In this conversational video, Myriam Hadnes and Thomas Lahnthaler discuss the concept of a "facilitation signature" and outline the upcoming Signature Bootcamp designed for experienced facilitators. They explore why a personal signature matters in a crowded market, contrast their own distinct approaches—Thomas emphasizing safe‑guided disruption and Myriam applying behavioral‑economics nudges—and describe how each embeds their signature throughout the facilitation lifecycle (pre‑work interviews, design, delivery, and post‑session follow‑up). The bootcamp aims to help participants uncover, refine, and articulate their own signatures, delivering concrete outputs such as a workshop blueprint, a pitch, pricing strategies, and client‑selection criteria. They also address strategic positioning, the power of saying no, re‑branding, and the role of discomfort as a catalyst for growth. The dialogue highlights the collaborative, peer‑learning environment where facilitators act as “unpolished diamonds” that are polished together, fostering confidence and a clear market niche.
Chapters
Hello, Thomas. I am super excited that finally we will do something in person.
Yes, can't wait for that to happen. How long did it take? 4 years?
Um, at least.
So yeah, it's time.
And now we are designing this signature boot camp. What does it mean to have a facilitation signature? And to you, and maybe what I shall say is that I always call you the MacGyver of facilitation. So for me, this is your signature. But what is it that you understand by a signature? And why should we have one?
Well, I'm— this is the proudest signature that I could ever have. I think I've told you that many times. I think signatures is for me something that sets you apart, something like we all have signatures. So they look different. They're unique to us. They make who we are. They portray who we are. We're all different, even though we have the same label. We all work differently. But I think we— it's important to really reflect and bring those unique skills to the table and really say like, this is me, this is my signature. When you work with me, this is what you get. I can guarantee you that.
Yeah. And we all use the same tools and the same methods anyway. So the only differentiator for us to stand out in this crowd of, what, a million facilitators on LinkedIn?
I think it was a million on LinkedIn last year. Yeah.
The only way to stand out is to bring our own personality and to have the signature. And I always like to refer to the example that if a friend of mine is meeting someone over dinner, and this someone is telling them about a current challenge or problem at work, I want my friend to say immediately, oh, you should call Myriam. So what does my friend need to know about me so that they can easily say, oh, you should call Myriam?
Yeah, I don't know about you, but I have— I've been asked this so often, why should we pick you? And if you don't have an answer for that, then it becomes tricky to stand out.
What's your answer?
If you're in for a different experience, if you're ready to be disrupted, if you're ready to let go of things and maybe challenge your own conventions, I'm here.
Yes, leave the comfort zone.
Leave the comfort zone, yes, but actually in a safe and guided way. Yeah, so not just throw them out there, leave them alone by themselves and make it a survival training, but rather make it a guided experience into unknown territory. Yeah. And you, what would you answer?
If someone is interested in having a— as weird as it sounds— a scientific approach to workshop design. So I see every workshop design challenge through the lens of behavioral economics. So what are the nudges that I have to design so that I can help the group to get out of its way without even noticing?
Hmm.
So one of my favorites, for example, is the question brainstorm, that if there's a group that is either not, not really enthusiastic about a topic, or there's a lot of finger-pointing, and we, we have to identify the root cause, then a question brainstorm helps them to take an objective stance and to create curiosity for a topic without even noticing it. Because if we ask questions, we instinctively want to know the answer.
I love that. I haven't tried that yet. I've read it a few times, but I have— I've not tried that yet. But now you made me curious. So this is definitely going to be on the list because it's such a nice twist to an heavily criticized, uh, overused, however you want to say it, tool. I think it's, it's still underused because it's not the tool that's the problem, it's the methods which you just illustrated. And I think that's, that's what also the Signature Bootcamp will be about. We'll be looking at different methods from unique individual perspectives where you can say like, so how would I tweak this? How would I make this mine so that it's not another standard method that's out of a book, or I'm copying somebody else? But really get your stamp on it. This is me. This is Thomas. This is Miriam's approach to brainstorming, right?
Yeah. And that's what I'm really excited about also, to help the group to walk out with their signature workshop blueprint. Because for instance, for me, I can design any workshop in a few hours if I know what the purpose is and, you know, if I got the briefing from the client, because there's a certain structure that I always apply and there are a few tools or methods that I use and that I mix and match depending on how I need them. And I think this really helps me to be very effective and efficient in the pre-work that I have to do.
And I think what's funny about that is what we often don't notice. I don't know about you, but I— for me, there's two— there's different phases, and my signature already starts in the preparatory phase, in the design phase, because I have those glasses on. Because I know that that's, that's how I work. So it's not only about like, oh yeah, this is how you facilitate, but facilitation is way more. It's, it's how you listen, it's how you design your workshop, it's how you, you then implement or change it along the way. Because we know workshop plans are often just, you know, maybe recommendations for ourselves on how to do it, but when we meet the group, it looks a bit different. And then what's afterwards? So how do I meet the group afterwards? And I think those are all— they should be all imprinted by who we are. and by our way of doing things and how we like it. And we all have our go-to things and we all have our things that we like to stay away from.
Yes.
They're not so good for us. And I think really taking that reflection and going with the group into these different phases.
Yes.
So that everybody of the participant walks out of the workshop saying like, yeah, this is what I do and have actually that mirror and that outside perspective that we're going to provide in terms of like, yeah, This is how you do it.
Yeah. And I love what you mentioned, that your signature already starts beforehand and goes— lasts so much longer. So for me, my signature beforehand is to have interviews with the participants, and this is where I get my inspiration from for the design elements. But then also, I think there's a strategic element to that. So how can you plant seeds if this is what you want from the client to maybe have longer-term relationships or facilitate more than just one workshop but an entire program, then how can you already plant the seeds and build these relationships and ask the questions that will help you afterwards to continue the relationship with the client? And I think this can also be a beautiful element of the signature, which then has more long-term effects than just the workshop.
