Enablers of Change: Recent Episodes
Enablers of Change
What if one of the most used tools in our facilitation kit wasn’t a sticky note, a whiteboard, or a carefully designed slide deck but a pair of comfortable shoes? Between us, we’ve been running workshops for a long time and if there’s one technique that consistently surprises us with how well it works, it’s the walk and talk. It’s a simple thing, just getting people outside, walking and talking! In this episode, we unpack what it is and why it works so well.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
In this episode, we explore how the Delphi method can help us collect and refine insights from a diverse group of people and help us make collaborative decisions without actually meeting.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
Explore the Dreyfus model’s six stages of skill acquisition and what they mean for designing effective learning, mentoring and extension support.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
In this episode, we explore the simple idea that the usefulness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture depends less on the technology itself, and more on whether people trust its outputs.
ee all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
Have you ever wondered how to get everyone in a group actively thinking, contributing, and building on each other’s ideas, without the discussion getting stuck or dominated by a few voices? In this episode, we explore the bus stop technique, a simple tool for enablers of change that helps structure group work.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
In this episode, we discuss why AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot can sound convincing even when they’re wrong, and what that means for us as enablers of change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
We explore how influencers, beyond the usual expert networks, can highlight new pathways for change, and why this matters for enablers of change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
Have you ever wondered how to do effective introductions in a group? In this episode we thought it was time to explore effective introductions.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
The learning design dilemma: should learning happen in real time (synchronous) or should people engage with it in their own time and space (asynchronous)?
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
We reflect on how far the conversation about GenAI has come, exploring a recent report from the McKinsey Global Institute and what that might mean for us.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
Why nagging and repeating advice rarely drives on-farm change and what we as enablers of change can do differently to turn insights into real action.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
What makes digital technologies effective for farmers, using the work of Digital Green as a lens and asking what we can learn from their experience.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
Have you ever started a project and wished you could tap into the whole world’s research in seconds? In this episode, we’ll share what we’ve learned from using Consensus and how it helps bring research into our work.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
We often find ourselves working in complex systems where change isn’t just about swapping one practice for another, and in this episode we explore that further.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
Here's some simple work hacks to improve our productivity, including how to find books on your bookshelf, plug in USB chargers, and copy and paste text.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
We’re exploring large language models (LLMs) as a tool that can help improve our writing process as enablers of change. LLMs can be a game-changer for us.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
As 2025 draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to reflect and thank you for your support this year.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog (https://www.enablersofchange.com.au/blog/).
Have you ever heard of rubberducking? It's a simple yet powerful technique that can help us understand and explain complex concepts more effectively. If not, stay tuned, as we’ll explain it in this episode.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’re still thinking about the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN) 2025 International Conference held in Brisbane in October and what a great conference it was!
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re exploring how to effectively influence others’ thinking, without pushing too hard or creating resistance.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Some people most resistant to new practices may know the least but believe they know the most. This knowledge overconfidence has powerful implications for us.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’re revisiting one of our earlier discussions about good practice in extension and today we’re excited to share our updated seven good extension practices!
