How to be a successful Emotional Culture Deck Facilitator

– This article was originally written and posted by Lotty Roberts here

Earlier today I had a fantastic conversation with Steve Hargreaves. Steve is a fellow 'Emotional Culture Deck' Specialist, founder of 'The Compassionate Leadership Company' and an all-around good bloke who has become a good friend.

Steve and I love to geek out over all things Emotional Culture Deck related, usually joined by Mr ECD and founder of 'The Emotional Culture Deck' himself, Jeremy Dean.

Today it was just Steve and me - our reason for catching up was to discuss our insights and tips for how to get started facilitating Emotional Culture Deck workshops.

The conversation was part of a Podcast series we are recording for the newly formed 'Emotional Culture Club' that launched today. Although it's not available wider at the moment we decided to share the love, by crafting the top tips we discussed here, in this article.

So if you've recently done the ECD Masterclass, or are thinking about signing up for a future one, here are Lotty and Steve's (endorsed by Jeremy) top tips for how best to get out there facilitating workshops asap afterwards:

  1. Don't wait - lean in asap to using the deck with others.
  2. It doesn't have to be perfect - why would it – you have only just done the Masterclass. Don't let a need to be perfect hold you back. Every workshop has an element of experimentation.
  3. Do the groundwork - as much as it doesn't have to be perfect; you still need to do your groundwork. There is a rich toolkit provided with links to research articles - get familiar with those as a great base to your knowledge.
  4. Do it with people you feel safe with - whether it be trusted clients, family, friends or a special interest group you are involved with and know they will appreciate it is your first one, and you are learning. People love to be the first, and people you have an existing rapport and foundation of trust with will be rooting for you.
  5. Be yourself: Jeremy is cool, and it can be easy to want to do it just like him, but you aren't him. There is only one Jeremy, just like there is only one you, so rock up and rock you. It's more authentic. People can copy what you do but never who you are.
  6. Be prepared to have some wobbles and make mistakes - that happens no matter how many workshops you have done and will be a big part of what helps you grow as an ECD facilitator. Embrace these mistakes as learning opportunities.
  7. Remember, you don't need to be the star! It's easy for a facilitator to feel that to be of value and service, we need to be the star and provide lots of extra insights above what the workshop process provides. The participants are their own curriculum and the stars - as a facilitator, your job is merely to hold the space, keep the energy up and guide them through the process.
  8. Use the power of stories - stories are a great way of getting people to resonate with the ECD. Even though you may not have facilitated many / or any workshops - you will have stories around the impact of emotions in your life. Have them in your back pocket to pull out at an appropriate time. The more workshops you do, the more stories you will have too. 
  9. Show vulnerability during the ECD workshops; we are prompting people to be vulnerable to a certain degree. Vulnerability is like a flashmob or 'me too' force - once someone shares, others often follow. As the facilitator, the vulnerability will often start with you, so you set the scene for what's expected.
  10. Have Fun - Don't forget to enjoy the process. These workshops, as much as they generate some vulnerable emotions, are also fun. 
  11. Remember, The ECD is not just about the $$$ - this ECD work is heart work. To do it well, lead with your heart. This will be a money generator if you show up with generosity and share your IP and knowledge with anyone and everyone (like Jeremy). But if you make it all about making a 'buck' it will show through and hold you back. Be prepared to do some of your early workshops for free or at least open to it. Also, being paid for the first ones can put more pressure on which may hold you back.
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