We recently welcomed two new senior facilitators to the MosaicLab team - Belinda Lowing and Fox Gillen!
They may be new to Team MosaicLab, but these two talented facilitators have long career histories that span across interesting and complex roles that have included facilitation and engagement in many forms.
They’ve both hit the ground running, jumping straight in and helping the team to facilitate a range of projects since their arrival.
Let’s learn more about these two and gain some insights into who they REALLY are through their answers to our fast five questions!
Meet BELINDA LOWING
Belinda is an experienced facilitator with specialist skills in people and project management, facilitating, mediating, training and coaching. She has worked for various state government agencies, often in roles helping regulators build their capability to engage with their communities. Her past work has involved encouraging industry and business to see customer engagement as a core part of doing business.
Read more in Belinda’s bio.
“I have a long held belief that people have a right to have a say in matters that affect them, in a way that is genuine and in a process that is respectful and meaningful.”
BELINDA ANSWERS THE FAST FIVE
1. What impact do you think deliberative engagement can have on the world?
One piece of advice I carry with me as a facilitator of deliberative processes comes from Bernard Mayer, the author of Staying with Conflict - A Strategic Approach to Ongoing Disputes. His advice is ‘encourage people to focus on how they can engage in conflict (difference of opinion) constructively, rather on how they can end it’. This is what deliberative engagement does. The process of deliberation takes the pressure off having to hold onto the emotions associated with a particular position or vested outcome. It helps us as humans to find common ground through curiosity and willingness to be empathetic in the face of difference – it is life changing and world changing.
2. How do you like to start and end your day?
Quiet coffee time to start the day and a good long walk to get rid of he workday kinks – both for body and mind!
3. What topic could you give a detailed presentation about with little or no preparation?
What makes us tick as humans – it’s an ongoing fascination for me.
4. What energises you at work?
When a facilitated session flies by and you don’t know where the hours have gone because everyone has been so engaged.
5. Which three people would you love to have over for dinner?
The three grandparents whom I did not have the privilege to know as adult Belinda - a lost opportunity for conversation to help me better know myself.
meet FOX GILLEN
Fox is the newest member of Team MosaicLab, having joined us in October 2023 after an extensive career at Lifeline.
Fox has been practicing as a facilitator and trainer for over 10 years, with extensive professional practice working predominantly across the education and mental health sectors. He has accumulated thousands of hours experience in crisis counselling, supervision and training delivery through his previous roles with Lifeline Australia’s Crisis Supporter program.
Read more in Fox’s bio
“Deliberative engagement can get people empowered and excited about participating in decision-making. It could lead to a fundamental change in the way community relates to leadership.”
FOX ANSWERS THE FAST FIVE
1. What impact do you think deliberative engagement can have on the world?
Deliberative engagement can empower everyday people and get them excited about participating in decision-making. It can lead to fundamental change in the way community relates to leadership as it is grounded in everyday practice and possible at every level of decision-making.
2. How do you like to start and end your day?
I keep a gratitude journal on-and-off and it's great to add things or even just look over the awesome things that I've been thankful for in the past. Gives me warm fuzzies.
3. What topic could you give a detailed presentation about with little or no preparation?
Previous career directions have gifted me with some interesting topics such as ‘How to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs’ or ‘How to talk to someone who is having thoughts of suicide’.
4. What energises you at work?
When participants get emotional during workshops. Real emotion means real investment in the issue.
5. Which three people would you love to have over for dinner?
Ryan Reynolds for a laugh, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, for his gentle humanism and Richard Feynman so I could ask him lots of questions about quantum physics - boys night!
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