Episode 8: Intervention Cards

Every facilitator has been there—the room falls apart, and your brain goes blank. In this episode, Bill shares the system that saved his career: intervention cards.
After a disastrous workshop left him frozen and fumbling, Bill started keeping notes. Not what went well—what went wrong and what he wished he'd tried. Those scribbled notes became a deck of 37 laminated cards he now carries to every session.
In this episode, we break down the most common workshop disasters and the exact moves to handle them:
The Dominator – One person won't stop talking. Everyone else checks out.The Silent Room – You ask a question. Crickets. The seconds feel like hours.The Naysayer – Arms crossed, shooting down every idea.The Post-Lunch Crash – Half the room is fighting to stay awake.Tech Failures – The projector dies mid-presentation.Time Running Out – The math isn't working and you're about to rush the important stuff.
Bill also addresses the question every facilitator asks: Doesn't pulling out a card make you look unprepared? His answer: Pilots use checklists. Surgeons use checklists. Nobody thinks they're unprepared—we think they're professional.
The words don't have to come from your head. They just have to come.
Resources:
Download all 37 intervention cards free at ⁠intervention.workshopr.io⁠Subscribe to Bill's weekly facilitation newsletter at ⁠workshopr.substack.com⁠