Facilitating Boards of Trustees

“Hi Amanda! Are you available to facilitate two strategy days for us?  We are putting together a new business plan and I was hoping to get all our managers and Trustees together and you to help us devise a new strategy.  You would be great as you have such a good understanding of the peculiarities of the organisation and you have the gift of getting people to engage!”

I have worked with two great registered charities by facilitating their board and staff away days this year.

The programme involved looking at new ideas and plans for next year and included time for staff and trustees to get to know each other.  Boards often only see their Chief Executives so bringing everyone together worked out extremely well in increasing understanding, motivating and inspiring everyone, reaffirming the goals and mission together and forging relationships between strategic decision makers and “doers”.

Here’s what made these days work:

• Fun, laughter, enjoying the day together.
• The environment – we worked in a place that helped people think creatively, that had space to accommodate “moving about” activities as well as sitting down and talking.
• Great food – people had lunch together, had nice tea and home made cake.
• Planning – I worked with the Chief Executive to make sure the day was planned and tailored and I understood their unique set up and the “personalities” involved.
• Team building – I took time to weave in activities where people got to know each other, making sure group discussions were mixed and balanced.
• Creative activities and experiential learning – discussion was important, after all we were looking at strategy and business planning, but I facilitated using creative tasks, exercises and energisers.
• Action Planning – time was built in for drawing up actions and next steps.
• Review – ending on a collective, positive activity where everyone had a say in how the day went for them.

See my VIDEO page where @IanBurks talks about how I have worked with him and the East Surrey YMCA Board of Trustees.

Get in touch if you would like me to facilitate your Board Away Day.