Facilitating and Writing Strategic Plans with a DEI Emphasis
Well-designed strategic plans are a proven leadership strategy for organizational revitalization. Inclusive strategic plans engage all stakeholders to work toward common goals with specific outcomes. Professional facilitation of whole-system, nonprofit strategic plans with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion goals and workplans generate ownership, energy and commitment. Over time, organizations become permeated with a culture of belonging and respect.
Annual Planning Retreat Facilitation
We work with nonprofit leaders to design a diversity, equity, and inclusion retreat as an essential step in crafting a DEI strategic plan. We also facilitate annual planning and strategy retreats to refresh the mission, vision, goals and work plans for nonprofits.
Facilitating Respectful Dialogue in Polarized Settings
Facilitating gracious dialogue in troubled, polarized times requires emotional intelligence and a carefully crafted design. No matter the issue, facilitating respectful conversations is an art and skill. Mark Smutny will partner with you to design and facilitate a gracious, respectful dialogue on issues that matter to you and your community.
Workshops and Webinars on Inclusive Leadership Principles and Practices
Whether you are an experienced meeting facilitator or a newbie, our workshops and webinars equip you with practical tools for facilitating more inclusive meetings. You can expect highly engaging, practical webinars where you will practice your learnings and new techniques in real time. As you implement what you have gained in the series, your nonprofit will experience greater engagement, energy, productivity, and mission success.
Webinar topics include:
- The central role inclusion, belonging and engagement play in building strong nonprofits.
- How to assess your inclusive meeting leadership skills, identify strengths and develop a roadmap for improvement.
- How the principles of co-creation, co-intelligence and conversational leadership inform the value of using inclusive meeting practices.
- How to become mindful of the ways cultural assumptions about power and privilege, leadership, hierarchy, and communication shape the way meetings unfold, and how to adapt accordingly with tools and techniques that are respectful of differences.
- How nonprofit leaders can cultivate cultural and emotional intelligence to be more effective facilitators.
- How to use centering exercises, icebreakers and codes of conduct to build a culture of respect.
- How to craft meeting agendas that explicitly state how people will engage during the meeting.
- How to design meetings that engage everyone and stimulate creativity including Liberating Structures, World Café, and Open Space Technology.
- How to evaluate meetings for inclusion and engagement.
Coaching in nonprofit best practices
Mark Smutny has over thirty-five years experience leading effective nonprofit organizations. He uses and teaches best practices in board and leadership development, strategic change, diversity, equity and inclusion, and advocacy.
