“I have been on 26 corporate board (6 as CFO) and 19 not for profit groups. This was in the top 3 of all of the retreats I’ve done…good job!!”
“As we continue to move forward it has been exciting to see the positive changes we have seen as an Association at your direction. This has always been a great asset to our Association. This continues to be the best investment that we make as an organization.”
“Having a facilitator with lots of board experience allows her to say things to make board think without being defensive.”
“Excellent, your direction is invaluable; felt discussions were meaningful and will move us forward; appreciated the candid comments and holding us accountable; look forward to our next session.”
“Very good. Appreciate your guidance this process keeps us under direction and focused on our Association mission.”
“You are excellent. You draw out everyone’s opinion. You keep the flow going. You have helped us tremendously. You are welcome to come back any time. Thank you!”
“The design of the day worked well and our Chair said it best, “The board entered the ownership realm today, for really the first time.”
“Great job, Pam. Good cohesive focus. All board members come away from the retreat as stronger leaders! All have a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities. You bring out the best in all of us!”
“This has been the best strategic session since I have joined the Board. It was productive, interactive and we have good strategic direction. It has also given me a re-energized sense of commitment to our organization. Having staff involved is critical and extremely productive. Pam, you are a great facilitator!”
“Painful, but productive. Good process. I know what I need to do, I’m afraid we don’t have the “wherewithal” to do it. Good job keeping us on track.”
“Excellent session; it provided great direction and definition to what we as a board should be doing. Provided a great platform to work from/the areas we need to work on and how to improve.”
“Excellent job, Pam. Managed us through some great discussion. Very productive day. Great interchange between board/staff/residents. Feel like we are all in consensus and focused on moving forward toward shared goals.”
“Opened up communications between residents, board and staff. Clarified our goals and set plans into action. Pride in our community.”
“Great opportunity to communicate frankly, jointly, and openly between board, residents and staff. Wonderful strategic plan and direction, which is solution based. Consensus and team building were very positive and fulfilling. Were challenged to move forward from previous strategy.”
“Extremely well run; great discussion but feel we need a follow up meeting in near term to follow up and close issues.”
“I think we did a great job at creating attainable goals. Great to have task forces. Pam did a great job keeping the big picture in sight and how to attain and achieve these goals for our organization.”
“I have a better idea of what is expected of me as a Board member. I am also very pleased to have the direction that we do. I think this planning weekend is a time to focus, learn our roles and come together as a group.”
“I was impressed with Pam’s ability in chairing the conference. I feel we openly discussed problems, some proposed solutions, goals – and the means to obtain these. The opportunities for the representatives of the 3 entities of board/staff/residents to meet as a unit and discuss these items are worth the time spent. I very much appreciate the time, contributions, and talents given by the volunteers to make our organization the wonderful home that it is for me.”
“Really liked the last exercise of “what if our CEO left tomorrow”; made the right decision through Pam’s guidance to re-work resource development committee – CRITICAL; governance responsibilities provided additional clarity. Liked the example on the white board; the discussion around adding “programs” to our priority list was eye-opening.”
“Thank you Pam. I appreciate the time and productivity. I would like to have more time, of course; in particular I’d like our organization to have a revised Mission statement and better/clearer vision of the Community. Maybe you can help us again soon.”
“Well organized and facilitated. Kept us on track while having fun. The end result is inspiring and I feel motivated. Enjoyed the entire day with the Board and feel we accomplished a lot. Thank you Pam for your insight on how to put our Board, goals and future in shape.”
“The planning session was fantastic! Your agenda and packet helped us greatly in getting our thoughts and especially our ideas organized. I feel we are revived with a great plan of action and look forward to keeping our focus going on in our Board meetings. Thank you so much – you have been wonderful.”
“Really enjoyed sitting with the Board members to discuss and plan out issues affecting our organization. As a Board we worked as a collective team and were able to contribute to all phases of discussion. Pam did an excellent job in keeping us focused and on track. I thought the session was very productive but the key will be the continued follow-up to our tasks and goals. This is something we need to do more often to keep up with the times.”
“It led us to making deadline commitments which gives me confidence that the organization has a future. I was encouraged by the participation and the enthusiasm in our continued mission as written. The facilitation kept up a good pace and gate keeping.”
“Dear Pam, As always it is such a pleasure working with you and here are my reasons: 1. You are very knowledgeable about non-profits and understand their role in the community. 2. You care about our non-profit and the community we serve. 3. You guide us but you don’t control our thoughts. You help us formulate our thoughts, ideas and put them into a solid action plan. Thank you!”
“Thanks for the outstanding facilitation. The balance on structure and social interaction was perfect.”
