Consensus is highly valued in group problem-solving and coming together for a common purpose to make decisions and plans. Following are comments by people who have been part of our consensus-based sessions.
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Submitted:
Mar 15, 2022
Shawn Partridge, Program Director, Family Violence Prevention, Muscogee Nation
Session attended: 3 days of strategic planning
Our team met with a few contractors/organizations to inquire about strategic planning services and we knew immediately that Indigenous Collaboration would be the best fit for us! Paul and Lesley are very personable, kind, funny and engaging and we connected with them right away! They were extremely attentive and responsive to ALL of our Tribe's/program's needs from the moment we began email communication about strategic planning services throughout the entire process. Our team THOROUGHLY enjoyed the three full days of working with Indigenous Collaboration and are still talking about the significant impact of our experience. Paul and Lesley are extremely creative and it was so refreshing to engage in strategic planning without having to stare at a power point or computer screen! The strategic planning process was very interactive with a variety of both individual, small and large group work with lots of moving around the work space which was critical to keeping everyone engaged and focused for the three full days! We highly recommend Indigenous Collaboration and cannot wait to work with them again in the future! MVTO (Thank you) Paul and Lesley!!
Submitted:
Nov 18, 2020
Faith Fennelly, Grants Manager, Newman's Own Foundation
Session attended: NOF Native American Nutrition Cohort - How Trauma Impacts the Work
Our experience with Indigenous Collaboration was phenomenal. We hired Lesley and Paul in early 2020 to facilitate a meeting with our Native American Nutrition cohort. The cohort follows a peer to peer learning model and consists of 9 organizations working across Indian Country on issues of fresh food access and food sovereignty. The group co-identified this meeting topic of trauma and how it informs the work they do. The meeting was initially scheduled for April in Minneapolis, but after COVID hit, we had to pivot to a virtual model. Given the delicate nature of this topic, we were concerned about how this meeting would translate to a virtual format. Lesley and Paul are master facilitators and so skillfully navigated this topic with extreme care and compassion. They created a feeling of intimacy and trust (even in a virtual setting) that was truly exceptional. There is an art to facilitation - and Lesley and Paul are both gifted with this talent. It was an absolute honor working with them.
Submitted:
Nov 05, 2020
Lynn Brave Heart, State of Minnesota Guardian Ad Litem Board, ICWA Liaison
Session attended: ICWA GAL Initiative Mission/Vision/Strategic Planning Oct 11-12, 25-27
Paul and Lesley really blew our minds! The level of intense engagement from everyone in attendance was incredible. Paul and Lesley created a safe and fun place for everyone to feel included and that we were allowed to really dream up a beautiful vision and realistic plan for the GAL Program in Minnesota to better serve our American Indian families who are involved in the Child Welfare systems across Minnesota. We feel energized, intentional and that we are all moving toward a succinct common vision. Great changes will be happening soon in the State of Minnesota! We are so grateful and humbled to have IC share their gifts and wisdom and help lead us to the knowledge we hold collectively. Lesley's humor is a huge strength and when we strayed off path or lost focus we were re-directed in positive way. If you are looking for professionals who are experts in strategic planning and who will make it fun and accessible to all levels of staff, look no further!!! They are amazing we couldn't be more thrilled at the work we achieved and the future! Pilameya Indigenous Collaboration!
Submitted:
Mar 12, 2020
Professional Volunteer
Session attended: We Are Still Here
Sidney did a great job with our Environment and Sacred Sites group of 30 or more. We were well lead, kept moving and sharing, and finished early! My small group of 3 then 4 worked well together. I listened rather than talked mostly as I am a Euro. At the end I had to read my elevator speech. It seemed to be well received, as were the others from our group. 1634 was my first indentured ancestor to Boston, who had a cabin on today's Harvard Square. Then took the Bay Path to Hartford CT as religious narrowness was as prevalent there as it had been in Braintree England. Their pastor was the Rev. Thomas Hooker. A "father of American Democracy."
Submitted:
Feb 21, 2020
Lincoln Cornshucker / Operations Coordinator @ IllumiNative
Session attended: Staff Retreat for IllumiNative
I found Lesley and Paul to be excellent facilitators for our staff retreat. The programs and exercises that they used to get our staff to engage with one another were thought-provoking and allowed everyone to gain insight into our own internal processes and how those strengths and weaknesses can be explored out in the open to ensure that our group could work together effectively. This was my first experience doing this kind of work but I can say that Lesley and Paul were very easy to work while ensuring that IllumiNative's mission and vision remained the central focus throughout the retreat.
Our entire team appreciated Lesley and Paul's efforts in providing clarity and helping us to shape our vision and goals for 2020 and I highly recommend their services.
Submitted:
Dec 03, 2019
Grace Roberts/Project Coordinator, Niijii Radio
Session attended: WELRP 5 Year Strategic Planning
The facilitators were amazing and very knowledgable in developing a well thought out plan for our organization. The plan included taking a step back and looking at our history as a whole organization, giving us a more in depth approach to strategizing for our future. This process was very inclusive and allowed us to look towards a brighter future.
Submitted:
Nov 19, 2019
Maggie Lorenz, Executive Director, Lower Phalen Creek Project
Session attended: Strategic Planning Board and Staff Facilitation
We brought in Lesley and Paul from Indigenous Collaboration to help our organization clarify our goals around our newest development project and our overall organizational structure. Through the shared history activity, we all realized we have been struggling with our identity and focus for much longer than we realized. Over the course of the two day retreat, we spent time tackling some big issues that had been lingering for far too long. The end result was a clear path forward with all of our staff and board members excited about the work ahead.
The facilitators made the work look easy, but the task was difficult and at the onset, I was unsure about how things would go. Times of transition can be difficult to navigate and Paul and Lesley helped us all come to a consensus and find a clear path towards the future of our organization and project. I would highly recommend their team to facilitate difficult dialogues and transitional planning initiatives.