Organizational Development Consultant and Leadership Coach

Inclusive Facilitation for Social Change

August 31, 2023

From fsg.org:https://www.fsg.org

Facilitating inclusive meetings is a vital skill that can transform ordinary gatherings into effective and empowering experiences for everyone involved. Especially when working toward social change, fostering inclusive spaces is essential to ensure that the voices, perspectives, and needs of all individuals are acknowledged and actively included—particularly for voices that are often left out of the decision-making process. By promoting equitable participation, inclusive facilitation cultivates richer conversations and increased collaboration resulting in more effective and comprehensive solutions to advance social impact work.

From strategy workshops to board meetings to focus groups with community members, FSG has collectively Continue reading

Continue reading...

Holiday traditions must change as your loved one’s cognition changes

November 29, 2022

You all know me as an organizational development consultant and leadership coach.

Some of you also know that because of my dear husband’s Parkinson’s and Lewy body Dementia, I am an advocate for those causes and provide advice and support to care partners who are less far in their journey than I am.

The holidays can be difficult in the best of circumstances, and they are especially difficult when you have someone you love who is facing cognitive issues.

I posted this blog on my Dementia for Dessert website, and I hope you find it helpful.

https://www.dementiafordessert.com/holiday-traditions-must-change-as-your-loved-ones-cognition-changes/

Continue reading...

12 ways my dear husband’s dementia has taught me to be a better consultant

May 25, 2022

It was this day in 2010 that my husband, Richard was diagnosed with Parkinson.  We thought everything would be ok,  just a little tremor.  Ha!  It was an adventure full of love, drama, joy, gratitude, pain and grief. Richard passed away in March of 2017.   In honor of the milestones and memories,  I repost 12 ways my dear husband’s dementia has taught me to be a better consultant which was first published in June, 2015.

_____________________________

I am an organizational development consultant specializing in transformational change. I’m also the wife of my Continue reading

Continue reading...

Grieving and Post-Traumatic Growth

August 9, 2020

The long term consequences of this tumultuous time on individuals, organizations, and communities are not yet known.  Negative experiences can spur positive change, but not always.  The pandemic, systemic injustice and other traumas can give way to post-traumatic growth but not without attention and effort.

Harvard Business Review’s July-August magazine had two excellent articles on grieving and post-traumatic growth.

David Kessler’s article, Helping Your Team Heal, encourages leaders to recognize people’s grief and assist them in finding meaning.  He suggests we think about three groups of people during the pandemic – the worried well, the affected, Continue reading

Continue reading...

Predictable Surprises

March 24, 2020

My colleague Bill Welter, owner of MindPrep Resource Center recently shared the six characteristics of predictable surprises, from the book Predictable Surprises: The Disasters You Should Have Seen Coming and How to Prevent ThemBazerman and Watkins, 2008.

They are:

1. That leaders knew a problem existed and that the problem would not solve itself.

2. Organizational members recognize that a problem is getting worse over time.

3. Fixing the problem would incur significant costs in the present, while the benefit of action would be delayed.

4. (related to 3) Addressing predictable surprises typically require incurring a certain Continue reading

Continue reading...

The role of empathy and experimentation in collaboration

September 8, 2019

Heather Hiscox, co-founder of Pause for Change, has written an excellent article on the role of empathy and experimentation in collaboration.  Her insights are essential for all organizations considering collaborating in new ways, and will significantly increase their levels of success.

https://www.nonprofitcenters.org/roleofempathy

NOTE:

If you would like to receive e-mail notification when I post additional techniques and meeting management related materials, please sign up through this link.   http://eepurl.com/KILan  You may unsubscribe at any time.

You will find my book Mission Critical Meetings: 81 Practical Facilitation Techniques on Amazon. Your feedback and reviews are most welcome.

http://www.amazon.com/Mission-Critical-Meetings-Facilitation-Techniques/dp/1627870377/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408719109&sr=1-2&keywords=Mission+Critical+Meetings

Continue reading...

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

April 15, 2019

I highly recommend The Art of Gathering:  How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker.  I know a lot about planning and facilitating meetings, but learned so much more by reading this book. Whether you run business meetings, are involved in non-profit events, or hold parties at your home, this book will give you insights to up your game.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Gathering-How-Meet-Matters/dp/1594634920/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=gathering+book+of+meetings&qid=1555237488&s=books&sr=1-1

________________

NOTE:

If you would like to receive e-mail notification when I post additional techniques and meeting management related materials, please sign up through this link.   http://eepurl.com/KILan  You may unsubscribe at any time. Continue reading

Continue reading...

The power and importance of questions

August 1, 2018

The Harvard Business Review highlights the importance and power of questions in two recent articles.  I highly recommend them both.

Better Brainstorming suggests we focus on questions, not answers, for breakthrough insights. Better questions can lead to answers that challenge deeply held assumptions, and make it easier to push past biases and venture into unchartered territory.

https://hbr.org/2018/03/better-brainstorming

The Surprising Power of Questions talks about the importance of questioning as a skill to be honed, and as a tool for unlocking value in companies.  It spurs learning and the exchange of ideas, fuels innovation and performance improvement and builds Continue reading

Continue reading...

What my 10 month old godson reminds me about success

April 16, 2018

My dear godson, Noah is learning how to walk.  And so far, he’s pretty crap at it.

He falls and falls and falls.  But he keeps trying and becomes more proficient every day.  He doesn’t think to himself “Darn, this walking is tough and is taking a long time. Every time I try, I fall down. And sometimes that hurts.  I’ll never make it.  I am doomed to a life of crawling.  I’m going to give up before it gets embarrassing.”

Heck no.  Not this baby.  Not any baby.

He smiles with Continue reading

Continue reading...

Back by popular demand: How and when to use Transformation Maps

January 31, 2018

“My leadership team and I have a pretty clear idea of where we want to be in the next 5 years, but don’t know exactly how to get there. There are so many issues and improvements to address. It’s hard to get our heads around them. What suggestions do you have?”

What is a Transformation Map?

A Transformation Map is a one page visual depiction of the plan for implementing a strategy or goal. It describes the major results, actions and milestones required to achieve your strategic goal, along with the expected timing of each of them. It Continue reading

Continue reading...