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re exploring heutagogy or learner-directed learning—a powerful approach that puts learners firmly in the driver’s seat.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, we can sometimes grapple with a nagging sense of self-doubt. This phenomenon, known as imposter syndrome, can affect even the most accomplished individuals. In this episode, we’ll dig deeper and explore what that means and suggest ways to overcome it.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’re exploring some practical resources that are helping us, as extension practitioners: the RiskWi$e project, the eXtensionAUS platform, and the AgriFutures extension practice website.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’re exploring two deceptively simple strategies that, when used together, can dramatically improve the quality of group conversations: the Think Pair Share method and the pause.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Are you wondering whether artificial intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT, is going to steal our jobs? The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is certainly going to affect most aspects of our work and home lives, so in this short episode we’re going to explore this further.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re diving into the concept of psychological safety and how it can help us as enablers of change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’ve been hearing more and more interest in Communities of Practice (or CoPs) recently, so we thought it would be useful to explore what CoPs are, how and where they might be useful, as well as highlighting some resources. So in this episode we’re going to explore some tips for getting started with CoPs.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Extension has evolved a great deal over time and has moved from a profession to a recognised discipline with its own frameworks, research, and methodologies.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’re exploring phone calls and their role in our work as enablers of change. As Shakespeare might say, “to phone, or not to phone, that is the question”.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Today we’re highlighting the differences between risk and uncertainty, and we’ll discuss their significance in the decision-making processes of farmers.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’ll explore how we can pilot potential solutions to foster on-farm innovation and create lasting impact, as a bridge between ideas and real-world application.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most underrated tools we have as extension practitioners: asking questions. It’s easy to get caught up in sharing our technical expertise with farmers, but research shows that the simple act of asking questions—especially follow-up questions—can actually make us more effective at helping farmers improve their practices.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re exploring design thinking—a methodology that helps us tackle complex challenges in a structured yet flexible way.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the double diamond process and how it can be used effectively by extension practitioners to enhance on-farm innovation and impact.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’re diving into a project we recently wrapped up, the Australian Extension Capacity and Capability–A Map and a Gap Analysis, funded by AgriFutures Australia.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, we need to understand the different stages that groups move through. So let’s explore Tuckman's stages of group development.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the concept of the Technology Readiness Level and expanding it to explore the Balanced Readiness Level approach.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’ve covered lots of content this year and 2024 has been another great year! And we’re also celebrating five years of Enablers of Change!
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
What's the difference between best and good practice, which one should we refer to, and why is that important? We then share our top ten good practices.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re diving into how ChatGPT can help us as enablers of change to boost both our productivity and the impact of our work.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We explore a paper that delves into understanding the different changes farmers can make to their systems to adapt to environmental pressures and climate change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most well-known personality tests in the world. Let's see why it may not be as reliable as many believe.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Understanding the spectrum of feelings can significantly enhance our effectiveness as enablers of change. Sometimes we’re not very good at this, and by “we”, we could mean Australian and New Zealand males in particular! In this episode, we’re going to explore the spectrum of feelings, so we can better describe and understand feelings, and the impact they have in our day-to-day work.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Perhaps like us, you’ve occasionally wondered about whether there are better ways to make decisions. We’ve often done a quick pros and cons list for example! That’s a pretty straightforward decision making model. But there are others. So in this episode we’re exploring one of these, the Cynefin decision making model.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode we’re going to explore infographics and how we can easily create them in six simple steps.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
The 70:20:10 learning framework has gained significant traction in the corporate and educational sectors. Let’s delve into the myths and realities of this framework and understand why it might not be the best approach to learning and development.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
There’s not a lot of practical suggestions on how to apply adult learning principles as enablers of change, so here are seven practical ways to apply them.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We recently talked about asking better questions, and shared the idea of a pyramid of question types from Will Wise and Chad Littlefield. Well, we’ve now come across another article about asking questions and thought you might like to hear about its five types of questions.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Here are some simple work hacks that we hope will save you time. We’ll share our ideas about easy ways to schedule meetings.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
The ability to ask better questions is crucial, particularly in our work as enablers of change. By focusing on the types of questions we ask, we can better explore issues, uncover valuable information and understand the range of options available to us.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’ve recently been hearing how hard it is to get a decent number of responses to a survey. So we wondered whether survey fatigue is really true and what we might do to overcome it.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode we’re going to explore some of the alternatives to Jamboard as an online collaboration tool, what we’ve tried and what we’ve decided to keep using.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Kotter’s eight steps provide a framework for groups and organisations to navigate and implement change effectively. As enablers of change, extension practitioners often play a key role in guiding farmers and other stakeholders through these steps. Let's delve into each step and explore its relevance in our field.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re going to discuss AI… not Artificial Intelligence, or even Artificial Insemination, but the other AI, Appreciative Inquiry! We want to unpack what Appreciative Inquiry is and how might we use it in our role as enablers of change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
