Imagine a meeting that inspires honest conversation and transformative change on both personal and organizational levels. A meeting where everyone’s input is genuinely valued and appreciated—one that leads to deeper, more meaningful conversations among colleagues and across organizational levels.

Sound like a pipe dream? It’s not. I’ve facilitated hundreds of such meetings, and the ahas and breakthroughs are as rewarding to me as they are to the participants.

A facilitator leads a group of people through (sometimes difficult) conversations to achieve a specific outcome with clear actions to take towards agreed upon goals. As an objective professional, I create safe, comfortable, encouraging environments and draw out the best from individuals to help them find their own solutions to move issues and situations forward. It’s a creative role, and often it means making “on the fly” agenda adjustments to keep the group focused on discussions that are generating the most value.

Thought provoking and effectively engaging facilitation

No matter how much a senior executive says he or she values honest feedback, they’re human too! Those in positions of less power may feel intimidated by those who hold power over their careers. Even when the CEO is the nicest person in the world, the subconscious perception that “this person can make or break my mortgage payment” can hinder authentic communication.