BECKSearch:bringing together a range of groups from all over the wider Irish community in New Zealand.

The Irish Embassy in New Zealand invited me to facilitate an event bringing together a range of groups from all over the wider Irish community in New Zealand.

Here are some key things that we did together that contributed to the success of the day:

1. Enable the facilitation process to hear as diverse a range of views as possible and give most of the time to enabling the group to speak.

2. Be clear about what you want both in terms of inputs and outputs. Give people complete clarity around what you expect of them and empower facilitators to be optimally effective.

3. Enable people to share insights and findings in a personalised way at every stage of the process. We had table-wide and full-room discussions, a digital tool where people could share thoughts and an illustrator who captured the salient points (which is the background for this video). Specifically, regarding the Irish New Zealand connection:

(a) there are great economic opportunities for export, foreign direct investment and employment.

(b) there are opportunities and challenges in having a dual nature of your identity

(c) technology needs to be used differently to connect people and business

(d) the time difference can be an advantage

(e) professional relationships can add value in more than one setting