We know organizations, like organisms, need to grow and adapt. Breathing Space dialogues open the space for an organization to not only build on organizational strengths and values, but also allows people surface the inclusive consensus regarding your next steps. Weaving everyone’s voice together releases creative momentum for the group in a refreshing, zesty, diversity-embracing way. Opening the space for inclusive consensus helps your organization move forward as one contiguous whole, instead of in the clod-hoppered, limping way that most decisions based on “buy-in” rely—- with a handful of leaders dragging everyone along, trading compliance for meaningful commitment.
No matter which service you need to navigate your next steps together, these values will be anchored in your facilitation design and implementation. Continue scrolling for insight about how I can support:
- board development
- strategic planning
- staff development
- continuous improvement
Boards and board members often need tools to learn to stand back and take in the entire picture of the organization’s health, to make the shift from management to governance. Based on my experience leading organizations through times of crisis and transition, I can provide board members the tools to do the following:
- develop tools and systems to recruit and on-board new directors
- strengthen executive director evaluation & feedback processes
- identify measures and data visualizing tools to help measure the overall health of the organization
- enhance the processes of Policy Governance
- plan for transitions and the future
If you organizational values align with what I offer, I can be reached at maryo@mudsong.net.
Testimonials from Mary’s colleagues on the Harmony Food Coop Board:
The Harmony Coop Board is the most rewarding board I’ve served on. With Mary’s coordinating and leadership skills our work is focused, positive, participatory, and productive. I look forward to the meetings knowing that the board and my service make a real difference! ~ Sharon Fruetel
I have served on and under many Boards of Directors. I have never in all those decades had the pleasure of serving with such a well engaged Board. I give Mary Overlie most of the credit for this. Her coordination and collaboration skills are simply amazing.~ Danna Farabee
I have been on several Boards over several decades as a professional. Being on the Harmony Food Coop Board has been a truly enjoyable and learning experience. Mary is an exceptional Chair, providing the environment for synergy, forward and creative movement and true respect for each Board member’s input. – Jan Guggenheimer
You will not have a, “Boring Board Meeting” with Mary. The meeting will be enjoyable ,positive, and forward thinking. Not to mention, start on time, end on time, and getting something accomplished ! Amazing! ~Tom Staker, Treasurer
I can’t believe board meetings can be so productive and sustaining. How can I spend two hours at a board meeting and come away energized? ~ Rita Chamblin
Breathing Space strategic planning distinguishes itself from other strategic planning models in two key aspects:
- The ideas builds from the diverse array of perspectives in any given leadership team to create a plan that is supported by the momentum of authentic commitment.
- The process culminates in a concrete, measurable calendar of events to ensure the team stays the course in working toward their vision.
Over the course of the equivalent of 2 days, leadership teams of up to 40 stakeholders move through these stages of the strategic planning process.
- Casting a practical vision for the next 3-5 years
- Identifying organizational practices that create barriers to that vision
- Crafting strategic directions that directly address the barriers to release the potential energy of the vision
- Designing an implementation process and 1st year calendar of actions and accountability measures.
If you organizational values align with what I offer, I can be reached at maryo@mudsong.net.
Using the principles of authentic consensus, I’ve helped organizations empower staff to:
- develop their own rubrics and measures of evaluation and assessment
- harness their own values and ideas to implement new programs and initiatives
- coach teachers in best practices in
- math
- strengths-based classroom management
- practices that foster resiliency
- standards-based curriculum alignment and development
- PLCs & data teams
I help teams embrace the understanding that implementation is the relationship between the WHAT you hope to achieve and the HOW of getting it done. With that in mind, Breathing Space continuous improvement dialogues help teams not only create action plans based on new, innovative ideas, but also equip them with the measurement processes that can ensure the work is done.
A given continuous improvement dialogue typically follows this pattern:
- an in-depth review of both statistical and reflective, experiential data
- an energized visioning session
- an examination of both internal & external assets and constraints
- a coordinated calendar of key actions
- a set of measurement tools and processes that gets embedded into the action calendar
If you organizational values align with what I offer, I can be reached at maryo@mudsong.net.