Desiree Paulsen Facilitation

  A painting by Desiree Paulsen during a creative session at a retreat gathering of practitioners  As a facilitator I am always reflecting on my work and what I do and how I can improve. I have realised facilitation is an often downplayed area of expertise and because we often come from different disciplines it is not always a highly recognised area of work - yet it is a superpower and increasingly rare skill. I am also wondering could AI become facilitators as good or better than humans - could you imagine being facilitated by a robot whether online or in person?  For those of us who grew up and started working in this field before technology became such a big part of everything we do, we still carry creative basic practices with us and we have seen the magic they can do. Many of these practices have indigenous roots and have been the way humankind have learnt to engage. There is also inner wisdom and deep intuition which are qualities developed over years of experience ...

  Six Months In: January to July 2026 Reflection (Learning, Adapting and Growing in difficult times and tough contextual challenges) A photo I took at the Liebeeck river close to where I live in Cape Town In this quiet beginning of July - I'm taking a moment to breathe and look back at the work that's filled my year so far. Strategy weeks. Leadership sessions. Courageous Honest Conversations, Team Cohesion and Development, Roles and Responsibilities Alignment workshops. Travel to interesting places and beautiful venues. In-person and Online engagements. Working alone and in partnership. Deep conversations, and moments of real connection with organisations and people doing important work. Who I've worked with From Natural Science and Agricultural to Research and Heritage institutions to Universities, from International Feminist Organisations to Investigative Journalism organisations - it's been a season of growth, learning, and meaningful partnership. What the work actua...