LEt's make things happen together

I like to collaborate with individuals and teams to make sense out of complexity and turn uncertainty into action. 

see yourself from a new perspective

I work with executives to help them learn more about themselves and become more reflective and effective leaders. Coaching provides people with a unique opportunity to see themselves in a new light and to gain insight into their strengths and their opportunities for growth. I have experience with both non-profit and for-profit organizations, and I provide assessment services as part of my coaching engagements. 

My style is collaborative and supportive, but also action-oriented. I approach my work with empathy, creativity and the understanding that change and personal development is not always easy. My job is to guide clients along that journey with both compassion and momentum while also keeping in mind the bigger picture of their organizational system and its unique challenges. 

I offer a complimentary 30 minute consultation for prospective new clients. 

Get in touch to talk about executive coaching

going places together

Does your organization have a problem to solve? An agenda to develop and share? A team that needs to collaborate more effectively? A vision to clarify and articulate? Messy questions that need to be addressed? 

The best ideas and solutions are almost certainly going to come from within your team, from the people already sitting around the table. You just need a little help bringing them to the surface.

That's where a facilitator comes in. 

I have experience facilitating groups and teams using a wide range of creative modalities designed to keep everyone around the table active and engaged in the conversation. I work collaboratively with my clients to understand their unique organization and to design an experience that will be memorable, enriching, and well-aligned with the objectives. I am based in the Boston area, but am available to travel as my schedule allows.

Sample Topics and Workshops:

• Board retreats
• Building (or rebuilding) trust on a team
• Strategy sessions
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Asking better questions
• Immunity to Change
• Applying design thinking to organizational challenges
• Communication
• Aligning expectations
• Accountability practices
• Designing dynamic meetings
• Creativity and innovation

The science

The LEGO® Serious Play® methodology is based on concepts from organizational development, psychology and learning. It is anchored in research that reveals the deep connection between the hands and the brain. The working memory of the brain can only handle so much information at any given time, but motor skills are controlled by a different part of the brain altogether. When you build, you are essentially activating areas of the brain that aren't accessible if you're just thinking before you speak. 

To learn more about the science behind LEGO® Serious Play®, download this document, by my teacher Robert Rasmussen.

The Experience

Participants in LEGO® Serious Play® will find that, no matter the context, the process is always the same. We begin with a question, take time to build something in response, gather to share the answers and then spend some time reflecting. Even when building a shared model, the process always begins with individual construction. This ensures 100% participation from everyone around the table and also provides invaluable time to think (and build) before answering the question at hand. Full participation and thoughtful responses create an accelerated path to discovery and consensus. LEGO® Serious Play® is a democratic process where the goal is for every participant to be able to commit to the outcomes. 

It's creative and it's fun, but it's also challenging and effective.  

The Bricks

LEGO® Serious Play® uses special sets of bricks and other elements that have been selected and tested for this methodology. Materials are priced separately from facilitation, and can be priced to keep or for one-time use, depending on your preferences and your budget. 

The Applications

LEGO® Serious Play® can be used for a wide range of different applications. It was designed for smaller groups of 2-12 people, but can be adapted for one-on-one use and for larger groups. It is appropriate for situations where there's a question or challenge that doesn't have a clear-cut answer, and there's genuine interest in hearing and incorporating multiple perspectives. Here are some examples of organizational challenges that are well-suited to LEGO® Serious Play®:

• Team building
• Business development
• Branding/Identity
• Strategic planning
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Change management
• Turnarounds & restructuring
• Communication
• Innovation
• Shared Values
• Process Design

Contact me today to set up a complimentary consultation to discuss how LEGO® Serious Play® could help your organization.

let's Make a plan

Gathering Design is just what it sounds like: it's applying design principles to gatherings. Whether you're hosting a 2-hour board meeting or a 2-day workshop, design and planning are instrumental for success and engagement. The process starts with articulating and clarifying objectives, identifying (and often interviewing) stakeholders and understanding what the conveners and the participants are looking to get out of the experience. Then, I collaborate with my clients in an iterative process to design an agenda that will get you where you want to go, with everyone in the room thinking, participating and contributing. My Gathering Design services are available either in combination with Facilitation services or independently.

Get in touch to talk about Gathering Design