Throughout a facilitated session, you use three parking boards to track important information: The "decisions list" identified decisions or recommendations made by the group during the session. The “issues list” included topics that need to be discussed later in the session or entirely outside the session. The "actions list" documented actions to be performed sometime after the completion of the session. At the end of the meeting, review all three parking boards, starting with the decisions list.

To help determine your organization’s goals, utilize a visualization exercise that guides the team through a scenario ten or more years into the future. The scenario should paint a picture in which the organization is achieving tremendous success. The visualization should help participants see what was accomplished, how it was accomplished, and how customers, employees, competitors, and any other significant stakeholders view the organization.

Rockstar’s reputation may hang in the balance With Grand Theft Auto V claiming the record for not only the fastest-selling video game but also the fastest-selling entertainment product of all time, creator Rockstar North is in crisis management mode as it prepares its servers to handle millions more players than expected at the launch of its …

Should I take this offer or wait for a better one? Should we go with the candidate who has the most experience or the one who needs seasoning but has fire in the belly? Do we purchase n a new computer system now or wait until the next fiscal year? Over the years, as an …

CFC Special Events & Resources In my July 11th post I talked about what a “culture of philanthropy” is, and the value of establishing one in your non-profit. The point is that CFC workplace giving campaigns provide many opportunities that smart non-profits can use as a “practice field” for many aspects of professional development, including …

Instead all of us feel targeted. We have a bullseye on our backs. I thought the “do-not-call-list” was bad enough to put telemarketers on notice to leave us alone. We can mark unwanted emails as spam. We can ignore ads on Facebook, MySpace, Google Plus and many more personal social networks. We can still see …

Maybe you have always dreaded public speaking. Maybe you have convinced yourself you are no good at it, and never will be. Maybe you have resigned yourself to suffering through a series of painful speaking experiences. Let’s stop right there. Because it doesn’t have to be that way. You can get better, maybe much better. …

Here’s a suggested framework from my colleague Jim Kucher (founder/managing director, Income for Outcomes). This reminds me of our earlier blog about social enterprise sound bites. That blog can be seen at: https://management.org/blogs/social-enterprise/2013/04/18/top-10-social-enterprise-sound-bites/ Here’s what Jim wrote: A viable social enterprise must have: • A viable social change theory (what makes you think you can …

A Crisis Management Case Study: When Meals Go Bad USDA and meat industry ignoring massive warning signs A pilot program meant to more rapidly identify contamination in the plants which process the meat we eat on a daily basis has been an utter failure, yet still may be implemented as the USDA standard. The Washington …

Your knowledge stars or SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) are your most important assets when it comes to getting the information you need to fulfill your requirements documents or any other documents that are being written. They will supply you with all the information needed to understand the product or processes, and teach you to be …