What’s the best online platform for workshops? Especially with farmers? Is there any data on this and what’s it telling us? In this episode, we’re going to compare Teams and Zoom, as well as a couple of other platforms that might be worth checking out for online workshops.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, let's dive into something exciting and unconventional that can truly shake up the way we do things – the unconference approach.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Usually when we start a project, we start at the beginning and move forward, but here’s an interesting approach used by Amazon that turns that on its head. In this episode, we’re exploring the Working backwards approach.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
How can we design and deliver learning activities that are effective, engaging and relevant? Let's look at how learning science can help us improve our impact.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We explore how we can use one of the oldest tools in the marketing arsenal—the AIDA principle: attention, interest, desire, and action.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, we sometimes find ourselves navigating the interesting landscape of evaluation and data analysis. Within this space, two foundational concepts emerge: causation and correlation. In this episode, we explore the subtle yet critical difference between these concepts.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
When we started out four years ago, we had no idea how this adventure was going to play out. In this episode, we’re wrapping up another successful and rather eventful year.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We recently came across the ADKAR model of change, so we’re going to unpack what this model is all about and how we can use it as enablers of change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Some of us may have heard about double-loop learning, and wondered what it meant beyond the jargon phrase, and others may not have heard of it at all! In this episode, we’re going to unravel double-loop learning and explain how we might use it as enablers of change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’ll explain how Theories of change and logframes differ and how they can be used effectively in different contexts.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we'll dive into the exciting world of co-design and explore seven tips to ensure a successful and inclusive collaborative design process.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we'll share some tips from actor and science communicator, Alan Alda, on how to express our thoughts and ideas so that everyone will understand us. We'll also give some practical examples of how to use these tips in our work with farmers and other stakeholders.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, we know that effective communication is a vital skill in our work. We need to communicate clearly and persuasively with farmers, colleagues, partners, and stakeholders. In this episode, we’ll show how it’s not just the words we use that are important, but it’s how we frame our message.
Would you like to hear about a simple way to improve how we solve problems, especially moral dilemmas? It’s as simple as changing the words we use! In this episode, we’re going to introduce you to the big difference between saying ‘could’ and ‘should’.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re going deeper, and we’re sharing our top seven suggestions for making better use of ChatGPT to improve our efficiency and impact. We’ll dive into some effective tips on how to use prompts with ChatGPT, and discuss how it can be a valuable asset in our agricultural extension efforts.
Many disciplines (such as nursing and teaching) have a model of practice to guide how their work should be undertaken. So isn’t it about time that agricultural extension had one? In this episode, we’re going to share with you a recently co-developed model of practice for extension.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’ve covered several change models in recent episodes, and now we’re going to discuss a model that was designed to unite them all: the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We’ve been exploring various change models and in this episode we’re going to look at the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and see how it can help us understand why people adopt or resist new technologies.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Hello and welcome to this special episode where we are celebrating the 100th episode of Enablers of Change! We’re so excited to have reached this milestone and we want to thank you for being part of our journey. Whether you’ve been with us from the start or you’ve just joined us recently, we appreciate your support and feedback.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, attending conferences is an important way to keep up with the latest research, trends, and practices in our field. However, for some of us, the idea of networking at these events can be daunting, if not nauseating. It can be difficult to strike a balance between making valuable connections and coming across as awkward or unprofessional. In this episode, we'll share some tips and examples on how to network effectively at a conference without feeling foolish.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, we’re always looking for new ways to understand and promote positive change in the behaviour of farmers and other key stakeholders. One theory that has been particularly useful in this regard is the Theory of Planned Behavior. In this episode, we’ll explore its key concepts and provide examples of how it can be applied to agricultural extension.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Are you looking for some quick tips to improve your life as an enabler of change? In this episode, we’re sharing our top seven simple life hacks that you might find handy!
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode we’re going to further explore what Participatory Action Learning is and how we might use it as enablers of change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, it’s helpful to understand the different ways people have characterised change. In this episode we’re exploring one of the early models of change, the Theory of Reasoned Action.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, it’s helpful to understand the different ways people have characterised change. Today we’re exploring one of the earliest models of change, the Information Integration Theory!
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Have you ever wondered what method or approach is best for a successful extension program? There is some evaluation work done on individual extension projects, but what do we know about the impact of using different extension approaches?
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Have you heard about ChatGPT… the state-of-the-art conversational artificial intelligence (AI) system that can generate human-like text based on a given prompt? In this episode we’re going to explore what it is and how we might use it as enablers of change.
