Tired of boring, frustrating and unproductive meetings?
Stop struggling to lead better meetings
Stop letting poor meetings delay your progress
Start getting better results!
Group leadership skills can be learned!
Our practical and interactive workshops can
help you make your world better
by changing your meetings -- for good!
We help leaders plan and/or lead meetings, workshops and events with skill and confidence
Make your next meeting
more efficient, engaging and effective!
Do you need a quick way to
capture the big picture and choose next steps?
Here's a resource that can also help you
-- Identify leverage points
-- Help your team appreciate each other
-- Quickly adapt during times of change
Do it with a group or on your own
Photo credits: Marcy Fortnow (left) and moi (right)
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS and COURSES
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Beyond Bob -- Practicing Alternatives to Robert's Rules
What are some of the good intentions and limitations of Robert's Rules? What can be done instead? Experience some alternatives that you can use, whether your organization specifies using Robert's Rules or not.
After presenting this live at the Minnesota Council of Non-Profit's annual conference, Daryl Yankee and I have decided to offer a slightly longer version online.
Save the date for now, Monday November 6th at noon Central US time. Registration will open in October. In the meantime, you can help shape this session by filling out this short survey about what rules your group uses to run its meetings.
Clean Language and Servant Leadership -- Friday, October 20th, 8:30 to 10 AM US Central Time
Servant leaders seek to lead by providing strong support to their employees. Above all, servant leadership involves listening. Clean Language provides questions and a way of asking them that enable leaders to better listen to what their people are saying and needing.
I'm guiding an introductory session on Clean Language for the UW Madison Servant Leadership community of practice on Friday October 20th. Anyone interested in Clean Language or servant leadership is welcome. Send me an email and I'll send you the link when it becomes available.
Save the date! Transitions and New Beginnings Retreat, April 5-7, 2024
Change happens. We change jobs, careers and move. We experience illness, empty nests, deaths of loved ones. Join us as we explore ways to move through transitions toward new beginnings, with conversation, movement, intuitive art (no talent needed) and more. Details and registration will come later this fall.
SCHEDULE THESE FOR YOUR GROUP
Grow and Let Go with the Ecocycle
Living things – including projects and organizations – are in a constant flow of growth and renewal. The Ecocyle can help you view, organize, and prioritize what you are doing now and identify obstacles and opportunities for progress. Schedule this workshop for your group.
Quick (and fun!) Planning
Align your organization toward united action! In less time that you'd think possible, you can both draft a Why-focused mission statement and gain new insights on how to implement your Why in 2023.
In two 90 minute sessions and with a couple more sessions with your group, you can draft the essentials of a strategic plan that is both structured and flexible. Book a short meeting to work out the details.
RestUP workshop
Being well-rested isn't just about getting a good night's sleep! In this 90 minute workshop, you'll learn about the seven types of rest, experience several of them and make a plan for getting just a little more rest. If you are interested in hosting a RestUp workshop tailored to your group, contact RestUP.
Simple and Effective Ways to Increase Engagement
In 60 to 90 minutes, your group will experience three versatile easy-to-learn activities that will increase participation in your meetings. You choose the topic! Set up a time to discuss what you want your group to do.
Do you find it hard to get people to participate in your online meetings?
Photo credit: Kristian Angelo on Unsplash
BOARD RETREATS
Does your non-profit board need a jump start or some time away from urgent business? An online or in-person retreat could help your board move forward with more clarity, connection and purpose.
A pre-retreat assessment will help you identify your board's strengths and areas for improvement. Each board retreat covers the basics of board governance and one or two bottlenecks chosen by your board leaders. We end by co-creating a list of next steps which will move your board forward.
If interested in breaking through your board's bottleneck, contact us.
I'm Barb Bickford.
I help leaders who struggle to lead meetings
and are frustrated with the results of their meetings
Through my consulting and teaching, I help them work
more collaboratively and get more done in less time
Together, we can make your meetings
more efficient, effective, engaging and even fun!
Curious about what I often use?
Learn about my approach to consulting
As a former staff scientist in the public sector, I saw how
poorly-led meetings led to lackluster results,
top-down decisions could be challenged, delayed or sabotaged by people who felt left out, and
fear of conflict kept people from sharing their best ideas.
This created a lot of unnecessary stress and, frankly,
our mission and our health suffered too
What the lack of effective collaboration
is doing to your mission and to you
just isn't right!