“Process was excellent. Much good work accomplished. Great job...looking forward to the report.”
“I enjoyed the part on Governance – and I am delighted with the sense of urgency to get going on our Master Plan, with lots of bond involvement.”
“Well scheduled and had a good flow to allow for the board to have a good conversation and exchange. The facilitation was effective and focused. The location was conducive to doing work as board regardless of noise. Thank you.”
“Our Board is more focused on becoming efficient and embrace change for the future.”
“Well done. Kept us on track, but allowed us time to dialogue.”
“Being new on the Board, it was very helpful to learn more about the Board and to become familiar with the inner workings of our organization – especially in the financial area – the complexity of it all. Thanks, Pam.”
“The retreat was informational and thought provoking. Pam does a great job of coordinating meeting.”
“Very good in that we focused upon specific issues and develop specific recommendations for board and staff. More like an extended board meeting. Pam did an excellent job facilitating discussion.”
“Great way to get everyone’s input. Really appreciated the overview reminders of Board governance.”
“Useful; small groups very helpful; need to work harder on implementation.”
“The governance discussion was productive. The first part produced several good new ideas, so definitely worthwhile.”
“The comments and discussion presented at this retreat were very educational and resonated well with my thoughts.”
“Very worthwhile; I wish more staff/ministry chairs had been involved. But this was an excellent way to arrive at some easy fixes.”
“It worked out as far as increasing the spirit of cooperation and understanding. The energy was good and the atmosphere was positive.”
“Informative and I feel brought out issues that can now be addressed.”
“I was impressed with the similarity of concerns – there was a lot more consensus than one might have expected. It was healthy that people felt free to express their anxieties and concerns. I wish more staff could have come and stayed the whole time.”
“I have often felt that our biggest problem was a lack of cohesiveness - very big progress on overcoming that problem and communication breakdowns. Well facilitated; Well prepared.”
“I liked the ability to air all the issues. Pam did a good job keeping the discussion on track. I think we will need additional meetings to plan further and to begin implementation.”
“As a Committee Chair, I would have liked more (detailed) information about the retreat, so I could be better prepared to participate. The room set-up was slow in happening. The explanation of the day’s program was well presented, conducted and worthwhile. I got to meet people that I didn’t know, a benefit that I hope to nourish. I’m hopeful that ideas put forward will be implemented.”
“Very helpful! Enjoyed the small group work. The large group about governance was very instructive in that I learned about what others are facing and issues we need to correct.”
“As planning sessions go this event was worthwhile and educational – however, I am skeptical of our future – with faith and step-by-step planning, we hope to patch the cracks and move forward. Thank you.”
“Excellent. Discussed items I didn’t know needed discussing. Also, this gathering brought us closer together.”
“I think it was very excellent session and time well spent. Gather many good thought-provoking ideas for my committee. Lots of what was said needs to put into action and anxious to see what happens in the next year.”
“A very worthwhile retreat. A gathering such as this is where ideas, suggestions, and frustrations should be discussed. I believe we accomplished all that today. Much work is still needed in our organization, but I believe we’ve laid the foundation to get the job done. Thanks, Pam for your leadership and for setting the stage so we can fine-tune our organization’s structure. I’m confident we are headed in the right direction.”
“Kept on schedule – learned about many problems and how things can be resolved + ideas to fix problems. Communication problem identified and maybe resolved. Some problems were made clear to all which most people did not know about. Great to have ministries attending.”
“Mahalo to all for a job well done.”
“I felt was extremely productive in the area of communication and cooperation. It appears that we have begun a healing among the staff, Council, and ministries. It is great to start to looking at our overall view of the future.”
“Enjoyed meeting and went away feeling positive about the direction of our organization. Also, cleared up “misunderstanding” of what I thought I knew.”
“This was a good exercise – relevant topics – approach effective to examine responsibilities and approaches. In particular the strengths of committees in this structure—good beginning.”
“The session went by quickly, but I certainly believe that a great deal of important information was discussed, and I think the day moved along well.”
“Open dialog. Process was good; process allowed all to participate and feel ownership. Great guidance where needed, and focus to keep us moving.”
“Thank you Pam for keeping us on track. We accomplished so much because of your leadership. God bless you in the tasks ahead.”
“We accomplished a lot because we were led from where we were as a Board -- not on running through a “program” on where we want to go. It really helped the board get focused and take ownership of our organization’s future.”
“Enjoyed the open forum. Would like to have more board goal setting; not time bound/measurable. Just needed more time. Not your issue, but we need more planning other than just every 3 years.”
“Great ideas from residents and staff. Give them more opportunities and responsibility and creating our organization’s future. Independent development is key to a “healthy” future for our organization.”
