Episode 183: Let's use our facilitation superpowers on ourselves! with Kate Peardon
This week, I’m excited to introduce you to a fellow facilitator in south-east Queensland, Australia: Kate Peardon from Zenith Journey.
In this conversation, I throw many questions at Kate because I’m fascinated in her experience using visuals in her work as a way to form connections, increase memory retention and even decrease anxiety (particularly when talking about a heated topic!).
The theme of unconscious incompetence as that bottom rung on the ladder of learning also is a common theme in this chat, as we realise that we’re always works in progress and we simply don’t know, what we don’t know! We also discuss that failing art at high school is not an excuse for using visuals in your work (that’s a note for Leanne!), how Kate uses visuals to boost the engagement in her sessions (and on herself to boost memory retention), and how to balance that line between having too much structure in your session v being more looser and in the moment.
A business professional and coach, Kate specialises in unleashing brilliance in people, teams and companies. In her career, Kate worked to the executive role of People and Development Director at Wiley & Co, and is now in a unique position as both an internal and external catalyst. The internal role at Wiley as a Leadership Facilitator and Coach; as well as externally as an Executive Coach and Leadership Facilitator in other companies.
Personally, in February 2018, Kate's life took an unexpected twist, and she shares that story in this episode - Kate has been rehabilitating and rewiring her neural-pathways, and life, using all her knowledge and experience in neuroscience, positive psychology, habit theory and performance coaching.
About today’s guest: Kate Peardon
Kate helps executives to understand and grow their wisdom in leadership, so that they have a positive impact on themselves, their team, team, family, community, and leave a legacy on the greater world around them.
Unlike other consultants who are ‘in and out’ without seeing the impact of their work, Kate has over a decade of history with her Leadership and Culture work at Wiley. This gives her great scope to be cutting edge, yet understand the practicalities to what it is really like as an executive leading an Australasian business today.
With more interests that a term deposit; and more degrees than a thermometer, Kate is an eternal student. University education consists of a Bachelor of Business Management (Australia), an MBA (France/Australia), and an Executive Masters in Positive Leadership and Strategy (Spain). She is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation. A musician at heart she’s studied Musical Theater and Performance at National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). For fun, you'll find Kate relaxing at any piano she finds (probably belting out a tune) and cycling at sunrise.
She is also a keen yogini, and is a qualified Yoga Teacher. Passionate about holistic leadership, you’ll notice her approach (and that with Zenith Journey), is about supporting the whole person - mind, body, heart and soul.
Resources mentioned in this episode
Visit Kate’s website: Zenith Journey
Want to get better at your visuals? Me too! I’ve signed up for Kate’s online program, Rockstar Visuals
Connect with Kate Peardon on LinkedIn
Follow Kate’s work on Instagram
Watch the episode now!
About your host: Leanne Hughes
Leanne Hughes is an international facilitator, speaker and coach who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work.
She combines her experience in Marketing, with her education in Human Resources and Psychology, to help leaders create engaging everyday experiences - that are so contagious they scale across teams, functions and regions.
Leanne has facilitated leadership, onboarding and team-development workshops across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore and believes in a strengths-centred approach to learning and development. She has over 14 years’ of experience across a range of industries including mining, government and tourism sectors.
She’s the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast and was a finalist in the 2018 Australian Learning Impact awards for Learning Professional of the Year.