For Organizations, Teams & Individuals
Are you seeking a reliable partner who is skilled at asking the right questions and navigating the nuances of team dynamics to facilitate critical thinking and strategy sessions that yield tangible results?
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It is not as easy as you think. You need a plan – a plan that helps you stay on track and overcome the many challenges you'll face along the way. Without it, you risk getting stranded, feeling defeated, and, even worse, quitting.
Unfortunately, the challenges don't stop there.
Critical thinking is essential for anyone involved in strategic planning because it helps ensure that the plans you develop are grounded in evidence and reasoning and are more likely to be successful in achieving your desired outcomes. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done.
There are several reasons why individuals and teams struggle with critical thinking.
Have you or your team experienced any of these?
Lack of Emotional Regulation
Strong emotions can cloud your team's judgment. If left unmanaged, those emotions can override rational and objective thinking and derail the entire process.
Confirmation Bias
People tend to seek information that confirms their existing beliefs and assumptions and are often resistant to new ideas or evidence that challenge those beliefs. This can make it difficult for them to consider alternative viewpoints and think objectively about a problem or issue.
Limited Experience
Critical thinking is a skill that requires practice and discipline to develop and can be difficult when you don't regularly engage in it.
Limited Knowledge & Resources
Your team may struggle with critical thinking if their understanding of a particular subject is limited or they don't have access to the knowledge and information they need to evaluate the evidence or arguments being presented.
Bias For Action
In today's fast-paced world, many team members view decision-making as 'tasks to be completed' rather than a systematic process to be followed. As a result, they move too quickly without adequate information and analysis when solving problems and developing strategic plans.
Time Constraints
It can be challenging to devote the necessary time and attention to thinking critically about a problem or issue, especially when you're under pressure to make a quick decision or overwhelmed with the amount of work sitting in front of you.
Groupthink
When we're part of a group, it can be hard to think critically if the group is not encouraging open and honest debate. This can happen when team members are too focused on maintaining group cohesion and conformity. As a result, you or your team may overlook important information or suppress dissenting opinions.
Overconfidence
When team members are too confident in their own abilities or viewpoints, it can be challenging for them to consider alternative perspectives. Closed-mindedness is the kryptonite of critical thinking.
Critical Thinking and Strategic Planning are two different activities, and strategic planning comes with its own set of challenges.
Complexity
Strategic planning involves considering a range of factors and making long-term decisions, which can be complex and challenging and something your entire team may not be equipped to do.
Changing Market Conditions
The business environment is constantly changing, and it can be challenging for your team to anticipate and plan for these changes.
Lack of Agreement
It can be difficult to get agreement from all stakeholders on a strategic plan, especially if there are differing opinions or agendas. An unbiased and skilled facilitator is often needed to ensure that decisions are made collaboratively with full buy-in from the team.
Limited Resources
Companies often face constraints on their time and resources, making it difficult to allocate sufficient time and resources to the strategic planning process.
Lack of Experience (or Desire)
The internal expertise to do it effectively may not exist. Some companies and their leaders may not have strategic planning experience and may struggle to develop a robust and actionable plan on their own. And when an internal leader serves as the facilitator, they are robbed of the opportunity to be a full participant in the process.
Resistance to Change
Strategic planning often involves changing how a company operates, and there may be resistance to these changes from employees or other stakeholders.
A reliable partner skilled at asking the right questions and navigating the nuances of team dynamics can help you facilitate truly effective critical thinking and strategy sessions. I am that partner.
I can help. Leave the driving to me.
I can help.
Leave the driving to me.
Book A Call Now To Discuss Your Critical Thinking & Strategy Needs
Find Your Perfect Solution
Explore the facilitated sessions below to find a solution that fits your needs.
All sessions can be tailored to your specific business needs and facilitated for:
small to mid-size businesses and organizations
leadership teams and executive leaders
entrepreneurs and business owners
I'll design and facilitate an approach that suits your culture and planning experience, achieves desired outcomes, and fits within your budget of time and money.
If you don't see exactly what you want, give me a call. I'm delighted to customize an approach exclusively for your organization.
Are you feeling stuck in the same conversations, with the same people, with the same results? A Listening Session might be the perfect solution if you're looking to stimulate meaningful dialogue that leads to significant change.
Listening Sessions help you understand the various perspectives of your different stakeholders by surfacing and listening to their needs so you can identify hidden opportunities and create solutions that bring everyone together.
As your expert facilitator, I will create a safe and comfortable environment where participants can speak openly and candidly, and thoughtfully share their obstacles, challenges, and what they need to be productive and do their best work.
I will tailor this service to your specific business needs and help you define the scope of the conversation, identify the right questions to ask, and provide tools to ensure everyone's voices are heard.
