organisations are trying to change
About this episode
This conversation was originally recorded for Unprofessionalism, my new podcast exploring the professional rules we follow without questioning them, and what happens when we break them.

If you enjoy the places this conversation goes beyond facilitation into how we show up as professionals, you can find Unprofessionalism by Dr. Myriam Hadnes wherever you listen to podcasts.
Any thoughts? Share them with us!
Support the show
👉 What happens when being “professional” gets in the way of being human? My new podcast Unprofessionalism explores the rules we’re taught to follow at work, and what happens when we break them. Listen here: https://unprofessionalism.buzzsprout.com/  👈

Brave work is messy work. It’s an invitation into the dōjō – to be humbled, to get vulnerable, and leave behind what you thought you knew.
Life-long learner, executive coach, culture consultant and facilitator, Dr. Dauv Evans joins me this week to journey beyond safety into the brave space arena. Together, we explore what it takes to build these spaces: the intentionality, the rules of engagement, and the assumptions we must leave at the door to have courageous conversations.
From power imbalances, to conversations on race, Dauv shares his work in helping people to grow together and exist outside of their comfort zone, with generosity and passion. A rich, practical conversation about how leaders can show up with humility when it’s needed most.
Find out about:
What braves spaces are – and why people must be invited into them
How constructive discomfort can facilitate deeper connection, meaningful learning, and cultural change within organisations
Why leaders must navigate people’s varying levels of risk tolerance with care
How to use power positively to facilitate a brave conversation for the better
Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.
Links:
Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.
Connect to Dauv Evans:
Brave Space Leadership Cohort Interest Form
Website
LinkedIn
Any thoughts? Share them with us!
Support the show
👉 What happens when being “professional” gets in the way of being human? My new podcast Unprofessionalism explores the rules we’re taught to follow at work, and what happens when we break them. Listen here: https://unprofessionalism.buzzsprout.com/  👈

Take a moment to tune into your body. Do your muscles feel tense, is your heartbeat slow and steady, is your jaw clamped tight?
Embodiment coach and one-week-old facilitator, my fiancée Mirjam Leunissen joins me this week for a podcast first! As a scientist in a past life, Mirjam spent her days distilling data points – and she continues to do so under a new guise, now recognising patterns in the body, in emotions, and how people show up.
We explore how embodiment can be a gateway to changing perspective and mastering our own comfort, as Mirjam shares practical tips for making sense of our bodies. A beautiful invitation to think a little less, sense a lot more, and come back to being a whole human being!
Find out about:
How embodiment can shape how we think and feel, helping us to regulate our nervous system, and respond with greater clarity
Why emotional awareness begins in the body first, when we tune into our physical sensations
Why facilitating with lightness, play, and curiosity can foster psychological safety
The importance of using tangible, factual terms about our physiology to bridge understanding
Why shifting our posture can positively transform the way that we think
Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.
Links:
Connect to Mirjam Leunissen:
LinkedIn
Any thoughts? Share them with us!
Support the show
👉 What happens when being “professional” gets in the way of being human? My new podcast Unprofessionalism explores the rules we’re taught to follow at work, and what happens when we break them. Listen here: https://unprofessionalism.buzzsprout.com/  👈

From a childhood imaginary classroom, to the moments before a traffic light turns green, Shireen Naqvi has been viewing the world as a beautiful facilitation opportunity her whole life.
Guided by the divine belief that humans are the best creatures in the universe, Shireen has made it her mission to help others realise the power that lies within them. She joins me this week to share stories from her life in Pakistan, her strategies for enabling self-empowerment in others, and why anger is the perfect ammunition for change.
A wise and inspiring conversation rich with Shireen’s passion, as we explore professionalism, injustice, the female experience, cultural nuances, and everything in between!
Find out about:
Why we should pay attention to our angers in order to understand our personal values
Women’s rights in Pakistan, and Shireen’s experience as a female trainer and entrepreneur
How Shireen uses play and authenticity to break the barrier of professionalism in the boardroom
How the concept of professionalism differs across cultures and countries
Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.
Links:
Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.
Connect to Shireen Naqvi:
LinkedIn
Any thoughts? Share them with us!
Support the show
👉 What happens when being “professional” gets in the way of being human? My new podcast Unprofessionalism explores the rules we’re taught to follow at work, and what happens when we break them. Listen here: https://unprofessionalism.buzzsprout.com/  👈

Not all clowns hide sadness behind a painted smile. Some wear their emotions on their sleeve, with earnest, overt authenticity, and deep self-awareness!
After taking a sign language course, Suzanne Dietz discovered how freeing it was to express herself through non-verbal communication – and it soon changed the course of her life. Hanging up her traditional facilitation hat and swapping it for a red nose, she now brings joy to the lives of asylum seekers and the elderly as a talented care clown.
Together, we unravel the wondrous world of non-verbal facilitation: from improvisation and silent connection, to letting go of performance, and developing a sharpened sense for the unspoken.
Find out about:
The unexpected similarities between facilitators and clowns
The non-verbal craft of clowning, the cues, and the communication form
How Suzanne expresses and plays with emotions with authenticity
How clowning can sharpen our intuition, and reveal emotional clarity in both ourselves and others
Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.
Connect to Suzanne Dietz:
LinkedIn
Website
Any thoughts? Share them with us!
Support the show
👉 What happens when being “professional” gets in the way of being human? My new podcast Unprofessionalism explores the rules we’re taught to follow at work, and what happens when we break them. Listen here: https://unprofessionalism.buzzsprout.com/  👈