Meeting Facilitation
- Do employees feel that important matters get decided before and after meetings, rather than at them?
- Is there suspicion that meeting minutes document who said what in a way that can be used against team members later?
- Do you think about how seating arrangements could make a big difference in meeting outcomes?
- Are attendees regularly absent from meetings due to other priorities or "crises"?
- Are participants more engaged with their electronics than in the agenda?
- Are you sure that the right people are attending the right meetings or retreats?
Retreat/Offsite Design and Facilitation
- Has your department had substantive discussions in the last year?
- Are there are factions among the faculty making the direction of the department contentious or murky?
- Are you are a new leader and want to better understand the nature of your department and establish your authority with your group in a positive way?
- Are even two-hour meetings not enough to make significant changes?
- Has your department reviewed its progress—or lack thereof— on its strategic planning goals?
- Is your workgroup tired and burned out?
Good retreats happen through careful design and facilitation. When facilitated by skilled and neutral professionals, it is possible for everyone to participate and benefit, including the group leader.
We ask clients for at least two to four months' notice to facilitate a sizable retreat. Often the only role we can play with less notice is that of meeting facilitator, and while that still requires planning, it is a very different design process.
We don't aim for temporary feel-good moments, but for gatherings that energize, direct, and sustain a group over time. We aim for retreats or meetings that provide tangible direction, so that every participant leaves knowing what is going to happen next, who is going to do it, and by when.