Eshchar Mizrachi: Confessions Of A Facilitator
- Inclusive Innovation
- Nov 25
- 4 min read
Name: Eshchar Mizrachi
Location at time of writing: Pretoria, South Africa.
I didn’t expect facilitation to teach me… How to practice and work with both the playful and serious in a sophisticated manner to get the most out of the creative process.
I’m naturally playful and have multiple creative outlets, but for a long time I over-compartmentalized the tools I used for work and creativity into separate boxes. Facilitation gave me the opportunity to practice “adopting the stance” temporarily of whatever mindset would benefit me most - a practice I try to share and model as much as I can every time I facilitate as well.
In my part of the world…
Among other work, I’ve been working with early career researchers in Africa for more than ten years now. Often in Africa, and what I see most in young researchers especially, is incredibly restrained (sometimes too restrained) intelligence, wisdom and power. What is extraordinary - and rewarding as a facilitator - is how relatively quickly you can unlock confidence, teamwork and action if you can help create psychological safety. I believe that creating and tending to psychological safety in institutions and professional networks is key to advancing our goals on our continent and globally.
One time, everything went sideways…
Thankfully it doesn’t happen often, but every now and again there is one participant who is just resistant to every part of the process and every framing of why we are here and should be working together. It can end up in a situation that is frustrating to everyone involved - you, the group, the individual, no one is happy.
What I learned?
Do try every way you can to engage with resistant participants - it can be a difficult albeit meaningful breakthrough. But (yes - “BUT”) don’t let one or two participants derail a workshop. And don’t let them get in your head. And if/when they still do - rely on your co-facilitator, you are there as a team for each other. Whenever in doubt, remind yourself that you are a professional working in service to the client and the group.
My weirdest, most wonderful tool is…
Channeling my fellow facilitators.
There is the bread and butter I practically never leave out because they’re so critical to an impactful experience (for example - some version of generous listening, PPCO and reflection are staples).
I’m a good facilitator, and I have my unique advantages and disadvantages. When in doubt, when I feel that I’m lacking something or the room is not responding, or sometimes even when I’m too relaxed, I’m incredibly grateful to have my Swiss Army Knife of facilitation- and that is all the facilitators I’ve observed and worked with in the past.
I can ask “what energy could this room use?” Does this situation need an Izzy? A Puleng? Do I need to hold the room’s attention like Lydia? What would Tim or Tim do about being a little stuck like this? Am I mindful of the overall goal of the workshop while tending to all the little details like Maggie? What attention am I not giving to someone’s experience that Leo would? What would Connie say at this point that hits the sweet spot of the grounded yet profound? I can go on and on, my Swiss Army knife is endless. Of course everyone I’ve worked with are multifaceted and represent so much more than caricatures, but in my mind having these snippets as a shorthand in the moment is a magic tool.
If I could change one thing about how we work together on this planet... I would make nature and connection with nature integral to all our interactions. This is for many reasons, but one of them is pacing. Today we all tend to move at mostly one pace that is largely disconnected from the timescales of nature. When you tune into nature you tune into the lifespan of a raindrop, or a bird collecting material to build a nest, or a wave cresting and breaking, or a decaying fallen tree trunk, or a mountain that has witnessed sunset after sunset for three. billion. years.
This connection gives perspective. And if there’s one thing that can help humanity it’s having some perspective on how we exist in this world.
“If you were a plant, what would your genome say?”
I think it would sing. It would sing the song of more than a billion years of evolution to anyone who would listen - the memories of being unicellular, of discovering land, of finding the sun no matter where I fall, of partnering with microbes. It would sing the song of resilience and experimentation and hope, of adapting and surviving, and of thriving in this form or a slightly different one, but always singing one song in the ever consistent composition (and decomposition) of all living things.
(Also I feel obligated to include that it would technically at least contain the sum total of code for the genetic programmes of photosynthesis, carbon sequestration, development, biotic and abiotic stress and some form of reproduction capability…"HR!").
Who's next?!
To pass this on - I nominate Sasitorn and my question is: what would you say is a unique cultural aspect that you feel proud to bring into your facilitation?