Student Affairs Consulting Services
In addition to training and coaching, we provide a wide array of other organizational services available in multiple formats, including retreats, in-person or online meetings, or regularly scheduled gatherings depending on the needs and desired outcomes of the organization. Our workshops, planning, and learning experiences are deeply experiential to create powerful, long-lasting outcomes for your organization and its leaders.
Vision, Mission, Values
Often the foundational need of a unit or organization is to focus on its vision (where the unit or organization aspires to go), mission (the focus of the work of the organization), and core values (espoused and/or enacted shared beliefs of the organization). In-person or remotely, we can help your organization create a bold, inspiring vision; more clearly articulate the mission of the organization; and clarify and define a set of core organizational values. This work is usually conducted as a precursor to long-range or strategic planning.
Futures Forecasting
Futures forecasting is the examination of the future for the purpose of making decisions and taking action today that will influence the creation of the future. It is not intended to produce accurate or complete descriptions of the future; instead, it shows what is possible, illuminates policy choices, and identifies and evaluates alternative actions. The focus of futures forecasting is on understanding and influencing; it is not about predicting and controlling. Planning tends to focus on problems that exist in the present, while futures forecasting looks for possible problems, challenges, or opportunities in the future (based on elements of the present). Among the techniques we use in futures forecasting sessions are environmental scanning, trend watching, the Delphi technique, and scenario construction.
Strategic Planning
Emerging from the organization's vision, strategic planning describes the intended direction and focus of the organization and outlines the steps and actions needing to be taken to arrive at the desired future state. We work with you to develop and execute a strategic planning process that offers meaningful engagement of stakeholder groups and is tailored to your timeline. The process includes assessing where the organization is, determining priorities, defining responsibilities, and creating plans for evaluating the results.
Culture Assessment & Development
Organizational culture is comprised of all the subtle interactions, unspoken rules, structures, roles, beliefs, and values that guide how people work and interact with each other in an organization. We work with you to clarify your organization’s essence and align behaviors, processes, and structures to support the development of a positive culture. In doing so, you will not only build a culture that undergirds your ability to succeed but also becomes a competitive advantage, by attracting and retaining top talent, empowering your team to do excellent work, and aligning systems and processes that support sustained excellence.
Unit Reviews
We can assist with conducting reviews of individual units within an organization (or the overall organization). This includes utilizing the appropriate functional area standards, reviewing the unit's performance and outcomes, collecting quantitative and qualitative assessment data from within and beyond the unit, reviewing extant material, conducting interviews, and producing a report with recommendations regarding design, roles, processes and procedures, and training.
Organizational Retreats
We can help design and facilitate fun and inspirational organizational retreats that, depending on the need, can incorporate most of what is listed above, including clarifying vision, mission, and values, futures forecasting and planning, organizational culture development, and training. Additional goals of all our retreats include team building, enhancing communication, strengthening relationships, and for participants to leave energized and renewed.