Last weekend I had the privilege of facilitating a strategy discussion for the national board of a large “household name” nonprofit which has engaged us to help chart its future course. People traveled from far and wide in order to spend the beautiful New York weekend locked in a meeting room struggling with weighty matters.
Prior to the meeting, our project team had conducted interviews, analyzed competitors, and undertaken all the usual supportive work that builds to a report on the current situation the organization faces. The previous weekend we had presented it to the strategic planning committee. Now it was time to see if the board would be on the same page with us, and more importantly, with one another.
As a consultant you think about how best to present your information, carefully gleaned and thoroughly analyzed, so that the board will see it for what you think it is. Still, you never know what reaction you are going to get. So, it came as a welcome surprise when, early in the discussion, we were urged to move beyond explaining the report to offering next steps. They were with us!
We tested the waters further through an exercise where I sketched out a half dozen possible recommendations that might emerge from the process, so the board could see where they was headed. I then asked each of the eighteen board members present to reflect on whether he or she was comfortable with that type of direction, if not necessarily the particular recommendation.
A few people raised a concern about one or another of these “trial balloon” recommendations, but the group was unanimous in urging us forward. It was an exciting and energizing mid-point in our process, and–as we emerged into the warm late summer evening–I think everyone–board, staff, and our team–felt like the time had been well-spent.
