Chennai

Coffee, Conversations, and the Heart of Facilitation

Public Forums, ,

Some conversations stay with you. This was one of them.

The IAF team captured our chat over coffee and hot chocolate in their words. Their reflections offer a glimpse into what we explored. And yet, as with all rich conversations, there was more—more nuance, more layers, more threads left to unravel.

What stood out to me was their curiosity. Their willingness to look inward, question what is, and imagine what could be. In the process, they also helped me examine some of my own beliefs.

Their hospitality was exceptional. The care, the follow-through, and the quiet determination to make this happen made it easy for me to balance this with a busy trip.

And as I left, I found myself thinking—not just about what we had discussed, but about what more is possible for us as a community.

Coffee and conversations can indeed do more.

Now, these are their words as posted below. The original post is here.

“Coffee & Conversations: The Heart Of Facilitation

Some conversations stay with you—like the one we had over hot chocolate with Kavi Arasu. What started as a casual chat became an insightful exploration of what makes facilitation truly impactful.

Mindset Over Methods

Facilitation isn’t about tools or structure—it’s about believing in yourself as the most powerful tool in the room. A great facilitator adapts, navigates group dynamics, and enables transformation. As Kavi Arasu put it: “Results get me high—not the design, not the facilitation.” It’s impact over process.

Fluidity in Facilitation

Facilitators shift roles—sometimes as a teacher, trainer, or expert—to bring clarity. The best sessions aren’t rigid; they evolve with the room. The focus is on listening deeply, building trust, and uncovering perspectives that lead to real, actionable change.

Facilitation as a Way of Being

Great facilitation isn’t about solving problems but creating the space for solutions to emerge. It starts with self-inquiry:
•            Am I truly listening?
•            How can I hold space without imposing my view?
•            What biases do I carry?

The Inner Work

Facilitation begins within. Our impact is tied to our awareness, biases, and ability to hold space. Real change starts with us before it happens in the room.

Kavi also recommended The Fifth Discipline, ICA Methods, and The Power of Facilitation—all valuable resources for facilitators.

A big thank you to Kavi for his time and wisdom. We left with more than insights—we left with a renewed commitment to the art of facilitation.”

Stories a Brass Kettle

ByteSize, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Objects have character. Don’t they? This brass kettle from another era sat quietly, serving filter coffee and cardamom tea for generations. Imagine what it has seen!

Families growing, stories flowing, and lives unfolding—all while it stayed still.

Sometimes, I wish it could talk, spilling tales of the people and the times. But its dents and marks do the talking. They hint at the lives it touched.

So, I let my imagination take over and weave my own stories.

After all, isn’t that what character is—a silent storyteller of time?

Chennai Trip

Travel Tales,
We drove to Chennai last week. The roads were great. Traffic sparse. The sun shone through. The Jap engine performed. And we had Gods grace. We reached safely. Zipping past many a signboard, village and the odd cyclist, tractor, comming in the opposite direction on our side of the road
Praveen, Renu, Amity and Abrie are a family that we have not known for long, but somehow there seems to be a very deep connect. The amount of sharing and talking we did, i havent done in a long while with anybody. It was such refreshing conversation, that i came back with spirits right up !

Praveen’s flat overlooks the Bay of Bengal. The sea and its boundaryless expanse has held my imagination for long. The sea knows all my ups and downs for my talking in silence has always got a response of a crashing wave ! Every time. All through the years. I slept listening to the waves crashing o the shore, and woke up to face the blue sky merging with blue of the sea.


The Ashtalakshmi temple was close by. I have never been to a temple with dieties on the first floor / second floor over and above the main deity. That was different. The pragmatist in me thought about the reason. Probably, whoever built it wanted to give a ringside view of the sea to the devotees like me. Another side of me prodded to enjoy the experience without trying to seek out rationale !


We got to drive upto to St. Thomas Mount. It is one of the most serene places and one of my all time favourite spots of Chennai. The peace and serenity of the place held me together during a trying time. 8 years ago. That magic was rediscovered on the night before Easter !

I enjoyed the trip for another reason. Sitting in Praveen’s balcony, facing and staring into the Bay of Bengal for endless hours was an experience. As usual, the waves competed with each other to rush to shore. And once the mission was accomplished, they dissipated into nothingness. Leaving, at best, a mark on the sand. The shifting beach sand. Which lasted for a few seconds / minutes / hours ! And the mark which nobody seemed to care about after some time. The connect to the rat race of the world was obviously apparent !


From afar, we could see the beach remained dotted with young couples throughout the day. With a saree or a duppatta as the only ‘protection’ against a seemingly intense sun and equally intense prying onlookers eyes, they seemed to be encosned in their own worlds. At 2.00 PM in the afternoon, sitting in a hot beach for hours on end, is no joke.

My wife asked me to take a guess on what they perhaps were discussing.
“The International Monetary Fund ??? ” ?!?!?!?!?! Any thoughts folks ?