Strategy Sessions Rock with a Graphic Recorder

Strategy sessions are something I take very seriously and every organization needs them! An organization like the PWA Foundation has what seems at first to be a large budget generated by donations, but they also have a vast number of people they are expected to assist. And since they are centrally-located and come into contact with a lot of clients, they require strategy sessions to continually evaluate and redefine their ongoing services. As well, a provincial government that fails to support the most vulnerable has been in power and the clients need the PWA Foundation more than ever. So the PWA has decided to their best to rise to the task. This requires a series of meetings to figure out strategy, starting at the basics and moving towards more complex modes. It was a great honour to be a part of these sessions, which involved members of the community from all walks of life, and all sorts of life stories. The one unifying factor was that everyone in attendance had a good sense of what is needed in a community to help people who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Because the participants are so very needed for their unique and precious input, part of my job was to give that sense of "event" to the meeting, and scribe some of the most compelling key words and points in a way that turned up the energy and hopefully created some brainstorming. All the strategy sessions were led by a facilitator who is a pro, and we had a great synergy as he would get the participants sharing while their ideas were noted and recorded on the wall. He has a way of narrowing people down to a few important ideas and then expanding on what they have been thinking. It was a great honour to work with this facilitator, who encouraged active listening and discussion in groups for the most critical issues. There is excitement throughout the room when a longer-term strategy is beginning to take form. While amazing bike-riding fundraisers sought sponsorship and donations for a 660 km trek, this group was also at work, community members exploring essential goals and strategic approaches. I wanted to make the great energy at this session as visible as possible.