What took my community development work from 0 – 60 was learning the art of facilitation. It was the game-changer in my own work. So much so that I started the journey to help others learn this method. The foundation course for Technology of Participation (ToP) Facilitation Methods is offered in Grand Island, Nebraska September […]
When I facilitate online meetings I use miro as my white space. I often ask participants to split their computer screens to accommodate Zoom and Miro. Screen real estate is at a premium. Often people give Miro more screen real estate and lose the visual interaction with the video of Zoom participants. Miro has had […]
I was working with a group the other day. They know where they want to go. What was blocking them from getting to their destination? Their answer was lack of time. This an easy one to fall back on in personal work or group work. Lack of time, lack of money, lack of resources, lack […]
Miro is my go to whiteboard to host virtual meetings or actually in-person meetings. I use Miro to do action planning, strategic planning, and community listening sessions. I have helped others use it to plan out their websites, marketing campaigns, and their personal strategic plans. It is quick and easy to learn and onboard. It […]
When I started working in community development I went to five to ten meetings per week. In community development I work with just about every committee and board that has an impact on the community as a whole. Some meetings were just gab sessions that I was dying to get out of. Others a steady […]
One month out of the year, I can often be found inside a tractor cab. During October, I harvest corn literally by my husband’s side. He operates the combine, and I pull a grain cart beside him. My regular tractor had to go to the tractor doctor, so I ended up in the model depicted […]
Recently I found out that I’m a bit of a crockpot and can be a quiet voice when I am not confident about the subject of conversation. That doesn’t mean I don’t have thoughts and ideas. It merely means I’m not always johnny on the spot to speak up. I know I have left some […]
Lack of child care costs Nebraskans $745 million per year, according to a report released by First Five Nebraska. Minus 3 months of my professional career, I have worked for myself. I scheduled work around my children by choice. I never had the challenge of acquiring quality childcare, paying a childcare bill, finding a backup […]
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in Leadership Tomorrow. You spend a year in a melting pot of people from very diverse personal and professional backgrounds. Participants encounter leadership challenges. One such challenge involved toothpicks and marshmallows. The instructions required you to pick a team and build the tallest structure utilizing […]
Recently I had the opportunity to work with the wonderful board of Project Hunger. Talk about passion for serving people, these people have that passion and then some. The reason I do what I do is to help organizations like Project Hunger amplify their work. I do that by guiding these organizations in strategic and […]