Board Retreats

Every organization depends on having powerful stories to illustrate its work. Keeping those stories fresh and relevant is one of the most critical jobs of non-profit leaders.

Consider how volunteers with hammers and paint brushes have put thousands of families into affordable homes. We know about Habitat for Humanity through their stories, spreading through lunch rooms, living rooms, churches and synagogues, generating conversations that last long after the work itself.

What kinds of stories do your staff and board members tell?

• Do your meetings include time for the creative conversations that deepen commitment or do they get bogged down in tactical immediate concerns?
• Are board members inspired by each other? Do they learn from each other's successes?
• Does your board empower the work of your staff, or do you spend time trying to empower your board?
• Do board members have the experience of contributing in ways that make a difference?

One or two days is all it takes for a board to reinvent itself and revitalize its mission.

The stronger people's relationships, the greater the power of the group to engage in collaborative conversations and the creative thinking that leads to breakthroughs in innovation, productivity and performance.