Strategic Planning...Looks Like...

This is what it looks like from my perspective when people engage in strategic planning or visioning...dreams abound and there is no going back...

Strategic planning can be fun and engaging, sure it is work too,..but you get out of it what you put into it. Having fun along the way is an intentional strategy to help everyone participate and engage. You can do this, just send an e-mail and let's get started...take the first step.

Tools For Facilitation

What's in your toolkit?

One size does not fit all when it comes to facilitation, especially when facilitating strategic planning for organizations run and organized primarily by volunteers with a wide variety of experiences and expertise. A flexible facilitator will use many tools to create a framework to inspire innovation.

One strategy is to help the participants involved in the strategic planning sessions look for ways to strengthen the assets of the organization and then use those strengths and assets to create opportunities - there are so many great and fun methods of eliciting that information and once the ideas are on the table or the boards...the planning group has a place from which to launch and move forward. For more info on how to use this tool follow this link: Looking at Strengths and Opportunities

Word clouds are a great way of identifying
key concepts, or strengths of an organization

I like using a chart that looks at strengths and opportunities as a means of identifying gaps in services and assets that can be used to fill those gaps. This is just one of the many tools facilitators can use in strategic planning - what's in your toolkit? Or what exercise have you participated in that created an ah-ha moment?

TIP: Looking for the strengths of an organization to be shared in a visual manner? Ask members of your organization to share words that describe how they perceive or feel about the organization and then put those words into a word cloud. Super easy and fun and the words with the most repetition are sized proportionately.

Build Your Capacity to Lead Effective and Productive Meetings

A few tools to help keep your
 meeting on-time

A new article has been added to the series - see below...

Want to know how to run a meeting efficiently?
Do you want your meetings to be more productive?
Tired of the same people always hijacking the company meeting?
Interested in strategies for delegating in meetings?

I am writing a series of guides related to facilitation for those who  volunteer or get volunteered to facilitate a meeting or group: Are you

• a volunteer board chair;
• small group leader;
• leading your organization's strategic planning?

Send in your questions or dilemmas and let's develop strategies for you to build facilitation capacity. Looking forward to getting your questions. Your can send them to me in a variety of ways: use the e-mail link on the left, post them in the comments section below or send them to me via LinkedIn or Twitter @KathyStutzman - you pick the medium and let's get your questions answered.

To follow the facilitation series visit: Kathy Stutzman Facilitation Hubs

Dealing with Participants who are Overwhelmed in Meetings
Crafting an Agenda for Successful Meetings

A new article has been added to the series:

Re-framing threats and weaknesses into opportunities

Irrational Optimist...That's Me

Seeing it in print makes me smile

Last week at the writers’ workshop with #1 New York Times Best Selling author, Grant Blackwood, I soaked up everything I could about writing, publishing and being successful in "the business" of writing. Grant was inspiring, engaging and generous with his wisdom - I am still percolating many of the lessons he shared.

One concept that he shared at the beginning of the workshop was that of the necessity of being an irrational optimist, and I am certain that it was at that moment I was hooked. I could relate. The terminology and related discussion resonated with me to my core. I am an irrational optimist. I have always been an irrational optimist. I believe that anything is possible and dreams will become reality; yes, there is work involved, but that is the journey we take on to achieve the goal and that journey is so much more enjoyable when faced as an irrational optimist.

I am all in as an irrational optimist…and anything is possible.

The Characters Were Joining Me In The Workshop

Grant Blackwood,
#1 New York Times Best Selling Author

Writing can often be a lonely and crazy-making job, albeit, always interesting. The words come and go when I send the finished piece of work to its next destination, especially when working on projects that are 2,000 words or less; a blog article, an evaluation, proposal, report or short story for someone else.

When I afford myself the luxury of working on my own writing, the words stay with me a little longer as they percolate, get re-written and morph into an article, story or book. I become immersed in what I am writing and perhaps that is what has kept me from setting aside time to work on a suspense novel that has been sitting in my "idea pile" for several years. And now, thanks to #1 New York Times Best Selling Author Grant Blackwood  I can no longer ignore the thriller that is screaming to be written, for some of the characters began coming to life during a writer's workshop I attended taught by Grant.

"Out of Chaos" a Thank You

How many people does it take?

The Rotarian Magazine article is now available..."Out of Chaos. How do you help girls in Ghana escape poverty? You listen." - from the August 2014 edition by Diana Schoberg.

Today is about gratitude. Last week while I was riding my bicycle across the State of Iowa at RAGBRAI (the Register's Great Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa) The Rotarian Magazine published Out of Chaos an article about the work I have been engaged in with a cadre of people in Ghana with Street Girls Aid.

Thank you

So many people made this possible that there is no way to individually recognize everyone and so I feel compelled to share an umbrella thank you for absolutely everyone who has listened to the stories, heard about the processes, purchased goods, supported the process by donating material goods, funds, prayers, well-wishes, advise, a shoulder to lean on, a word of encouragement, to those who listened patiently and questioned to help develop a stronger process, and to those who will continue to develop and encourage and support - thank you, thank you, thank you.

To those known and unknown supporters, an important understanding in the indicators of success in capacity building is knowing that we must be detached from the outcome, because the impact and ripple effect of an individual's impact is so much greater than anything anyone of us can envision and hold on to. See my TEDx talk about capacity building for more information.  Know that your personal investment in this process has played an important role in this story.

There are a few people whose sacrifices and passion require a "shout-out" related to this article and I will gladly recognize:

5 Strategies to Boost Your Confidence

A critical component for confidence

Up and Over; Five Strategies to Boost Your Confidence

Struggling with confidence? Tired of self-defeating thoughts taking over every cell of your being? In a slump looking for a boost to get you back on track? We’ve all been there so know that you are in good company. No matter the origins of the loss of self-esteem or confidence, stress or case of the blahs it is critical to take charge to move up and over through a difficult time. While it would be great to think about someone else coming in and saving the day, helping you feel better, make you feel worthy, this boost to your confidence starts with you. And you can do it.

Below are 5 strategies from my e-book Up and Over; Boost Your Confidence When None is to be Found,