NorthStone^® Facilitation Services

We specialize in facilitating situations where the stakes are high, the group faces complex or contentious issues, or the outcome may be in doubt. We routinely facilitate meetings of boards of directors and executive teams, as well as middle management and mixed groups including business partners and community leaders. We also have long experience working with community leaders and local organizations that need to bring people together to solve common problems or seize new opportunities.

Our focus is achieving the outcome you want, and we understand that each situation is unique. Planning and preparation before facilitating a high stakes meeting is crucial to success. We conduct preliminary interviews and planning sessions with you and select meeting participants to refine the desired outcome and the perceptions that frame the issues. This pre-work allows us to understand the different perspectives and interpersonal dynamics of the participants, and to begin setting expectations even before the meeting begins.

While facilitating, we serve as catalysts and coordinators to help the group achieve its desired outcome. We use our position as outsiders to ask the basic questions that reveal the values, assumptions, and biases that drive, or hinder, effective decision-making in the group. As necessary we manage conflict and keep the meeting on track, but we understand that durable outcomes come from the group, not the facilitator's ability to drive a conclusion in the moment.