The Client
The director of a century-old law association, who was responsible for the day-to-day management of the organization.
The Challenge
The director struggled to manage the competing stakeholder interests of elected leadership, long-term staff, and association membership. At times, groups of stakeholders’ interests and concerns conflicted with each other. How could the director make sure people felt heard and at the same time actually get things accomplished?
The Solution
We facilitated a group conversation among stakeholder group leaders to surface and discuss the conflicting interests and concerns. The meeting began with us proposing best practices for group discussion and decision-making. We also coached the director on listening and giving feedback effectively.
The Results
The frustration of competing interests subsided, complaints about not feeling heard fell, and the association was able to create an agenda for the year and plan a highly effective and well-received annual leadership conference. Our client reported an increase in confidence and ability to manage inherent conflicts and leverage the benefits of the diversity of the organization.