A Diary Post: The Big Realisation: I’ve Been Top 1% All Along
What did I learn on this 15k USD course, and did not learn? Why I paid more than the price of a Cambridge Post Grad Cert course at AJ&Smart’s Full Stack Facilitator? Here are a few thoughts after a somewhat conflicting experience.
It took just a week in Palo Alto to realise something I probably should have known all along: I’m already a top 1% facilitator (and trainer). The only catch? I haven’t been charging like one.
I’d arrived expecting a deep dive into technical wizardry — complex tools, fancy frameworks, maybe even a few intimidating acronyms. Instead, what I found was far softer, subtler, and in its own way, far more confronting. My days were punctuated by reflection walks under Californian skies, quiet meditation, and the occasional brutally honest conversation with myself. This wasn’t about learning a new piece of software or frameworks (which was what I was expecting). It was about remembering who I already was.
When You Teach, You See Yourself More Clearly
One of the unexpected joys was teaching those earlier in their facilitation journey. Watching their eyes light up when a concept clicked — whether it was the art of staying neutral in heated discussions or how to design a workshop that actually delivers — reminded me why I do this work.
It’s easy to forget, in the thick of client projects, that what feels second nature to you is brand new to someone else. And there’s a quiet satisfaction in passing the baton, knowing you’ve helped someone skip a few years of trial-and-error.
The Harsh Truth About Collaboration
Here’s something that hit me squarely between the eyes: collaboration, as it’s currently practised in most organisations, is broken. Not because people don’t care, but because we’re simply not taught how to hold effective meetings.
We throw people into rooms (or Zooms) and expect magic. But without structure, without clarity, without someone holding the process, decisions drift, voices go unheard, and momentum fizzles. The phrase “people don’t change” gets tossed around in ethics debates — but in facilitation, it’s different. It’s not about transforming someone’s personality; it’s about shifting the conditions so the meeting flows.
Even making decision-making meetings 10% better can have an outsized impact. And the techniques aren’t rocket science — they’re just rarely taught, let alone embedded into team culture.
The Aha Moment
By the end of the week, surrounded by piles of books and scribbled notes, I realised that the gap I’d come to Palo Alto to fill wasn’t a skill gap. It was a confidence gap — and a pricing gap.
I’m not “working towards” being a top-tier facilitator. I am one. Right now. The only shift left is owning it — in how I talk about my work, how I choose my projects, and yes, how I set my fees.
And that, perhaps, was the real full-stack lesson: not just the tools, but the self-awareness to stand fully in the work you already do brilliantly.
Want to learn more about what top-class facilitation looks like, or how Future Green can help support your team to reduce circular meetings and collaborate better so decisions get made?
Book a call with us today and let’s chat.