Let me help you discover new paths to success and create meaningful and lasting change in your business. Contact me today to book your next Listening Session.
create a safe space for people to express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or repercussion
better understand the perspectives and needs of your stakeholders to make more informed decisions
strengthen relationships among your various stakeholders
build trust and foster a sense of shared ownership
create an environment of mutual respect and understanding and foster a culture of collaboration
Do you need help getting your team to think outside the box? A Critical Thinking Session may be just what you need!
Critical thinking sessions are designed to unlock your team's creativity and innovation while improving communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
With a strong bias for action, too many professionals jump right into problem-solving without first diagnosing the situation at hand to gain a solid understanding of what needs to be addressed and why. That's why I like to refer to my Critical Thinking Sessions as "non-decision-focused dialogue." The focus is on thinking, not fixing – at least not yet.
In these sessions, participants set aside personal biases & emotional reactions to separate facts from speculation & assumptions, identify and consider all perspectives, and explore all possible options & solutions to become more effective problem-solvers.
Contact me today to learn more and book your next critical thinking session.
Creative thinking sessions help generate numerous new and innovative ideas that can help move you, your team, or your organization forward.
By bringing together different stakeholders, creative thinking sessions can encourage collaboration and enable different perspectives to be heard and considered.
By encouraging divergent thinking, creative thinking sessions can help solve complex problems.
Creative thinking sessions can enhance the motivation of participants, providing a more positive and productive working environment.
Creative thinking sessions lead to more informed decision-making when all potential pathways forward are identified and considered.
Are you looking for a way to bring your team together to tackle complex problems and develop innovative solutions?
Look no further than my Critical Thinking + Problem-Solving Sessions, designed to show your team how to lean into challenges and seize opportunities.
I will help you tap into all the talent and knowledge within the group and guide you through the entire problem-solving process to ensure all solutions and viable pathways are surfaced, discussed, and evaluated. As decisions are made, strategies for taking action will be identified and implemented.
This experience will equip you and your team with the tools and resources to tackle any problem in the future.
Contact me today to learn more and book your next problem-solving session.
learn how to identify the root cause to stay laser-focused throughout the entire process
reduce the amount of time it takes to problem-solve and make decisions
boost team morale and increase productivity when your team learns how to have robust dialogue and constructive conflict that lead to higher quality decisions
develop problem-solving skills that can be applied to other areas of life and work
establish critical thinking and problem-solving habits that lead to enhanced creativity in all areas of life and work
Are you desperate for substantive change but need help knowing where to start? Do you find it challenging to stay motivated and focused? Let me help you, your team, or your organization create a clear plan for moving forward and accomplishing the things that matter.
My facilitated Goal Setting & Planning Sessions help you focus on the future and create a plan for getting there. These sessions are designed to help you, your team, or your organization create a plan for long-term and short-term success that ensures follow-through and meaningful outcomes.
Taking into account the realities of your current situation, I will work hand-in-hand with you to identify and prioritize your goals and ensure they are realistic and achievable. Then we'll move your plan into action with tools and techniques to keep you organized and focused as you track your progress and make necessary adjustments along the way.
My process has proven to lead to increased motivation, satisfaction, and faster goal attainment. Let me help you take the first step in reaching your goals and accomplishing the things that really matter. Contact me today to book your next Goal-Setting & Planning Session.
a properly developed plan clarifies what you want to achieve, what steps you need to take, and when you need to take them
prioritizing goals and their related tasks helps you stay on task and avoid distractions that could otherwise derail your efforts
goal-planning yields the information you need to manage your time wisely and maximize the use of your limited resources
unnecessary stress and pressure are alleviated when you are clear about which activities must be prioritized to accomplish your goals
simply put – setting concrete goals and creating a plan to achieve them increases the likelihood of success
Are you ready to create a vision for the future?
Look no further than my Futurecasting and Visioning Sessions designed to help leaders and their organizations peek around the corner and plan for the longer term.
I will work with you to understand your business and its goals and tailor a session to fit your unique needs.
Then we'll work together to uncover signals and trends that provide insight into what the future might look like so that we can identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, and mitigate potential risks. I'll come equipped with the tools and resources you need to make informed decisions about the future of your business.
Don't settle for an uncertain future. Let me help you create a plan for success. Contact me today to book your next Futurecasting & Visioning Session.
Futurecasting is a predictive process used to envision the potential future based on current trends and developments. It involves analyzing data and trends to forecast likely outcomes and is used to inform decisions and strategies in order to maximize opportunities and minimize risks. Futurecasting helps organizations and businesses anticipate customer needs, predict industry trends, and stay competitive and informed of changes in the marketplace.
