WORKSHOPS BY CATHEY BROWN

The Art of Facilitation

Effective facilitation is an art!  The successful facilitator is flexible and observant, accepting and affirming, and can listen and lead while bringing a group of often diverse opinions to an agreed upon solution or plan of action---sometimes in 30 minutes or less!  The need for effective facilitation is not limited to just one type of group or setting and can involve a large group of people or just two to three people.  Sometimes the situation may be a formal one-other times it may be informal.  No matter the number of people involved or the type of setting there is no doubt that the effectiveness of the facilitator can have a profound impact on the outcome of the meeting, situation or counseling group.      

Participants will be given the opportunity to explore their personal facilitation skills and identify areas that need enhancement or new skills they need to acquire.  Participants will be able to:  identify settings or situations in which facilitation would be beneficial; identify what the role of the facilitator is and is not; assess the level of expertise they possess for 2 to 3 facilitation skills they currently have; and, acquire 2 to 3 new facilitation skills.

Developing Capable Leaders

When nonprofit leaders are asked what some of their major concerns are repeatedly they will say “organizational capacity” – attracting and maintaining a viable workforce, effective teams, leadership development, etc.   When our sector does not have strong, well run organizations then the services we provide cannot be as effective as they need to be.  Everyone in an organization, regardless of their job “title” or position, is both a leader and a follower.  Leadership style is a person’s unique way of influencing others to work toward goals.  While individuals can demonstrate a variety of leadership styles, most have a dominant style they feel comfortable using.  The objective of this session is to assist participants as they gain awareness of their leadership style, to appreciate the importance of “followership” and to discuss how both impact the success of any organization. 

Stress for Success

Stress is a universal and naturally occurring phenomenon in humans. Recent epidemiological research indicates marked increases in stress-related diseases as a result of life styles saturated with excessive stress and chronic tension. Burnout, heart attacks, ulcers, decreased productivity, relational problems, depression, loneliness, cynicism are frequent symptoms of chronic stress that adversely affect us personally, professionally, and physically.

While stress cannot be eliminated, we can learn to deal with it effectively to maximize our potential. Participants will be able to: identify the stressors in their lives and understand how these stressors affect them; identify and practice a variety of effective coping strategies; and, identify ways to cope effectively with stress as a team.

The Resilient Organization - Applying Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) Principles to Nonprofit Organizations

In today’s world of uncertainty and rapid change there are inevitable “risks” associated with successfully fulfilling the mission of nonprofit organizations and community coalitions.  Leaders, and the organizations they lead, must be resilient and not lose sight of what is truly “important” in their rush to address the many demands of the “urgent”.  They must be able to face reality with courage, find meaning in hardship and improvise when faced with seemingly impossible obstacles.

The goal of this workshop is to apply resiliency research and methodologies to enhance and strengthen the capacity of leaders and their organizations, moving them beyond survival to significance and sustainability.  The principles of Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) are used as a template for assessing organizational capacity and developing strategies for continued relevance and success. 

Participants will be able to define how key components of the SPF can be applied to sustain and renew their organization/coalition; assess the current capacity for sustaining the work of the organization/coalition; and select and apply the best strategies for developing and implementing a sustainability plan.

Achieving Results = Asking the Right Questions

In today’s competitive environment coalitions and organizations know that “good intentions” by themselves are not enough.  What counts are results!

Self assessment and meaningful planning are important components to achieving success and this requires that we ask the right, sometimes simple, questions to address what we are doing, why we are doing it and what we must do to improve performance and achieve maximum results.  Planning is just an “event” but rather a continuous process of strengthening what works; making risk-taking decisions based on knowledge; setting objectives; appraising performance and results through feedback; and making ongoing adjustments as conditions change. 

In reality though, simple questions can prove to be the hardest to answer.  They cause us to make honest and sometimes painful self-assessments.  Peter Drucker, management guru of the 20th century said “Answers are important; you need answers because you need action.  But the most important thing is to ask these questions.”

1. What is our mission? 2) Who is our customer? 3) What does the customer value?  4)  What are our results?  5)  What is our plan?

This workshop will provide participants with the tools and resources they can immediately use and adapt to help them remain relevant and sustainable with measurable results.  By matching opportunities with competence and commitment, organizations can have a greater impact in their community resulting in the most important result of all—changed lives.

