suzanne whitby: archives

Suzanne Whitby

Playing with AI: Notes from #FacLab009

I run a regular gathering for facilitators to try out new tools, share knowledge and use our combined views of the world to help each other learn, grow and thrive. In February, a small group came together and I shared what I’ve learned, and they offered some reflections on AI and the future of facilitation.

Playing with AI: A note on using prompts

To use many of the generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, Dall-e, Mid Journey and others – you need to give the AI prompts instead of keywords. Here are some notes from my explorations into prompts from my Playing with AI diversion.

Scientists Warning Europe

A interesting site full of science endorsed solutions which will lead to a just transition for our World to a sustainable and equitable future presented by scientists across Europe.

CliMate, your climate conversation coach

Created by The Suzuki Foundation, this fun and simple chatbot on Facebook Messenger will teach you how stop arguing and start understanding people through a choose-your-own adventure style practice conversation. You’ll get to choose your responses from a set of options, and your conversation coach will guide you through it, providing insight into the reaction your responses might elicit.

#Watch How to turn climate anxiety into action (TED)

It’s normal to feel anxious or overwhelmed by climate change, says psychologist Renée Lertzman. Can we turn those feelings into something productive? In an affirming talk, Lertzman discusses the emotional effects of climate change and offers insights on how psychology can help us discover both the creativity and resilience needed to act on environmental issues.

Using framing to unlock change

Research into the science of framing and how it can help us to be heard and understood. When we change the story and how we tell it, we can change the world. [Fran mentioned this in Storytell.] #framing #conversations #facilitation #scicomm #climate

What if?

I am privileged to be able to spend my days working with scientists who want to learn how to turn their academic findings into information that the “general public” can understand and hopefully act upon. Many of the people I coach and train are natural scientists who have an up-close-and-personal view of human-caused climate change and global heating. Not only are they witness to what is happening now, but thanks to modelling, they have insights into what is likely to happen in the future. And frankly, for many of them, the future is at best worrying and at worst terrifying. They are continually perplexed at the disinterest in the problems they are uncovering by politicians, policy makers, the media, and us, the “general public*”.

I mention this because when I watched “Don’t look up” last night, I was overjoyed that someone in Hollywood had finally created a film that captured what scientists tell me that they experience. Sure, it’s a satire, but the basic storyline is one that I’ve heard time and again in my workshops and talks.

The Work That Reconnects

Interesting for my facilitation work, work with groups, and in helping people think about climate and environmental disruption. The Work that Reconnects helps people discover and experience their innate connections with each other and the self-healing powers of the web of life, transforming despair and overwhelm into inspired, collaborative action.

Do you inadvertently turn your statements into questions?

Raising your pitch at the end of a statement makes that statement sound like a question. Whether you’re communicating in person, online, or over the phone, this speech pattern can make you sound less confident, less credible, and uncertain about your content. This article talks about why we do it, and how to stop.

What’s in a name? Why getting people’s names right is part of effective communication.

Remembering someone’s name and pronouncing it correctly is a key part of making a positive impression. It’s also part of being a good communicator. Not bothering to remember someone’s name or continually pronouncing it incorrectly, or worse, using a name that they dislike (nicknames they didn’t choose, for example) tells people that you don’t value or respect them. Here are 9 things that you can do to remember people’s names, along with some information about why names matter, why we mess them up, and why, in a socially-distanced world, remembering names is more important than ever,

A beautiful watch

Whilst everyone is diving into the world of smart watches, I’m opting for a dumb watch that does two things: it tells the time and looks gorgeous. And that’s good enough for me!

The Man in New Orleans

In 2001, I travelled around the US in 30 days and I had an interesting encounter in New Orleans with a homeless gentleman that made me rethink kindness. Enjoy!

Ponte: Tower of Dreams

Johannesburg’s Ponte City was built in 1975 to be the tallest residential building in Africa, with 55 floors of living space and a cylindrical form that still dominates the skyline. It fascinated me as a child and fascinates me still.

In Defence of Open-Mindedness

A few thoughts on the closed minds of some people in rural, mostly white, mostly Catholic and mostly relatively well-off in a beautiful part of Austria.