Revisiting the Roundtable Principles for Architecting Collaboration: A Personal Journey

A Foundation for Collaboration: From Roundtable Principles to Professional Facilitation Mastery

The Roundtable Principles for Effective Collaboration represent a shared commitment to fostering meaningful change through dialogue, innovation, and connection. Together, with Architecting Collaboration as the curator and with both My Meeting Doctors and My Meeting Support as the delivery force, we're shaping a future where collaboration is not just a skill—it's a way of achieving greatness.

Let's connect. Let's collaborate. Let's build something extraordinary.

Over the years, my professional journey has been deeply rooted in fostering dialogue and collaboration—creating spaces where innovation meets collective problem-solving. This isn't just my work; it's my passion. Today, I'm excited to revisit the Roundtable Principles for Architecting Collaboration, a refined framework that reflects not just my facilitation philosophy but the collective wisdom gathered over years of experience and collaboration.

These principles are not my original ideas. They are drawn from universal knowledge and refined through my experiences:

• Hundreds of hours of facilitation and collaborative projects.

• Insights gained from training sessions in the Digital Collaboration Academy, which I co-founded with my colleague and systems practitioner, Peter Seah.

• Discussions with peers and more than 30 interviews with renowned facilitators during the Talk to Your Meeting Doctors LinkedIn Live series, which I co-host with Martin Duffy, PhD.

This framework embodies the collective learning, practical experience, and inspiration I've gathered through these diverse initiatives. It serves as the foundation for the vibrant community I've built through My Meeting Support, where the power of collaboration comes to life.

The Roundtable Principles for Architecting Collaboration

Collaboration is not accidental—it's intentional, structured, and inclusive. More than my personal professional journey, the Roundtable Principles for Architecting Collaboration represent a "shared wisdom" approach to building meaningful dialogue and fostering impactful collaboration.

At their core, these principles emphasize:

1. Inclusivity: Every voice matters. Ensuring that all perspectives are heard is how real solutions emerge.
2. Active Participation: Collaboration thrives when everyone shows up with energy and commitment.
3. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Facts and evidence light the way to clearer, more grounded conversations.
4. Collective Ownership: Solutions are stronger when everyone shares responsibility for their success.
5. Transparency: Trust grows in environments of honesty and open communication.

These principles are not just abstract ideas—they are woven into every meeting, event, or workshop I design. They are the compass I use to help clients navigate complexity and unlock the full potential of collaboration.

From Roundtable Principles to Professional Facilitation: A Pathway to Mastery

The Roundtable Principles for Effective Collaboration serve as an accessible entry point for anyone seeking to embrace the noble role of group facilitation. While they provide a solid foundation for fostering inclusivity, participation, and trust in collaborative settings, these principles represent the beginning of a much deeper journey into the art and science of facilitation.

For those inspired to elevate their practice, these principles act as a stepping stone to the more comprehensive and refined frameworks curated by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF). The IAF, the global leader in professional facilitation, has developed an advanced set of core competencies that guide practitioners toward mastery in this transformative field.

What Makes the IAF Framework Special?

The IAF's principles and core competencies represent the gold standard for professional facilitation. These include skills and practices that:

• Foster inclusive environments where diverse perspectives are welcomed.
• Promote ethical practices, ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability.
• Guide facilitators in managing group dynamics and navigating complexity.
• Equip professionals with tools to design and deliver impactful collaborative experiences.

A Path to Becoming a Certified Professional Facilitator™

As someone who has walked this path, I can attest to the transformative impact of embracing the IAF framework. The Certified Professional Facilitator™ (CPF) designation is not just a title—it's a testament to a facilitator's commitment to excellence, continuous learning, and ethical practice.

If you are inspired by the Roundtable Principles and aspire to deepen your facilitation practice, consider embarking on this journey also with the IAF. Their core principles are designed to guide you from foundational practices to professional-level expertise, helping you make a lasting impact on the groups and organizations you serve.

An Invitation to Begin Your Journey

Whether you are exploring facilitation for the first time or seeking to refine your skills, the Roundtable Principles provide a starting point—a framework to guide your initial steps in creating spaces for dialogue and collaboration. From there, the pathway to becoming a professional facilitator, equipped with the IAF core competencies, opens up a world of possibilities for driving change and innovation.

I am proud to have earned the title of IAF Certified Professional Facilitator™, and I encourage anyone intrigued by this noble craft to explore the resources and community offered by the IAF. Together, we can elevate the practice of facilitation to its fullest potential.

Architecting Collaboration: My Role as Curator

At Architecting Collaboration, I focus on shaping the vision for impactful dialogue and innovation. As the curator of this collective wisdom on effective group collaboration, my role is to contribute thought leadership, systems thinking, and facilitation expertise.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Crafting frameworks that guide organizations through collaborative processes.

• Designing impactful meeting strategies and facilitation tools.

• Sharing my insights through books, articles, blogs, and events to inspire organizations to embrace these approaches.

These Roundtable Principles for Architecting Collaboration have been shaped by hundreds of hours of facilitation and collaborative projects, tested and refined through col.lab | collaboration laboratory as my practice's test bed, and further enriched by my work as an event creator with Porto-based spin-off Debate Eximio Lda, the company behind impactful initiatives like Digital Health Portugal, the Health Regions Summit, and our charity Health Data Forum Ltd taking charge of our Global Events.

My Meeting Doctors and My Meeting Support: The Delivery Force

While Architecting Collaboration sets the vision, My Meeting Support is where that vision is realized. My Meeting Support is a community brand of skilled facilitators, meeting designers, and event professionals—all aligned with the Roundtable Principles.

Through My Meeting Support, clients gain access to:

• A curated network of professionals who are committed to delivering excellence.

• Tailored tools and services for designing effective, transformative meetings and events.

• A collaborative ecosystem that ensures every engagement is results-driven and impactful.

By separating the roles of curation and delivery, I ensure that the same intentionality guiding the vision carries through to execution with precision and care.

An Invitation to Build Together

Reflecting on this journey, I often think of collaboration as a house under construction. It's never finished. Every connection, every engagement, and every initiative adds a new layer to its strength and purpose.

To all who've been part of this journey so far—thank you. To those who are curious to explore, I invite you to join me. Whether through the Roundtable Principles, the expertise of My Meeting Support, or a simple conversation, let's continue building together.

Credits: Photos by Startaê Team and Randy Fath on Unsplash

About the Author

Paul Nunesdea is the English pen name of Paulo Nunes de Abreu, a Facilitator, Master of Ceremonies, Author, and Publisher of the Architecting Collaboration book series. He is an IAF Certified Facilitator™ who designs and hosts events for clients ranging from large corporations to governmental organizations.

As the curator of Architecting Collaboration, Paul shares insights on collaboration, facilitation, and digital transformation through his blogs and thought leadership. He is also the founder of col.lab | collaboration laboratory, a hub for collaborative innovation, including Debate Exímio Lda.

Paul leads the Health Data Forum, a registered UK charity, which organizes the Health Data Forum Global Hybrid Summit, drives the Data First, AI Later movement, and hosts a curated network of independent health data and AI experts.