The Leaders of Tomorrow Today

Study after study confirms what conventional wisdom tells us—the majority of nonprofit leaders of today will not be here tomorrow (tomorrow being defined as the next 5 to 7 years.)  Current leadership positions in nonprofits are predominantly filled with members of the Baby Boom generation who will continue to transition into other types of work or retirement leaving a “leadership deficit” over the next decade that creates one of the biggest challenges facing the social sector today. 

What are the generational similarities and differences in leadership?  How can we be more proactive in promoting younger leaders?  What steps must we take to create good endings and new beginnings?   We will examine what research tells us, reflect on core tried and true principles, challenge our assumptions,  and define actions we can take today for the sake of the leaders and organizations of tomorrow.

Participants will be able to understand the impact of having 4 generations working at the same time within their organization; identify what organizations can do to develop future leaders; and, identify what individuals can do to take responsibility for their own leadership development.

Hurt, Hope & Healing – Chemical Dependency and Its Impact on the Family

In an addicted family, children are usually the first to be hurt and the last to be helped and yet they are at the highest risk for repeating the cycle of addiction.  In the mid to late 80's through the early 90's "children of alcoholics" was a "hot topic" with numerous conferences, workshops, etc. on the subject.  But, just because we don't see as much about the issue, the number of children impacted by their parent's substance abuse has not decreased nor have the issues they face become any easier to cope with.  Professionals working in both treatment and prevention need to be educated about the progression of the disease and its impact on the family.

Participants will be able to articulate the disease concept of alcoholism and other addictions; identify appropriate strategies and techniques for engaging children from addicted families in the healing process; identify current resources available and how they and/or their organization can assist families touched by addiction.

Leadership Style-Preventing Heartaches and Headaches in Your Organization

Everyone in an organization, regardless of their job “title” or level, is both a leader and a follower.  Leadership style is a person’s unique way of influencing others to work toward goals.  Individuals can demonstrate a variety of leadership styles, but most have a dominant style they feel comfortable using.  The objective of this session is assisting participants in gaining awareness of their leadership style, to appreciate the importance of “followership” and to discuss how both impact the success of any organization.  This session is appropriate for all professionals and volunteers in a community based organization who want to examine, develop and/or enhance their personal leadership and followership styles.

The Resilient Leader

Resiliency is defined as the capacity to spring back, rebound and successfully adapt in the face of adversity.  Resiliency is a way of facing and understanding the world.  It is a process, not a fixed, concrete state of being, and it can be learned and enhanced.  In today’s world of uncertainty and the inevitable “risks” associated with successfully fulfilling the mission of non-profit organizations, leaders must be resilient. Resilient leaders and organizations face reality with courage, find meaning in hardship and improvise when faced with seemingly impossible obstacles.  Resilient leadership is as much about “being” and “knowing” as it is “doing.” 

The goal of this workshop is to apply resiliency research and methodologies to enhance and strengthen the capacity of nonprofit leaders and the organizations they lead.  It is about moving beyond “survival” to successful significance.  Five core competencies and their subsequent “major messages” will be discussed in this interactive, informative and fun session:

• I AM – Self awareness and identification of leadership skills and core competencies
• I CAN – Identification of what is on the horizon and boundaries that exist or need to exist
• I HAVE – Examination of resources and abilities to “connect” for strength
• I WILL – Exploration of solution and improvisation skills
• I BELIEVE – Identification of goals and a belief in self and others for a successful future

“Being” Who You Are – “Doing” What You Do

Many professionals are “drawn” to the non-profit sector because they want to make a difference or address a need.  They may have experienced personal pain and want to help others suffering from the same kind of experience.  There are many motivations and many individuals with varied skills making up prevention workforce.  Some of the questions that will be explored as a group and individually include: 

• Why are some who choose to work in prevention effective and others seem to have difficulty finding their way?
•  Why do so many begin with high energy and expectations leave in a few years tired, discouraged and burned out? 
• How can organizations attract and maintain a viable workforce who can meet the many demands placed on them? 
• How do we cope with the constant changes our field faces?
•  How do we as caring and dedicated professionals maintain a healthy balance in our lives and “be” who we are while we “do” our jobs? 

Using didactic and experiential methods, participants will be given the opportunity to explore their motivations and identify steps they can take to answer the “call” while maintaining a healthy balance in their lives.

Contact to learn more!

Click here to see Cathey's full vitae