See all the details and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
How do you change things when change is hard? Do we rely on the same way of doing things or are we going to be brave and try something different? In this episode we’re exploring the Switch model and how we might use it as enablers of change.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Wow, can you believe it’s December 2022 already… how did that happen? We want to say thanks, to you, our listeners of Enablers of change!
How can we get greater adoption of the outcomes from Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) projects? This question has perplexed us for decades, and it seems there are no silver bullets. It’s a complex problem but through the project, ‘Designing the integration of extension into research projects’ we were able to distil seven principles for obtaining greater adoption of outcomes from RD&E.
Recently we came across the COM-B model of behaviour. We thought this was a useful approach to understanding behaviour change so in this episode, we’re exploring the COM-B model, how it came together, and how it’s been used.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Many of us are struggling with anxiety, depression and being overwhelmed. Would you like to know about a proven, evidence-based approach to improve your sense of well-being? In this episode we're going to talk about journaling, or expressive writing, as the psychologists call it.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change, it’s important that we keep up-to-date with the latest extension research. But sometimes it’s hard to get the journal article, let alone make the time to read and digest it! We would like to help you with that, so in this blog post we are exploring what we have learnt about the motivators for adoption.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re going to delve into a particular area of behavioural science called community-based social marketing (CBSM).
Recently we came across the idea of motivational interviewing and we wondered—just what is this and how can we use it? In this episode, we’re going to explore motivational interviewing.
Sometimes as enablers of change, we just need a few more ideas to help us plan, design and run our activities. As we’ve been facilitating online and slowly getting back into physical events, we have realised we like using cards as a resource in our facilitation. So, what picture card sets do we use and how do we use them? Here are a few we have in our toolbox!
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Have you heard about the chasm? It’s that gap in the diffusion of innovation curve where many projects curl up and die a quiet death! In this episode we're going to explore the chasm and how we can avoid it in our work as enablers of change.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Do you struggle with the transition between a busy day at work and then engaging effectively at home? It is hard to be truly present with your partner, children, family or housemates after a long, tiring day at the office or out in the field, but in this short post we are discussing a technique called the third space.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We recently explored the factors that affect the adoption of innovations and in this episode we're going to consider the social factors that affect adoption.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We often hear people talk about the factors that affect the adoption of innovations, but there seem to be several conflicting lists, so which one is right? In this episode we’re going to explore how our understanding of these factors has changed over time. See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
How is co-innovation different from co-design? We’re going to explore these concepts, and then propose a model for better collaborative project management.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We like to think that more is better, but that is not the case when it comes to helping people make choices. In this episode we’re going to talk about how many choices we should offer people.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In today’s episode, we’re going to briefly explain action learning and point you to some great resources if you’re interested in learning more.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Here are our top 10 tips for running effective online focus groups!
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In this episode, we’re going to suggest some ways to encourage everyone to do the flipped learning pre-work.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
What is the simple, proven, powerful rule that we can use to boost the impact of our communication? In this episode we’re going to share with you the rule of three!
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
As enablers of change it is important that we keep up-to-date with the latest extension research. But sometimes it can be hard to get the journal article, let alone make the time to read and digest it! However, we thought we could help with this. In this episode we’re exploring adoption pathway analysis, thanks to a colleague of Denise’s… Oscar Montes.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We all have biases that affect aspects of our lives and the lives of others with whom we interact—but it turns out there are ways to at least minimise our bias.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over on our blog.
Have you heard the acronyms VR and AR before? If you’re like us, you might be saying yes, but I’m not really sure what each of those really means—is there even a difference? And then, like us, you might also be wondering whether they have a place in the toolkit for enablers of change. So today we thought we would explore VR and AR in extension!
In a recent episode we talked through designing a decent survey, but of course that is only one part of the bigger picture. To boost the number of responses to our surveys, should we offer an incentive to our potential survey respondents? If we were to offer an incentive, what should it be? In this episode we’ll explore what the research says about this!