And I think that's so crucial because there our approaches differ so fundamentally because I just go in and rather know as little as I can about the group, because the way I design a workshop is I find out about the group when I see them, but I see them as a group then. So it's there, you already see signatures are different, but we have, we have the same intention. We just approach it from, from slightly different angles. And I think that's what makes this exciting.
Yeah.
Because it's not, it's not about what's better or worse. It's about like, yeah, you know what you prefer and the way you work most effectively. I know my approach because we have, we have dealt and discussed this signature topic not only as long as we know each other, but way beyond that. And I know a lot, and I know you, you also know many facilitators who have not taken that step yet, who are still, who are still in the questioning phase. Who am I? And I think those people, they should definitely join. What do you think?
Absolutely. And there's a maturity and confidence in that to, to acknowledge that, yes, our approaches are so different and there is no right or wrong. It's not that at the end of the bootcamp, if a participant just says, Oh, I'll do it like Thomas, or, oh, I'll do it like Miriam. No, how can they find their own way of doing it? So I think it is definitely for facilitators who are already experienced, who are successful in their facilitation, and still struggle maybe to put this element— what kind of facilitator am I, or what are the clients that I want to serve?
And, and to add on to this, because you made me just think, like, there's definitely this small group of people, because I was one of them. So I speak now really from my own role, where I felt like I was, I was well established. I thought who I was, but I wasn't happy with who I was. So it's a bit about, like, is there a side of me that I haven't discovered yet?
Yeah.
Is there something that I— part of my signature that is untapped into? And I think that, that, that Signature Bootcamp will take you there. Our job is, and our intention is, to take you to these spaces, uncover your potential, and see, like, can you make your signature even more distinct?
And I think even if you aim for rebranding, because I remember now you made me think of my early career where I mostly facilitated workshops for strategy workshops for big corporates. And then I realized that there are certain clients that I actually don't enjoy working for. And I'm now very clear with whom I want to serve and who I am very happy to say no to or to refer to other facilitators. And I think that's a mistake or misconception that I see in many facilitators who Believe that they are the jacks of all trades, and that they can serve anyone, and they can do all of these different formats and serve all the clients. But then it's difficult because they will never be the one that will be recommended for a specific thing, and then it's easy to get lost in the crowd.
I, I'm— yeah, I have thought now of the experiences when I took— when I said yes to things and I should really not have said yes in retrospect. And it's not because I couldn't do it, but my heart wasn't in it, or I took it as a personal challenge, meaning I, I put the group's interests actually, uh, on the back end, which I, which I think is— this was the early stages of my career, and looking back, I shouldn't have done this because that was more about me, it wasn't about the group. So I kind of really really didn't do any favor to the profession of facilitation. But it's something that I've learned. And saying no to a client is an incredibly empowering thing because you— it's not— it's also not in the interest of the client to get the best of you. And if you can say that, look, there's somebody who's better suited than me to do that, makes you stronger, is more professional, and helps you actually really be even more specific in who you are as a facilitator. And why you say no is something we'll always— we'll also explore, because that's, that's equally important as knowing who you are.
Yes. Why do you think— is it— no, let me ask differently. What can our participants actually— what can our participants expect from the boot camp? What is The one thing that you're most excited about?
You know the answer to that, I'm sure. No, because you wrote it the other day in your newsletter. I told you it was the biggest compliment that I've gotten in a long time. There will be discomfort. And I do think that's important because discomfort is for me always the first step or even the last step before a fundamental change or a breakthrough or, or empowerment or whatever is waiting on the other side. So there will be some discomfort, there will be surprises. But there will also be a lot of positive things. There will be a lot of guidance. There will be group feeling. There will be, there will be a process of really knowing who you are, being confident in who you are, and walking out with concrete ideas, a blueprint of a workshop, a pitch. So you will meet the world completely different on the other side. And my— I'm just looking forward to be, to be a guide and to be, be able to witness and support that process. Together with you, not least.
Yes. And I'm— I've been hosting these money meetups for the Never Done Before community now for half a year, I think, monthly. And the richness of the conversations we had with respect to charging, how much should we actually charge, or free events, when, when does it make sense to actually deliver a free workshop and to whom? So under which circumstances? And I think all these elements will also find find a beautiful place in this boot camp. And I'm excited to bring all this kind of knowledge now, um, to this small group of participants. And what really excites me is— and I imagine it like having this, um, a group of diamonds, um, but they are still unpolished. And then with every Every day, maybe even every hour, kind of polishing a new side and bringing them to shine. I think that's gonna be amazing.
There's no, there's no better group to really test yourself and practice yourself than other facilitators, and you'll do that joining this because there'll be people who have, who have done this before, who are searching for it. So I think it's exciting because we will learn. We have lots to share. I think I cannot wait to design this and actually really get into the, the beauty of finding our signatures based on our own journeys, based on the ideas that we have. And that's going to be a blast.
Yes. Haben wir was vergessen?
Ich glaube nicht.
Ich hatte eben irgendwie noch was auf der Zunge.
Ja, wie Inga, so Schlusssatz von dir wäre super. Wann und wo sollte man das sagen, oder ist das Brauchen wir das nicht.
Brauchen wir nicht, dann können wir das fürs nächste Mal noch mal wieder. Ich hätte eh gedacht, vielleicht das in Snippets.
Ja, genau, so kleine Snippets.
Ja, die kann ich dann der Welt so mal geben, die macht da draußen eine Kampagne und du machst deine eigene draus. Cool.
