At a time of momentous change, when their skills are needed more than ever, facilitators and consultants find that the Pandemic has robbed them of most of the tools they used to work their magic. Sadly, even when run by a professional, video conferences have their limits. For consultants and facilitators, it is deeply frustrating to know exactly what their clients would need but not being able to deliver it.
Worse, faced with extreme challenges, their clients are looking for credible interventions, not better-run video conferences.
This is not going away. In a post-pandemic world, even where cost is not an issue, key people meeting in one place for a facilitated meeting, workshop, 'world cafe', or traditional event will be rare.
To establish clarity, shared purpose and action with people sitting in their home offices, who are tired of endless conferencing, new methods and new tools are needed. Consultants and facilitators - the very agents of change - must embrace change for themselves, learn new tools and update their skills. Not everybody will thrive in the new world. Some will resist, desperately hoping that, somehow, and soon, the good old days will return.