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Surveys seem to be a constant in life at the moment! Like the old quote about the only certainties being death and taxes—it seems that everyone (and their dog) would like you to just fill in this quick survey or answer a short series of questions! As enablers of change, surveys are an important part of our toolkit. So just what do we need to know when designing a survey? How can we be sure we will collect the data we need? In this episode we’ll explore how to design a decent survey.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Are you wondering how best to start the year and make a real difference? We’re not big fans of New Year’s resolutions, but we do like to pause and think about what we’re going to do differently. It’s easy to just keep doing what we did last year, but we find that this is often a good time to try something different.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We cannot believe it’s nearly the end of 2021! It has been a pretty huge year for us all, with the continuing disruption from Covid-19, meaning that as enablers of change we have had to be flexible and adaptable – all the time!
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Having lots of people shouting out ideas over the top of each other may seem exciting, but brainstorming doesn’t generate the greatest number of useful ideas. In this episode we’re going to introduce you to a better way of generating ideas—the 6-3-5 method.
How can we better understand our target audience? We'll explore what we can discover about our target audience, often without even needing to speak with them.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
In one of our recent episodes we covered designing an extension program. While putting that together, we realised that there were other important aspects to cover that complement the design of an extension program. One of these is developing a Theory of change. But that brings us to the questions—what is a Theory of change and how would we use one?
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We think it is easy for us to keep the status quo, and keep doing the same things day in, and day out. It’s comfortable, it’s easy to plan, and we know what to expect. But what might happen if we were to change something? In this episode we are going to explore the scientific method and see how we can achieve greater results through greater experimentation.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Do you think, like some others, that adult learning principles sound like an old, outdated approach - something that was dreamed up in the 1970s and 80s, and surely cannot still be relevant? In this episode we will explore how we can apply adult learning principles to super-charge our webinars.
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
We need an extension program! For those of us working as enablers of change, this can be something we hear when our colleagues are designing a new project. But how do we actually design an extension program? What do we need to include?
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Sometimes as Enablers of change we just need a few more ideas to help us plan, design and run our activities. Where do we go when we want more resources and ideas for facilitating? These resources are a bit of an eclectic mix around facilitation and running small groups. So, here’s five we’ve found useful!
See the show notes and contribute to the discussion over at our blog.
Are you thinking of running a hybrid event where you have attendees both online and physically present in one or more venues? You might think it will give you the best of both worlds, but in this episode we will show you why it is often the worst of both worlds—and what you might be able to do about that!
See the show notes for all the resources.
In this episode we explore one simple technique to make online meetings more successful, which is strangely connected to people pulling on a rope!
See the show notes for all the resources.
It is now relatively easy to create breakout rooms in several webinar platforms, but what is the ideal group size for them? In this episode we’re going to explore whether it is two or twenty-two, or somewhere in between.
See the show notes for all the resources.
In this episode we’re going to talk about jellyfish, those floating blobs of jelly in the ocean, and show you how you can use them to help keep your meeting focused and have some fun too!
See the show notes for all the resources.
How do you go about designing a robust yet flexible facilitation process? In case you need some structure and process, in this episode we’re going to explore the FIDO process and help put some bite into your facilitation!
See the show notes for all the resources.
In this Enablers of change episode we’re going to revisit the Diffusion of innovations theory and explore some of the criticisms it’s received over time. See the show notes for all the resources.
You’ve probably heard about the Diffusion of innovations theory and perhaps you’ve realised that you’re not quite sure what it is and what it means for us as enablers of change. In this episode we’re going to revisit the Diffusion of innovations theory. See the show notes for all the resources.
What’s one simple thing you could do to improve your productivity and make better decisions? In this post we’re going to explore the benefits of scheduling breaks into your day.
See the show notes for all the resources!
Have you ever been to a training course and got all excited about putting some new strategies into place, only to find that a few weeks later you’re back in the same routine and haven’t really changed anything you thought you would? It’s a common story, so today we’re exploring this and what actually helps an event make an impact.
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Have you ever wondered as you’ve started a new extension project, just how many farmers will end up using the new practice you are promoting? It’s a great question because the ultimate goal of extension is change, and often it is about the adoption of a new practice or tool.
