Grandfatherhood Reflections - A Journey to Designing Better Dialogue

By Paul Nunesdea, PhD, CPF - March 26, 2025

A New Life, A Renewed Purpose

On March 26th, I had the immense joy of welcoming my third grandson, Henrique, into the world. Becoming a grandfather once again reminded me of something essential: the future we are building is not abstract. It has a name, a face, and a heartbeat.

With another grandchild on the way from my eldest son, Francisco, I find myself standing once more at the intersection of family legacy and professional calling.

It was in a similar moment, years ago, when my first daughter became pregnant, that I felt a profound shift within me. A sense of vocation emerged—not just to lead, teach, or facilitate—but to create spaces where meaningful conversations happen, where decisions are made with purpose, and where collaboration is designed with intention.

This article is a reflection of that journey. A story of becoming a Collaboration Architect, and of how personal transformation can ignite professional mission.

The news of my first grandchild five years ago made me consider my life's purpose and how I could contribute meaningfully.

What began as a deeply personal reflection soon revealed something powerful: a vocation. More than a job, more than a career—a calling. A calling to be what I now proudly call myself: a Collaboration Architect.

The Moment Everything Shifted

At the time, I had already moved through many professional roles—CEO, consultant, educator, event designer. But as I approached this new chapter, I felt compelled to do more than continue. I felt called to synthesize everything I had learned and give it back to people, teams, organizations, and society at large.

A video by Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, crystallized the idea: once we reach the age of becoming grandparents, we have a social responsibility to pass on wisdom, to guide others, and to facilitate transformation. That seed, coupled with my long-standing work in systems thinking and group facilitation, gave rise to a new vision.

Architecting Collaboration Is My Blueprint

As I reflected on decades of experience in managing teams and hosting events, I realized I'd always been passionate about designing spaces for people to think together, resolve conflict, and shape shared meaning. I wasn't just managing projects or running meetings—I was architecting collaboration.

This led to the creation of the Architecting Collaboration book series and the development of a broader community of practice. Through col.lab, our collaboration laboratory, and its spin-offs like Debate Exímio Lda, we now host transformative events such as the Health Data Forum, the Health Regions Summit, and the Think Tank SNS de Contas Certas by Digital Health Portugal.

These aren't just events—they are spaces for dialogue, where stakeholders come together across sectors and systems to find clarity, alignment, and shared purpose.

Finding a Vocation

A vocation is a profound, purposeful calling, exceeding the scope of a mere job or profession.

Finding a cause to work for

A collaboration architect's core purpose is to champion participatory values, evolving from group facilitation. This involves a deep commitment to collaborative practices, including effective meeting management, client relations, and organizational analysis.

Discovering this vocation led to the "Architecting Collaboration" book series and a collaboration laboratory for practical application and thought leadership. 

The Power of Facilitation

At the core of my vocation is the belief that facilitation is not simply a profession—it's a craft of transformation. As a Certified Professional Facilitator with the IAF, I've come to view facilitation as a form of leadership that centers relationships and processes in solving problems.

That's why I created the Roundtable Principles for Effective Collaboration—a distilled framework based on years of experience, facilitation hours, and dozens of interviews with expert facilitators from around the world, many of whom joined me in the Talk to Your Meeting Doctors LinkedIn Live series I co-host with Martin Duffy, PhD.

These principles emphasize:

• Inclusivity – every voice matters

• Active Participation – full engagement from everyone

• Data-Driven Decision-Making – grounding discussion in real insight

• Collective Ownership – shared responsibility for outcomes

• Transparency – clarity in process, goals, and communication

They serve as both an entry point for newcomers and a compass for experienced facilitators.

A Community Worth Building

My work today continues through two interlinked platforms:

• Architecting Collaboration – the curation hub, where we shape frameworks and strategies.

• col.lab's spin-offs - the delivery force, a community brand of professional facilitators and collaboration experts you can hire for your own transformational journey.

Together, they enable me to mentor others, empower organizations, and create the conditions for lasting, system-level change.

A Vocation That Connects Us All

Becoming a grandfather didn't slow me down—it sharpened my sense of purpose. I realized that legacy isn't about what you leave behind, but what you help others create while you're still here. Through facilitation, we can co-create something more humane, more connected, and more resilient.

If you believe in the power of intentional collaboration, then welcome. You're already part of the circle.

My LinkedIn Circles

As a Collaboration Architect, I view LinkedIn as a living network of human connections, not just a platform. Despite algorithm limitations, I strive to connect authentically, valuing each person. Growth means change, but if you're here, we likely share a path, which I value. 

This journey, just like facilitation itself, is about staying human in a system that often forgets we are. 

I am deeply thankful to all those who follow and interact with me on this platform. It has been an amazing journey altogether

A List of My LinkedIn Circles

• Healthcare Professionals
• Public Health Policymakers
• Data Scientists & Health Informatics Experts
• Facilitators & Meeting Designers
• Event Producers & Conference Organizers
• Academics & Researchers (SSM, Systems Thinking)
• Digital Health Entrepreneurs & Innovators
• Public Administration Leaders
• NGO & Civic Platform Builders
• Corporate Executives (CEOs, COOs, CDOs)
• Students & Young Professionals in Health & Collaboration
• International Development Experts (EU, OECD, WHO circles)
• Technology & AI Enthusiasts in Healthcare
• IAF (International Association of Facilitators) Peers
• Family, Friends & Personal Life Supporters

About the Author

Paul Nunesdea is the pen name of Paulo Nunes de Abreu, a Collaboration Architect, IAF Certified™ Facilitator, and author of the Architecting Collaboration book series.

He curates the Architecting Collaboration platform, sharing insights on facilitation, dialogue, and systems thinking. As founder of col.lab | collaboration laboratory and co-founder of Debate Exímio Lda, Paul has designed and hosted transformative events across sectors.

He also leads the Health Data Forum, a UK-registered charity advancing the Data First, AI Later movement and curating a global network of independent experts in health data and AI.

References

About the IAF's Core Competencies: https://www.iaf-world.org/site/professional/core-competencies

My previous article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-daughter-got-pregnant-i-found-lifetime-vocation-paul-nunesdea/

Colophon: This article resulted from an amazingly near-human interaction between the author and Chat GPT-4