Rebecca – Page 47 – Reimagine. Strategy.

May 3, 2019May 3, 2022

Truly Collaborative. True Leadership

I’ve recently talking to a whole bunch of people re: how best to strengthen addictions services in Waterloo Region (about an hour west of Toronto) for an organization called House of Friendship (HoF).

Throughout the project, people have been talking excitedly about a new, much-needed space scheduled to open this July that will house HoF’s residential treatment services, day treatment programming and counselling for people concerned about their substance use.

Yesterday morning, I saw a Tweet about a fire at the construction site of that new facility. The cause of the early morning blaze is still under investigation, but the damage is extensive.

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April 22, 2019May 3, 2022

Don’t Be The Hero

We all know that person who likes to make things about them, don’t we? The one who turns the spotlight on himself, even at someone else’s party. The one who can talk for hours about her favourite topic: her. I don’t want to be that kind of facilitator.

April 8, 2019May 3, 2022

Wondering About Ground Rules? Here’s an Option.

I recently taught a full-day course on Nimble Facilitation at the IAP2 Skills Symposium in Ottawa. As we reflected on the day, several participants noted one particular tool as their highlight, so I thought I’d share it here.

I often get asked how I handle ground rules in a group setting. And/or how I handle people who talk too much. My full answer is longer than you’d like to read here, but I can offer this tip:

Treat people as responsible adults.

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March 25, 2019May 3, 2022

Collaboration in Service of Something

I have worked with two clients recently who listed “collaboration” in their strategy documents, in one instance as a goal and in the other as a core program/service. In both cases, I was curious about the why behind that choice. What value are they getting or offering from collaboration that would cause it to feature so prominently in their strategy? And how we can ensure its value is truly outweighing its costs? Even more than that, is collaboration an end in itself?

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March 11, 2019May 3, 2022

Leaders as Decision Making Coaches

I am honoured today to welcome our first guest blogger to Wiser Decisions Faster.

Jan Gaysek worked as a corporate facilitator for Fortune 500 firms for more than 30 years, helping executive teams collaborate well. She specialized in the articulation and execution of corporate vision, facilitating high stakes sessions with challenging goals, differing opinions and a shortage of time. In her retirement, she is enjoying life in St. Maarten while doing occasional executive coaching.