So how on earth would you work this out? Where would you start? In this episode we’re going to tell you about the ADOPT model – a tool that can help you do just this.
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Just like children travelling a long distance in a car have a habit of saying ‘Are we there yet?’, many of us are now asking whether we’ve survived the COVID-19 storm and whether things are now going to get back to normal.
In today’s episode we’re going to explore to see whether things are going to go back to normal anytime soon. Spoiler alert: it’s not!
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How often have you been facilitating a workshop, whether that be online or physically together, only to get the end and realise that you’ve now got the unenviable job of having to write up all the notes from the workshop? In today’s episode we’re going to explore a few options for e-tools in your facilitator toolkit!
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There are several types of graphs (such as bar charts, pie charts and the simple line graphs), but which is the best one to tell your story? Or do you think you can easily swap between one and another? Spoiler alert: you can, but shouldn’t!
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What’s one thing you could do to boost the learning from your short videos? What could you do if you wanted the viewers of your videos to better remember your content? Simple, use prequestions!
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Welcome folks to a new year, and congratulations on surviving 2020… what a rollercoaster year that was!
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In today’s episode we’re going to explore the top five podcasts we reckon are worth listening to as Enablers of Change!
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In today’s post we're going to explore checklists and how they can benefit us as enablers of change.
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Ouch, you’ve just realised you need to look for a new job. Where do you start and what should you make sure you do? See the show notes for all the resources.
In today’s post we are going to explore how to be effective when facilitating large groups.
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The words we use are important. Sometimes the words we choose can do us a disservice and not communicate the message we intended.
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In today’s episode we’re going to explore a simple but effective evaluation tool for the enablers of change toolbox—the dartboard.
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How do you quickly create an online poll and how can you use surveys most effectively?
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We launched the Enablers of Change concept at the APEN conference this time last year, so we’re celebrating our first anniversary!
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If you were just starting out as a newly appointed extension agent, what advice do you wish you’d been told?
In today’s episode we’re going to talk about our top tips for those of you who might be new to extension.
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How do you stop Post-it Notes from curling up and falling off the wall you’ve just stuck them to?
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What two little words can improve your conversations, at both work and home? They can also help you gather richer data and negotiate more effectively.
What’s the best way of designing a learning activity for adults? Whether it be a workshop, an online forum or even a podcast? Surely there are some principles we could follow?
As an enabler of change you may have heard about the six adult learning principles and wondered what they were. In today’s episode we’re going to explore these principles.
Does anyone remember when blogs became a thing? They’ve been around for a while now and we think there are some good ones for enablers of change.
So today’s post is our list of the top five blogs for enablers of change.
Today’s episode is another in our occasional mythbuster series! We’re going to explore Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, something that we’ve seen pop up in many different places.
While there have been many tips shared about running a successful webinar, in today’s episode we’re going to share with you some best practice tips for preparing for a webinar.
In this episode we’re going to explore a way of finding out some information about your audience while getting them moving. This can work in large or small groups and is a great way of mixing people up and increasing the energy in the room.
In today’s episode we’re sharing one of John’s pet peeves with you… we’re going to talk all about capitalisation, fonts and layouts that reduce readability and comprehension.
In this episode we’re going to explore learning and dig into what the evidence-based research tells us about what helps us learn new concepts. As we were developing this episode, we were initially thinking about those people who attend our workshops or forums. But much of this material is applicable if you are doing some part-time study or if you have children or friends doing more formal study at school or university.
In today’s episode we are going to take you through our top five journal articles for enablers of change. Why do we think journal articles are important? Well it’s because effective enablers of change use research to inform what we do.
Let’s explore learning styles, and see whether they are actually helpful for extension! Because if they are, then as enablers of change we will want to better understand people’s learning styles to help us deliver more effective extension activities.
Today we're going to explore using de Bono’s six thinking hats to unravel our thinking.
It’s a simple but effective way to help groups deal with complex situations and be able to move forward with their decision making.
With so many of us suddenly needing to run online meetings, in this episode we’re going to cover our top three tips for facilitating online meetings.
Have you been involved with a project that started well, but went off-track and didn’t achieve the desired outcomes? In this episode we are exploring the role of a reflexive monitor, maybe not something that is on your usual list of people you need for a project that is focused on enabling change, but one that could be useful!
