A powerful conversation is more than just a volley of words between people; it’s an opportunity to share insights, to be in fellowship with others, and to truly see and hear the wisdom of others. Gathering people for meaningful, learning-driven conversations requires thoughtful preparation not only for what people will discuss, but also how you hope they will feel: engaged, curious, pyschologically safe, respected.

At JLI Consulting, we seek to facilitate generative conversations that lead to new understanding and cross-pollination of ideas. We create conditions for people to have meaty, meaningful discussions, leaving plenty of space for participants to marinate, clarify their own perspectives, and think out loud with others. And we employ “mixed methods facilitation,” using a variety of activities and formats for prompting reflection, sharing ideas, and collecting insights.

Photos above from selected facilitation engagements: Top, Joyce with participants from workshop on common applications for grantees, sponsored by Funder Hui; middle, Joyce with co-facilitator, Ophelia Bitanga-Isreal, at HANO conference session on Identity, Power, and Privilege in Hawaii’s Nonprofit Sector; bottom, participants of school health coalition gathering, sponsored by Hawaii Department of Education.