Group Facilitation
The “power of we” is unleashed when a group of people is expertly guided toward a common aim. Anne Kaye leads Gateway’s facilitation practice. She believes successful sessions are based on:
• A shared understanding of the desired outcome and the needs and preferences of the attendees
• A session design that reflects a deep knowledge of group dynamics and applies the appropriate tools and techniques at the appropriate time
• A facilitation style that supports the group’s work by minimizing intervention and editorial comment
• Clearly documented output
Anne uses Group Facilitation as a core tool in Solution Design as well as providing it as a stand-alone service.
Here are some examples of sessions Anne has led:
Visioning Sessions
Developing the vision statement for a provincial government’s operational region
The session noticeable reignited the passion of the group. The vision statement was broadly distributed staff, clients and service providers and was referenced in all key regional communications.
Refocusing the vision and strategic direction of a down-town eastside agency
Anne’s work with this group resulted in a significant redefinition of the organization’s direction and approach.
Articulating the vision, mission, and mandate with a newly formed environmental group
The work enabled the diverse group of local government, not-for-profits and developers to form a cohesive team
Strategic Planning Sessions
Building a three year plan for a social services agency
Including the pre-analysis, planning, facilitation and documentation providing a solid framework to guide the efforts of both Board and staff.
Creating and updating a living strategy for a wholesaler of beauty products
The company more than quadrupled its sales during the period Anne worked with them
Tactical Plans
Facilitation of many sessions for a range of clients to achieve specific outcomes such as:
• Communicate progress against a strategic plan
• Translate 600,000 words from English to French
• Win the rights to sell a new product line
• Re-brand a website
• Issue a Request For Proposal for a multi-million dollar project
• Train 1000 staff across BC in the use of new technology
Time-line Planning Using a Visual Wall-Calendar
Many of these sessions enabled organizations to breakthrough issues that were preventing progress and allowed them to make key decisions for example:
• It enabled a large, outdoor retailer to recognize the need to postpone the planned roll-out date of their e-retail website to mitigate risk to the organization.
• It resulted in a significant shift in priorities for a software implementation, and gave the rationale for hiring additional staff for a Provincial Government Authority.
• It focused attention on the need to redefine the scope of a financial institution’s planned intranet redevelopment. Facilitation of a many sessions to establish project time lines, for example:
Requirements Gathering
For a Provincial Government ministry
Attended by groups of subject matter experts in the field of Youth Services. The work had a long-term focus as the basis for selecting new technology and also resulted in short-term improvements in the current business processes.
With four non-profit agencies, government representatives and software vendors
The work resulted in the diverse group’s agreement to move forward with the acquisition and implementation of a shared system.
Blended Facilitation and Training Sessions
Workshop-style facilitated session on recruiting and retaining skilled volunteers for the not-for-profit sector
The workshop enabled a diverse group of executive directors and volunteer coordinators to better understand the motivation and needs of skilled volunteers and to use this knowledge to promote and recruit. After the workshop, one of the attendees reported getting ten times the number of volunteers than usual by using the techniques developed by the group.
One-on-one coaching to develop a senior executive’s presentation skills
Anne used the Focused Conversation Method to help the Director to review and reflect on the elements of successful presentations, and then to design a presentation to gain the understanding and support of her staff for important strategic changes.