Collaborative Leadership with Donna Ching

Donna's reputation preceded my participation in her workshop. During our operational planning meeting the week before I attended the Collaborative Leadership workshop, I heard people refer to Donna and her methods more than once. Needless to say, my expectations were high, and Donna exceeded all of them.

What I learned:

• Because information is readily available to anyone today, not just folks at the top of an organization, everyone wants a say in how that information will impact them. That's why collaborative leadership is more important today than ever before.
• There is more buy-in and a commitment to success from people who are given a voice and a vote on decisions.
• It's all about Content & Process: WHAT will be accomplished and HOW will the group accomplish it?
• There are lots of great tools and strategies to employ for the process; it's important to choose the right tool for the task.
• Know the OUTCOMES you want to see at the end of the meeting. 
• Carefully plan your meetings. This means taking into consideration everything from location and time to people's expectations and how they are affected by the decisions being made.

We were also given an excellent manual that we can use as a reference the next time we're in the position of facilitating a meeting where important decisions will be made. Whew. What a relief to have these tools and to feel prepared with practical skills for collaborative leadership. I give Donna's workshop two thumbs up!

A hui hou,
Robin