Release Date: Oct 28
How do great facilitators get even better—and why does it matter for every workplace leader? In this energizing episode of The Learnit Lounge, host Mickey Fitch-Collins sits down with Meg Bolger: creator, educator, and passionate advocate for more compassionate, pro-social learning. Together, they dive deep into the art and evolution of facilitation—what it means to “upskill” beyond basic improvement, how to run honest self-feedback, and why the structure of a meeting shapes its outcome more than you think.
Meg shares her hard-won lessons on building psychological safety, juggling in-person vs. virtual sessions, and the surprising power of watching your own “game tape.” They break down the real differences between facilitation, training, and presenting—plus, Meg reveals her favorite rituals to recover after a high-energy session. Whether you’re in HR, L&D, people ops, or any role that leads group conversations, this episode is packed with practical tools to help you facilitate withmore intention, awareness, and growth.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why honest self-feedback (and watching your “game tape”) accelerates your growth as a facilitator
- The difference between surface-level performance and true skill development—and how to spot both
- How Meg distinguishes between facilitator, trainer, and presenter—and why those boundaries matter
- What core skills every mid-career facilitator needs to revisit (and how to run your own “annual checkup”)
- Practical strategies to manage your energy and emotional recovery post-facilitation
- Why the structure of your questions or process matters more than “good vibes” or charisma
In This Episode:
- 00:00 – Welcome to The Learnit Lounge + Mickey introduces Meg Bolger
- 02:01 – What it means to truly upskill as a facilitator
- 02:53 – Using self-feedback and “game tape” to improve
- 04:53 – Going beyond performative fixes into deeper self-awareness
- 06:57 – The interplay between personal growth and facilitation skills
- 08:38 – Identifying core skills for a facilitation “tune-up”
- 10:44 – Process for peer review and defining facilitation excellence
- 13:24 – In-person vs. virtual facilitation: what changes?
- 14:55 – When “mastered” skills surprise you—and the need to relearn
- 15:49 – Defining facilitator vs. presenter, trainer, and teacher
- 18:54 – Why multidirectional communication is the heart of facilitation
- 20:28 – Power, identity, and transparency when facilitating (especially as an outsider)
- 24:52 – Handling participant perceptions and building credibility
- 25:33 – Meg’s rituals and recovery for post-facilitation fatigue
- 28:33 – Meg’s core leadership lesson: the process shapes the outcome
- 32:04 – How to connect with Meg and keep learning
About Meg Bolger
Meg Bolger (she/her) is an educator, creator, and dedicated champion for building a more compassionate, pro-social world. As the founder of Facilitator Cards, Meg develops innovative tools, trainings, and resources to help facilitators “human well together.” Her work blends deep expertise in group process with a thoughtful, creative approach to upskilling leaders, HR, and L&D professionals across all industries. Meg is the author of a widely-read facilitation newsletter and regularly speaks, writes, and consults on facilitation best practices.
Resources Referenced:
- Facilitator Cards – Meg’s signature product & training tools
- Facilitator Cards on YouTube
- Meg Bolger on LinkedIn
- Learnit Website
- Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins on LinkedIn
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