145 - Asking better questions to get cozy, juicy or real with each other with Jed & Sophia Lazar

A game is just a game - silly, playful, and only useful for breaking the ice, right? Not if you ask Sophia and Jed Lazar, who have designed a card game that helps participants share, listen, and connect in a deep way. Cozy Juicy Real has been tried everywhere from kitchen tables to corporate board rooms and its founding partners attest to the same results - strengthened connection and communication. So, how have they done it? What are the misconceptions about games that they’re proving wrong? And can a board game really hold space for people to share their true selves? Listen in for the answers to these questions - and many more!   Find out about: Jed & Sophia’s journey into facilitation, facilitating together, and creating Cozy Juicy Real How a game can be designed to hold space for a group How Jed and Sophia have learned to incentivise deep listening Why asking questions is a muscle we can grow, not an innate talent How Jed and Sophia safeguard participants whilst creating space for deep, emotional connection Don’t miss the next show: Subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.  Exclusive offer from Facilitator Cards for workshops.work listeners you can get 15% off your entire purchase at shop.facilitator.cards by using code workshopswork. Questions and Answers [01:21] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator – and do you? [03:56] What do a protest and a workshop have in common? [04:41] What’s the story behind Cozy Juicy Real and when did you first start facilitating together? [07:22] What’s one of your favourite questions in the game? [10:56] Can a game hold space for a group and what does it take? [15:03] How do you design a structure that incentivises deep listening and communication? [17:09] What are the mechanics behind creating cozy, juicy, and real questions and how do they come together to help people connect deeply? [19:51] What makes a good question? Is there one question in particular that gets people to connect? [23:18] Do you think people can learn to ask more meaningful questions by playing the game? [24:26] Can you learn to ask questions and, if so, how? [28:35] What’s your favourite question? [33:25] Do you have a question that turned into a gift for you? [36:30] What are your observations from playing the game with friends? [40:24] How do you manage judgement when it appears in a group? [42:00] How do you create a game that allows for people to communicate deeply without risking trauma triggers and offence? [45:56] What’s your role as the host – and could anyone do it? [47:39] How do you handle check-ins and check-outs? Do you have favourite exercises for each? [49:10] What makes a workshop fail? [53:33] Is there anything that you’d like to share with the audience that we haven’t covered yet? Connect to Jed & Sophia: Jed on LinkedIn Sophia on LinkedIn   Any thoughts? Share them with us! Support the show ✨✨✨ If you miss the "workshops work" podcast, join us on Substack, where Myriam builds a Podcast Club with monthly gatherings around old episodes: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/