“Direction/vision plan. Goals. Working with the employees and residents. Great leader: Pam gave us direction.”
“A very good facilitator. Kept meeting on track and on time. Many goals identified.”
“Very informative day that moved at a comfortable pace. Good job.”
“This was very informative to understanding the questions, needs, desires vision and problems that need to be addressed. It proved to be an opportunity to find solutions, communicate where needed, and think about where we can come to a consensus.”
“Great retreat!”
“Very good session!”
“You did a good job of encouraging discussion although time was short/limited.”
“Good opportunity for us to rethink many aspects of Board work.”
“Very informative. Enjoyed working with board and residents. Hearing the vision plan, knowing the plan.”
“Will present us with many challenges to improve work of Board.”
“Fantastic…great work!”
“Very helpful. Good discussion. Good progress. Thank you.”
“Excellent organization, pace, facilitation and outcomes.”
“I loved the deliverables. Respectful and forthright. Thank you.”
“Happy to be a part of a group that is willing to have honest debate for the betterment of the group. Excited at the direction we are headed.”
“Very informative. Kept the discussion going; kept people on track.”
“Liked having staff participate. Nice to focus on something other than “capital”. Good breakouts – it kept us focused.”
“Another good retreat. It is evident that an annual retreat is critical to bringing everyone up to speed on current and future progress of an organization. Good to meet new people and see direction organization is heading. Board is changing and adapting much like the organization.”
“Keeps getting better. Let’s never lose sight of where we started. (How do we enable all of the ‘good people’ in the world?) Great job facilitating the session. Thank you.”
“Great staff engagement! Shared vision is lacking – good to have it come to light so we can get one. Good engagement. Sorry that all could not attend. Board needs a common set of “talking points” that all can buy into regarding our direction. Retreat is necessary. Thank you.”
“Very good and focused. Having left early, I was interested in seeing how some of the duplication of strategies were differentiated across the “themes”. Pam, enjoyed your facilitation and expertise.”
“The Retreat was very well run. We accomplished quite a bit in a short period of time. I appreciate the effort to keep all on task and to keep the conversation moving. I think that we came away with a good direction to move forward in the next year.”
“Lot’s of great dialogue, direct and candid, but fun. Feels like we should have taken the key topic of funding and drilled into more detail though. It’s the # 1 issue.”
“Great process. Lively discussion and good transparency.”
“Once again very successful presentation. Awesome! Thank you!””
“Great session with good conversation and ideas; session should be longer with the same agenda and longer discussions on topics.”
“Enjoyed the flexibility of the agenda to discuss issues; good atmosphere to be open and honest – thank you.”
“Good discussion – board had the chance to vent – which is a good thing; lots of work to do on Board side; need to continue to evaluate committee work; need to stay on top of CEO and staff workload; Loved the day! Feel more connected. Need more Board commitment to process and meetings.”
“Was beneficial – issues discussed were relevant, good arena to discuss concerns; the absolute minimal concern of this Board are the best practice programs our organization has already implemented! Our programs are documented best practices nationwide. Good Succession Plan exercise – should be done annually; Our CEO’s abilities are exceptional; this alleviates many of the succession challenges.”
“Board driven agenda dialogue rather than being pulled by CEO.”
“Session allowed very open and frank discussions.”
“Great focus on long-term view rather than previous immediate tasks driven topics.”
“Very interactive even during stormy moments.”
“Great process and openness.”
“Excited to see our organization moving forward.”
“Glad to see people talking, not avoiding.”
“I feel more comfortable in my role as a board member.”
“Very well presented and useful materials.”
“We have done an excellent job in the planning session today. The process was much more effective than past sessions.”
“The board had great strategic discussion allowing everyone to have their opinion in a ‘safe’ environment. Thank you!”
“The governance conversation will help us over the long-term. Hopefully we will use the 3 modes of thinking and integrate the language/concepts into our discussions.”
“Outstanding discussions on myriad of subjects.”
“Time well spent!”
“Very effective process for interaction.”
“Appreciated flexibility and then brought back to point.”
“Outstanding facilitation!”
“Nice to keep closed in session, not losing energy.”
“Can tell there was a lot of thought put in prior to retreat.”
“Great facilitation! All activities were helpful and purposeful.”
“The Pre-Retreat Survey was very helpful.”
“Great opportunity to foster teamwork – we are a much stronger board then when we came in.”
“Very good process, this process makes you look at your level of participation.”
“I thought this session was well organized and executed.”
“Dialogue was open and direct.”
“I feel the retreat went well. As a new Board member I feel I have a clear direction. I feel the strategic plan is workable at both the branch and chapter levels.”
