Facilitation and Leadership Programs

The Shift team offers facilitation services and trains organizational leaders and fellow communicators who want to embrace creative facilitation methods that foster connection.

These connections are where innovation happens—connection is what allows people to feel safe enough to freely share ideas.

With experience spanning every sector from manufacturing to consumer goods sales, technology to telecommunications, and energy to environmental monitoring, we feel comfortable designing and facilitating strategic planning sessions in any environment.
Shift is experienced in the use of Liberating Structures, World Café and futuring methods for gathering innovative strategic planning insights. Shift’s principal, Michelle, earned her coaching and facilitation certification in the Immunity to Change™ approach from Harvard Extension in the fall of 2017.
Our leadership learning curriculum includes:

  • Team building
  • Storytelling
  • Media training
  • Facilitation training for communicators
  • Presentation training
  • Defining values or refining your value proposition
  • Handling conflict and difficult conversations
  • Customer service and networking programs.

These learning programs can run from 90-minute sessions that are easily integrated into an existing conference agenda to multi-day sessions. Shift can adapt and customize programming based on a client’s needs.

Using story to share your purpose

There is no greater communication method other than storytelling. In this session, you will explore traditional and current frameworks for storytelling, visual and literal structures that can help you create “meaning” as well as methods that will allow you to step into the shoes of your listener to make certain your story resonates.
In this hands-on and interactive session, you’ll practice new storytelling techniques and learn how to transform your own powerful story in a way that intrigues even the most unique audiences.
There are three real learning objectives for the session:

  • Recognize the power of story
  • Understand frameworks for stories
  • Transform stories for unique audiences

Timing option:

  • 1 hour: 8 tips to build and share memorable stories
  • Half to full day: 8 tips to build and share memorable stories + studio time to construct stories with meaning and practice storytelling

Suggested group size: 6 to 50+.

Immunity to Change: when “just do it” doesn’t work

We all know that change is hard. Despite our best intentions, we fail at achieving our new years’ resolutions, overcoming performance challenges at work or even the simplest shifts in daily habits. In this session you’ll learn how to close the gap between what you genuinely “intend to do” and making meaningful and transformational changes. The Immunity to Change method was designed by two Harvard professors and organizational psychologists (Kegan and Lahey) who wanted to chart a path that would provide anyone the chance to overcome ANY barrier to change. Together, we will use this road-tested Immunity to Change method to map your own personal, professional or organizational transformation.

Timing: 1.5 to 2 hrs for one-on-one sessions; up to 4 hrs for a large group.
Suggested group size: 2 to 100+.

Defining your values

Organizations often invest significant time defining their corporate strategy—the “what” they need to do. Defining the “how” you will work toward those goals can be equally powerful. In this session, your group will explore values and gain clarity on the core values that drive them. As cards are dealt, they will define and refine how these values will guide their actions and decision making to achieve success personally or professionally.

Timing depends on group size.
Suggested group size: limitless.

Defining your unique value proposition

Unlike advertising slogans or more traditional “taglines,” your value proposition is a statement that explains how your organization is unique. How do you solve customers’ problems or improve their situation? What specific benefits do you deliver? Why should your ideal customer choose your products and services over your competitors?

In this session, your group will explore these questions and more to through the creation of your own value proposition canvas.

Timing depends on group size.
Suggested group size: up to 20 people (ideal is less than 12).

Defining your brand

To play, gather a group or team who knows you or your company’s brand best. You will use a deck of cards with brand defining characteristics, sorting them into piles to delineate who you are and who you are not. As you discuss and debate the choices, you will gain clarity on the characteristics that best define your brand, ultimately narrowing the deck to under six key brand attributes.

Timing depends on group size.
Suggested group size: up to 10 people.

Visual insights: expression through imagery

Visual insights is an inspiring and creative tool that relies upon a series of powerful images to spark new pathways to expression and connection. Participants choose images that stimulate their imagination, allowing them to explore challenges, discover new perspectives or celebrate accomplishments in a unique way.

High performing team challenge

In this session designed for team building, your group will form stronger connections by exploring their unique strengths and challenges in a safe and creative way. Your group will assess their current performance and identify their desired future state. This session involves the exploration of case studies on high performing teams, and experiential theatre-based exercises to explore team dynamics, individual roles and group norms. Participants will gain insight into the behaviors that are serving them and holding them back before establishing their own best practices to become high-performing.

Timing depends on group size.
Suggested group size: 12 to 20 people.

Contact Us

Shift Consulting Inc.
1.403.431.0759
info@shift-consulting.ca
PO Box 16, Banff AB T1L 1A2