Meeting Design & Facilitation

I bring dynamic and participatory activities, including visual thinking (mind mapping, online white boards, and more), reflective learning and small group work. I have a deep “basket of tools” for all kinds of meeting needs. Meetings CAN be fun!

  • Discover collective meaning
  • Explore ideas 
  • Form plans to implement strategies
  • Build understanding
“We’ve had so much heaviness and tension. Everyone left the last meeting with you laughing and having fun and saying it was such a good meeting. I realized how important that is.”
-Nonprofit volunteer
Colorful circular agenda for a group meeting
Agenda for a strategic planning conversation.
“I appreciate you so much, Jenny. I learn from you in every meeting and when we are planning the meetings, too!”
-ODHS staff person

Agenda Planning is a Key to Inclusion

Agenda planning is an often-overlooked key component to any successful meeting. I craft a logical, inclusive, interesting and connective experience from the participant point-of-view. I believe in sharing agendas and prep work ahead of time so that people with all processing styles can prepare.

“I appreciate you so much, Jenny. I learn from you in every meeting and when we are planning the meetings, too!”
-ODHS staff person

Hot Topics / Deep Dives

Sometimes a group needs to debrief an event, address a sticky interpersonal issue, explore a challenging strategic dynamic, tensions with priorities, or simply a deep dive into an aspect of the work.

By creating a unique space outside normal day-to-day life, a group can explore issues with openness and creativity and often arrive at new ideas that no one had considered.

Photo of a group of people talking in pairs
I facilitated a series of three community conversations for the St. Johns neighborhood about the Hazelnut Grove houseless people village project moving into the neighborhood. My focus was building empathy across differences and arriving at collaborative solutions together.
Drawing of a mind map of concerns of a group of people
Mapping everyone’s concerns allowed each person to see their needs visibilized and created a starting point for the group to explore solutions.
Photo of four people standing up at a wall putting post it notes onto a large piece of paper as they discuss their concerns
We then explored each concern through a systemic approach (see next image).
Close up of a worksheet drawing of people's mind map of concerns
Worksheet the groups used to explore concerns.
Four people sitting at a table in conversation and drawing their ideas on a large piece of paper in the middle of the table
Through a World Café, neighbors with very different opinions were able to share coffee and hear each other’s needs.
A group of people sitting in a circle looking at three people who are singing and dancing
When 350PDX was ready to solidify their new organizational goals, I co-created a dynamic day for them to debate, integrate and celebrate!
Three people sitting in chairs discussing strategies. Next to them is a large colorful paper outlining the questions about strategy.
We used large visual worksheets in small groups to explore details of their potential strategies.
Closeup of a drawing I made for groups to explore strategies
Closeup of the large worksheet to explore strategies.

Strategic Planning

Strategic plans should be resilient to changes in both external circumstance and internal shifts, and the process to create these plans can mimic the immediate and long-term thinking needed to be effective.

Zoom Can Be Awesome

I’ve developed many ways to bring magic, connection and meaning into everyday rhythms of Zoom using all kinds of creative surprises and play.

Since day one of the pandemic, I have integrated the use of Mural online whiteboard into Zoom meetings to provide an interactive and visual experience that adds so much depth to meetings!

Photo of a computer screen with the left half showing an online white board app with many colorful sticky notes, and the right half showing the people in the meeting smiling and waving
Using visual apps like Mural bring a new dimension to meetings.
Closeup of a photo of an online whiteboard app showing my homemade Hollywood Squares game depicting aspects of the group's work
Zoomable games like Hollywood Squares can be a tool for reflective learning!
Photo of a computer screen with the left half showing an online white board app with the Hollywood Squares, and the right half showing the people in the meeting smiling and wearing costumes
The group dressed up for our reflection session. 🙂
Photo of a large room with Jenny standing a whiteboard facilitating a meeting
I have facilitated the monthly board meetings for People’s Food Co-op for 3 years and the Alberta Food Co-op board meetings for 5 years.

Monthly Board Meetings

Working with the same group over time builds a special level of integration between the facilitator and group.