There seems to be a fundamental difference between speakers and facilitators: speakers speak… a LOT. When I am in a room full of professional speakers, it seems to be a constant battle of the egos. When in a room of facilitators, it feels more collegiate and inspirational. Maybe this is a reflection of where I am in my own life and the perception I have of the extroverts on stage. Whilst I am, geographically, a Warwick Facilitator, I speak, facilitate and consult globally.
I have to admit that working internationally is great – but not because of the travel. Accepting that travel broadens the mind, ‘travel’ seems to be taxi, airport, taxi, hotel, venue, hotel, taxi, airport, taxi, home. What is great about it is the different people and cultures that are experienced.
In my experience, culture can eat strategy for breakfast and it varies both within sectors as well as countries (not to mention, where an organisation may be in the corporate lifecycle). This calls for a sensitivity and awareness that I know I didn’t have a decade ago!
The key lesson that I learnt on my travels is to NOT be the performer that stands up on stage as a speaker but, instead, sits back, listens and watches.
Partnership
I was privileged to work closely with Neil to bring about a magnificent learning experience to our guests in the first international organization development & leadership conference, in the MEA region and the Entrepreneurship hub event, few weeks ago. Neil was one of our key speakers in both events, and I was not only impressed with his capability of delivering a truly effective and memorable learning experience, but how beautifully he constructs and designs the whole experience to be enlightening, engaging and enjoyable. He is definitely an expert in his field and I used to think of him as a genius and highly innovative speaker. Working with Neil is an emblem for real partnership, and he is a true partner who is really keen on delivering value to you, your audience and your team.
Amin Sorour
MSA University
Compliance
Neil made a thought provoking presentation at the Compliance conference AIM Norway organized in Farris Bad. Not only it was excellent, but it was almost as if it was not a presentation but a real conversation. It left me enthusiastic about the discussions it brought up.
Rosa Rosanelli
Pratt & Whitney
Intrapreneurship Speaker
We invited Neil to deliver a workshop on intrapreneurial ecosystems and company culture and I must congratulate ourselves for this decision, the workshop was brilliant and a highlight of our Intrapreneurship Conference as per delegates feedback. It is a pleasure to work with Neil, and I hope we will have many more collaborations in the future.
Anis Bedda
transforma bxl
Collaborative Intelligence
I had an amazing experience when I attended the speech and the workshops that Neil gave in Cairo last month. But this is the least that could be said as he doesn’t hesitate to help you when you ask him or even if he knows you need something that you haven’t asked about. He has helped me and my partners to reach better grounds through his collaborative intelligence module which has helped us kick-start our own startup. He doesn’t just TALK about collaboration, he actively demonstrates it!
Youssef Girgis
MSA Career Placement Center
Intrapreneurship
I had the chance to meet a really impressing speaker yesterday who is a walking treasure of experience and knowledge about intrapreneurship and organizational change, how to transform organizational dinosaurs and arouse the entrepreneur within employees. Neil has totally owned the stage and after his talk I was full of thoughts, ideas. Neil made a big impression and I am admiring him for what he did/is doing, what he knows and for his openness to share that experience and knowledge. I am looking forward to future cooperation with him. Unicorns do exist! 😉
Primoz Zupan
MBILLS E-Money and Payment Services
Leadership Speaker
I was lucky to meet Neil at 2 great events in Egypt in 2017 organized by MSA University; Leadership and Organization Development Conference and Entrepreneurship Hub. I was truly impressed by his intense knowledge and interesting way of delivery. During the panel discussion, his success story was an inspiration for our young entrepreneurs and his profound experience is something to surely learn from. I’m definitely looking forward to another fruitful co-operation.
Sarah Samy
MSA University
Corporate Speaker
Neil is one of the most charismatic and interesting people that I came across. He is one of the best presenters that I ever saw in action with a great ability to keep his audience engaged through his entire lecture/presentation. Neil is a pure leader, Intrapreneur and entrepreneur, always demonstrated out of the box thinking, business orientation, leadership and consistency.
Noam Tamari-Wekser
SellMore.Guru
Organisation Development & Leadership
I met Neil the first time in the Organisation Development & Leadership Conference in Cairo. In person he is very attentive and very willing to help, he creates opportunities for growth for all the people around. I have personally learned a lot from his open selfless attitude. On a professional level his breadth of experience plays a great role in the customized solutions that he provides. I recommend Neil as a powerful consultant in the field of leadership and as an equipped speaker for leadership related topics.
Michael Boushra
AstraZeneca, Egypt
I really thought that this would be a difficult trick to manage but I have become comfortable in understanding that I am an introvert who has done well faking extraversion. Facilitation has actually been my natural state inasmuch as there's no need to be the star performer.
I actually enjoy being the one guiding a workshop without the pressure of being an all-knowing subject matter expert.
#Facilitation isn't about fees and plaudits - it's about moving people along their journey from Eskil on Vimeo.
Making a Warwick Facilitator smile
There's no denying that being a facilitator offers access to some amazing experiences. In addition to this, by removing the need to be the star performer, you remove any conflict or competition with the participants. A facilitator builds rapport quickly with his / her cohort.
So what makes me smile is a client who appreciates that there are a lot of questions to ask before the design work begins - and can also appreciate the scale of work involved in developing an agenda that flows as well as satisfies desired outcomes.
Yes, the recognition by participants is important - but that is down to me as to whether or not it's been a success.
Finally, the biggest of them all... knowing that new lessons have been learnt and are being applied.
Contact Neil to discuss facilitating your events:
e: enquiry@eskil.co
t: +44.(0)1926.497.211
w: eskil.co