In this mini‑interview, Susanne Heiss, a communications manager transitioning to a full‑time facilitator, explains what facilitation means to her and why it matters today. She describes facilitation as making discussions easier, ensuring every participant is heard, and guiding groups toward clear goals while allowing space for presence and openness. Heiss argues that the facilitator should be separate from the content‑wise accountable person, as the latter is often too immersed in the subject to manage the process. She also shares her excitement about the Never Done Before (NDB) Festival, noting that the backstage pass will let her learn from other facilitators, connect globally, and absorb a dense 24‑hour program. After the festival she hopes to digest the insights, build lasting connections, and let the inspiration sustain her through the winter. The interview highlights her passion for inclusive meetings, the value of facilitation as a distinct role, and her anticipation of learning and networking at the NDB Festival.
Chapters
Susanne, thank you so much. Thank you for taking the time for this little mini interview.
Sure, happy to.
Yeah, before never done before. And maybe just to jump right in, would you call yourself a facilitator?
I actually would. Well, I would probably call myself a communications manager as well as a facilitator. I do have a bit of background, quite a bit of background in communications, but I'm moving over to kind of a full-time facilitator because I think there is so much value in facilitation and facilitating workshops for teams and people. And I think that's just a great role and a great thing to do actually. So yeah.
So what does it mean for you to be a facilitator, especially in these times?
Yeah, I think to make it really easier. So coming from the name of facilitation, I think it's really for me to make it easier for people to discuss certain topics, to really be there for each other in that certain time they have allocated to their topic. To allow them to fully be present in that space during that time and to come to a conclusion, to come to a specific goal, whether it's kind of an interim milestone goal or whether it's the full goal. But to be there, I think, is so important.
And to be open, to give them permission that everything is okay and possible.
Yeah, and to ensure that everyone really has their say And I think that's for me, coming from meetings where that's not always the case, and I think it's just so sad that some people are in a meeting but they never get the chance or never are allowed or never have the feeling of being allowed to say something. And whether that's because of the personality of that person or whether the time doesn't allow it or hierarchy or whatever the reason is, but I think it's our job as a facilitator to make sure that everyone is heard. And that everyone is involved who needs to be involved. So, and I think that's just very important.
And sometimes a meeting just needs a facilitating team leader too.
Yeah, yeah. And I think it's easier if that role is not taken by the one who's actually content-wise accountable for the meeting because they have to look for so many things and they are so in their minds so busy with the topic itself. And I think you just need someone to say, hey, we need to move on. We don't have time anymore. Let's hear this view or that view because they're so deep into the topic that they just don't have time for that usually and are just simply too busy with getting their thinking done.
Yeah, I agree. So you signed up with a backstage pass to the Never Done Before Festival. Yeah, it's so exciting. So what prompted you to do so and what excites you about the festival?
So first of all, I think the festival is really great. I'm so looking forward to it. It's just a few weeks' time and it's, I mean, just the idea of really having a 24-hour condensed, fully packed festival around the world, which is truly global, truly diverse. It's just, it's just very, yeah, it's just, it appeals really to me. So, and the backstage pass, I think, will allow me to learn even more and to really kind of take some of the lessons learned from the facilitators on their views after the session has run. But overall, I think it's really the engaging part with people around the world to be in meetings, in sessions, to look at various items. Yeah, and I think it's something that is very worth supporting.
Thank you. So what would you like to think, do, feel, learn after the festival?
Well, after the festival, I will probably fall dead into my bed, I assume. But I think to get some further insights, to learn more about the art of facilitation, to connect with people around the world to exchange ideas also after the festival, I think, because it will be packed. It will be so much information in those 24 hours or whatever the time is that you spend there. But I think you will need time to digest and to reach out afterwards to make fully profit of kind of the new connections that you've made and the new ideas. But It will be a day full of inspiration, and I'm sure that I will— that it will nourish me over the long winter.
Beautiful. I like this concept. Thank you so much for sharing and for taking the time. I'm looking forward to more collaboration, co-creation behind the scenes.
And thank you so much for initiating it together with the others. I think it's a great, a great opportunity for people to dive into. So Thank you so much.