“The retreat helped me visualize the goals and structure of the board, and showed me how each members contribution is important. I feel much more comfortable with what to expect in the next year.”
“Very well organized. I really appreciated the clarity with which you communicated. I do think several people over spoke and it would be helpful to direct this more. Excellent team building/goal setting exercise.”
“I enjoyed the small group sessions. I felt the retreat was facilitated well. Overall, I have a sense of accomplishment from the past two days. I agree that it seems important to review the strategic plan regularly.”
“Excellent retreat once again. These topics were manageable and in comparison to previous years, I think they were easier topics. The Board works well together and it’s truly a pleasure to serve and improve our organization.”
“Excellent. Wish I had not missed 2 years ago. Good focus and development. Will definitively improve me as a District Director.”
“I thought the group sessions were really good at getting ideas! I actually got more information on my District Director position. I don’t feel so lost!”
“Thank you Pam. You gave us the focus that we needed to get to this point. You have been a great asset to our Association. I always appreciate getting together with our Board members to focus on the future of our organization. It is exciting to see that over the years the Board members are thinking more alike as to the direction of our Association.”
“Pam is a great facilitator – not intimidating.”
“This was a positive, productive meeting. Everyone worked well together to achieve a list of objectives that they supported and committed to. We had fun, bonded and were productive. This should be a great group to work with. Pam – thanks for being there for us.”
“We were able to accomplish a lot of good things today. I believe this will make us as an organization much stronger and lead us into the future. Thanks for helping us again.”
“I feel Pam was a great leader. Kept us all on task, goal oriented and focused. Also does a great job at including everyone in discussion. We accomplished a lot and I feel great about the retreat!”
“Good progress from first retreat many years ago. Focused direction for this Board. Good understanding of individual obligations and accountability. Clarified misunderstandings many of us had.”
“Good use of time; Solved, organized most of current organizational issues; need some way to make sure that our “road map” will be implemented.”
“We accomplished what I felt we needed to cover and are leaving with very good direction. Goals and tasks are much more manageable than during previous retreats. Thank you!”
“Very well run; well worth the time and money; very good template for the next 2 years.”
“Extremely useful. Very helpful in helping to define strategy and plans and getting to better know other Session members.”
“It was energizing!”
“Pam kept us on message and showed good leadership.”
“For Pam, thank you for making sure all participants addressed issues of concern, for double checking to see if anything was left uncovered, excellent facilitator, very flexible.”
“Very good meeting, well organized, planned, presented, and facilitated; I think it brought the Board together and I think the Board will be motivated (enthused) to see the vision through to completion.”
“This was a good use of our time. I was interested in knowing how much thought and preparation had been given to the staff presentations. I liked being gathered as a team in approaching growth, mission, and outreach to the community. The communication here was great. We need to communicate this to our membership.”
“A great and wonderful way to focus the efforts of the Church leadership in the search for the right future leader.”
“Well organized, competent, proactive meeting.”
“The open, honest communication was the foundation for the day; Pam’s facilitation was insightful and kept us on track.”
“Great day; Program moved at a great pace; a total enjoyment!”
“Great; very productive; encouraging.”
“It was a great opportunity to focus the congregation and was very worth the time spent.”
“This was a helpful day that was reaffirming.”
“Very informative and creative retreat; Enjoyed visiting with organization leaders and staff and new prospective members regarding our organizational needs.”
“I enjoyed the day very much; Have a set of challenges for all of us, which I know we’ll meet.”
“Well run, well organized; Very valuable information for the future.”
“Excellent; great facilitation; would like to do this annually.”
“Wonderful leadership; great facilitation – kept group focused.”
“It was organized as a smooth process; Pam does a wonderful job at keeping the pace moving and giving consensus on each topic that needs attention; always a pleasure.”
“Very good presentation; order was kept but not so much we couldn’t feel friendly; followed agenda – kept us focused; excellent!”
“Excellent, professional presentation. Focus very practical and needed. Process made sense. Thank you.”
“I learned a lot about the issues as well as the process. I didn’t know what to expect and was amazed at how quickly the time passed. Your enthusiasm is infectious, and I’m impressed with your expertise.”
“Very Good. I was at first frustrated that we won’t accomplish anything specific. But ultimately was very pleased to focus in on specific objectives. You are very good at what you do.”
“Excellent day. I learned so much. You reminded us of things we have let slide.”
“Good experience with facility; planning done well for retreat by Koester, Staff and Board Chair; Breakouts important for increasing participations. Liked the governance piece a lot.”
“Giving good comments during the retreat, but not being afraid to give your comments.”
“Looking forward to the next one!”
“Thank you for making my day interesting and fun.”
“Let’s do it again!”