At a time of momentous change, when their skills are needed more than ever, facilitators and consultants find that the Pandemic has robbed most of the tools they used to work their magic. Sadly, even when run by a professional, video conferences have their limits. For professionals, it is deeply frustrating to know exactly what intervention their clients would need and being unable to deliver.
Worse, faced with extreme challenges, clients are looking for credible interventions, not better-run video conferences.
This is not going to blow over. In a post-pandemic world, even where cost is not an issue, key people assembling 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. The agents of change must embrace change for themselves, learn new tools and update their skills. Which means that not everybody will thrive in the new world. Some will resist, desperately hoping that, somehow, the world that valued their skills highly will return and raise their fortunes.