As an enabler of change, keeping up with the latest research and practice is important. But we don’t always have lots of spare time for reading. There are lots of journals out there, but some seem more likely than others to deliver articles that inspire our thinking and practice. So today we’re going to go through our top five journals for enablers of change!
As an enabler of change, running events is our bread and butter. We tend to establish a routine and without us realising, the groove can become a rut and the effectiveness of the events we run starts to reduce. Would you like to reverse this? Here are our top five tips for helping them really hit the mark.
In a previous episode we talked about co-innovation - what is what it is and when it’s most appropriate to use. Here are nine tips for making it work even better in your change project. So this is part two to help you more effectively use the principles behind the co-innovation approach.
Recently Denise was the presenter in a webinar, and as usual it was a mix of interesting (in a flying by the seat of your pants kind of way) and fun. Reflecting on her experience made us realise that we needed to share some tips for being a presenter in a webinar, as well as running webinars as enablers of change.
Today we’re going to explore one of the most effective ways of creating enduring change in farming communities: peer-to-peer learning!
This is a way of working as enablers of change that can really build capacity and capability.
In this episode we will introduce you to a tool that is seriously cool and very useful if you’re working as an enabler of change - the sticky wall!
Today we’re going to explore the age old question of content versus process when you’re facilitating an event or a group of people. We’ve often heard debate around this as an enabler of change working in extension! Some people are adamant that you have to know the content, and others are equally adamant that it’s the process that helps enable change.
In this episode we’ll give you a brief overview of the top five books that we think are useful to have on our bookshelf as enablers of change! See the show notes for all the resources.
Evaluation shouldn’t be just the add-on at the end of a project - it’s a core skill for enablers of change like ourselves! So let’s explore one framework for evaluation that’s been around for sometime - Bennett’s Hierarchy.
In this episode we’re going to explore what Bennett’s Hierarchy is and give you a few pointers for using it.
In this episode we’re talking all about time management and we’re going to share the top ten practical tips that actually work for us. There’s lots of other lists of time management practices, but many of those haven’t worked for us... perhaps they’re a bit too rigid or in some cases simplistic. So we’re going to share with you what works for us.
In this short episode we’re doing our second mythbusters session! Let’s not just accept something because it’s been said so many times that most people believe it. We’re going to delve deeper and explore the facts. So, let’s explore the cone of learning and the suggestion that people only retain 20% of what they hear, compared with 90% of what they do!
Today we’re going to explore a quick and simple way to have a structured conversation about something, or anything really! This is a very useful tool if you work in change and innovation, so if you aren’t sure what an ORID is, or if you do and want to know more, then this is for you!
It’s almost embarrassing to do this episode! Such a simple thing... but we’ve seen this done so badly over the years, we thought it was worth putting a short post together. What are we talking about? Name tags of course!
What if we could dramatically improve the adoption of innovations produced in our projects by one small design tweak? And especially those notoriously difficult and complex projects where there are no simple answers and multiple stakeholders involved.
In this episode we’re giving a brief overview of the modern evolution of agricultural extension during the last 50 years. This will highlight the different approaches over time and will hopefully illustrate that we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
In this episode we’re going to give you a brief overview of flipped learning, showing you how it might be an effective approach to use as enablers of change!
Today we’re doing our first mythbusters session! Let’s not just accept something because it’s been said so many times before that most people just believe it. We’re going to delve deeper and explore the facts, taking an evidence-based approach. So, let’s explore brainstorming, and see if it is indeed the best way to generate ideas!
Did you know that 70% of projects fail, as they don’t produce the planned deliverables on time or within budget. Yet a simple question at the start of a project can dramatically improve its success. Today we’re going to explore… the pre-mortem.
In today’s episode we’re going to explore what agricultural extension is, as we think this is one of those frequently asked questions that people working in extension get asked all the time, but we usually struggle to give a succinct, straight forward answer.
G’day, and welcome to Enablers of Change. In this episode we introduce John James and Denise Bewsell, our podcast hosts, and they'll share why they decided to create this podcast.