Retooling yoU - Design Patterns

Retooling yoU is a series of online workshops to help you launch your facilitation practice in 2025. Presented by me, Brian Tarallo of Lizard Brain, each workshop will bring you a different aspect of what it takes to build, launch, and grow your practice as a facilitator. We'll cover both facilitation methods and what it takes to run a facilitation business.

In Design Patterns, we'll cover some of the best practices for designing participatory group processes. Design patterns might not show up on the agenda, but they're an essential part of making sure your sessions are engaging, inclusive, and productive. Design patterns include things like room set up and seating arrangements, the degree of structure, buffering activities, the 17 different learning styles, and the participant mix.

If you attend, you'll receive a free PDF that can be printed on Avery Name Cards that you can use to make your own card deck of Design Patterns that will go WAY beyond what we'll cover in two hours.

About Retooling yoU
I'm launching Retooling yoU because 2025 has seen massive churn and upheaval in the DC area. I firmly believe that when one door closes, another door opens, and this may be the time for you to finally launch your facilitation practice. I'm not charging for this workshop, but I will be inviting a "Pay-What-Feels-Right" donation during the workshop. To quote Reinventing Organizations author Frederic Laloux, "I cannot know what [this] is worth to you, so a fixed price does not make much sense. Pay-What-Feels-Right is an experiment in abundance where I trust that when I give, I will also receive. In my mind, Pay-What-Feels-Right is not free. It's an invitation to give what feels right for the value you've received and/or the support you want to give me to continue doing my work."

About Brian Tarallo
Hi there. I'm Brian. I'm one of the co-founders of NOVA Scribes, and I'm the managing director of Lizard Brain. I specialize in visual and virtual facilitation. I've got more than a few certifications in facilitation, including:

• IAF M|CPF - International Association of Facilitators Master Certified Professional Facilitator, one of 78 globally
• INIFAC MCF - International Institute for Facilitation Master Certified Facilitator , one of 80 globally
• IFVP-I MVP - International Forum of Visual Practitioners – Institute Master Visual Practitioner, one of 8 globally
• INIFAC CVF - International Institute of Facilitation Certified Virtual Facilitator
• MBTI® MP - Meyers Briggs Type Indicator Master Practitioners, one of 160 globally
• PMI PMP - Project Management Institute Project Management Professional

...plus a bunch of other certifications for tools and assessments. Starting as a Peace Corps volunteer, I've been facilitating since 2001. I'm the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, Surviving the Horror of Online Meetings. In 2023, I was awarded an IAF Facilitation Impact Award.

My work is primarily with the federal and state government, defense, engineering, and healthcare industries.