The Gathering That Worked

A few weeks ago I went to a lovely, intimate event hosted by Business for a Better Portland (BBPDX). This was a casual networking event held at Sante’s Bar in Portland … and it worked so very well. We wanted to explore why. Many of us have a love-hate relationship with meetings. The reality is …

Facilitation, Meetings
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Are Your Teams Experiencing Whiplash?

One of my coaching clients came up with a brilliant practice for herself that I want to share. This client was (and is) an amazing leader who had learned how to be nimble and adaptive — she knew that national and local funding changes were a regular part of her project landscape. She excelled in …

Culture, Leadership, Teams
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Capturing What Works

“If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” – Guiseppe di Lampedusa, Italian novelist (1896-1957)  Sometimes we need to take time to capture what is working.  I once worked with a leader who was passionate about capturing the essence of what had been going so well for the last …

Culture, Leadership, Values
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Um, What Was the Question?

If you are a fan of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams you may remember that the “ultimate answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything” is “42.”  Of course, as it turns out, if you don’t know what the question is, the answer isn’t worth a damn. We often find people and …

Facilitation, Leadership
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Taking a Step Back to Move Forward

I am sure you have been here… Early on at the team retreat, things start to go sideways as people come out of the gate “hot.” While you may be focused on an opening agenda item, people quickly jump ahead to get their stance out on the table. (Indeed, how much of a meeting takes …

Facilitation, Leadership
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Pissing Like Racehorses

Okay, be honest.  How many times have you left an online meeting and had to pee like a racehorse? Turns out this phrase originated from the 1970s when horse trainers began using diuretics that caused racehorses to shed as much as 10 pounds before a race.  I have worked with extremely committed people in non-profits …

Culture, Leadership, Values
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