Visioning is the process of creating a mental image or picture of an organization's or individual's desired future. It is a tool for imagining and creating a positive future and is used to set goals and direction (both long-term & short-term) for an organization or individual. Visioning is often done through visualizations and creative activities and can be used to identify and manifest desired outcomes.
Are you tired of feeling like your business is just going through the motions without a clear direction or plan in place? It may be time to take a step back and think strategically about where you want to go and how you'll get there.
That's where I come in. Strategic planning can be daunting, but with the proper guidance and support, you can develop a plan that will take your business to the next level.
Every organization is unique and requires a unique approach. That's why I take the time to get to know your organization before designing and facilitating a process that extracts your team's best thinking about what is happening in the business, what is happening in the environment, and how to best position the organization given those variables.
Together, we'll determine where you are now and where you want to be, and then we'll create a roadmap to get there. I will work with you to identify opportunities, set realistic goals, and develop agile and actionable plans that can grow and adapt with the speed of change needed for success.
With my comprehensive approach, you'll be able to make sound decisions that lead to long-term success.
Don't let poor business planning and strategy hinder your progress. Plan now and reap the benefits for years to come. Contact me today to get started on your strategic planning journey.
Are you tired of feeling like your business is just going through the motions without a clear direction or plan in place? It may be time to take a step back and think strategically about where you want to go and how you'll get there.
That's where I come in. Strategic planning can be daunting, but with the proper guidance and support, you can develop a plan that will take your business to the next level.
Every organization is unique and requires a unique approach. That's why I take the time to get to know your organization before designing and facilitating a process that extracts your team's best thinking about what is happening in the business, what is happening in the environment, and how to best position the organization given those variables.
Together, we'll determine where you are now and where you want to be, and then we'll create a roadmap to get there. I will work with you to identify opportunities, set realistic goals, and develop agile and actionable plans that can grow and adapt with the speed of change needed for success.
With my comprehensive approach, you'll be able to make sound decisions that lead to long-term success.
Don't let poor business planning and strategy hinder your progress. Plan now and reap the benefits for years to come. Contact me today to get started on your strategic planning journey.
create focus, set direction, and determine what needs to be done to ensure everyone is on the same page, speaking the same language, and driving in the same direction
set performance targets and measure progress to stay on track and achieve desired results
collaboration fosters creativity and innovation, both of which are critical to long-term growth and sustainability
allocate resources to the most important projects and activities to ensure they are used efficiently and maximize the organization’s return on investment
using data and analytics, make more informed decisions and develop plans that are more likely to succeed
Are you looking for a way to make sense of a disruptive event?
Disruptions that force change (unwanted or not) can be difficult to manage, but I am here to help you and your team make sense of it all. I help individuals, teams, and organizations make sense of disruptions in their daily lives so they can recalibrate and develop strategies for moving forward.
A Post-Disruption Analysis is a tailored solution that helps you understand the implications of a disruptive event and the best course of action to take. We'll take time to address what actually happened, what you started and stopped doing in your work, and more importantly, we'll talk about the why behind these things. Then we'll prepare to take what we learn and use it to propel your work and positively influence the way you lead going forward.
Contact me today to learn more about a Post-Disruption Analysis and how it can help you and your team move forward.
disruptive events reveal vulnerabilities – take steps to address these vulnerabilities to ensure similar events in the future aren't as painful
identify and address communication gaps revealed during the disruption
understand the root cause to better plan, prepare, and respond to similar occurrences in the future and ensure you remain compliant with applicable laws and regulations
take steps to reduce the costs associated with these types of events in the future
strengthen the confidence others have in you, your leadership, and the organization by demonstrating a willingness to learn, grow, and recalibrate
As a skilled facilitator with over 30 years of experience, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. My goal is to bring clarity to our work and help your team engage in the end-to-end process with confidence and success.
When you hire me as your consultant and facilitator, you can expect:
. . . in critical thinking, problem-solving, and strategic planning
. . . when I take on the responsibility of designing & leading the entire process
. . . to ensure effectiveness and efficiency so you get the outcomes you seek
. . . in my assessments and recommendations
. . . to help ensure unbiased and informed decision-making
As a content-neutral moderator, I will help surface unknown obstacles and extract the best thinking from the minds of your team.
I'll create a safe space for deep reflection and vigorous debate while facilitating discussions that ensure everyone has a voice and stays on track, producing real outcomes.
You'll get access to a set of tools and templates, including data-gathering guides, evaluation templates, survey questionnaires, and tracking forms, to assist with our efforts.
By gaining clarity and focus, your team will be able to work more efficiently and get more done.
With more informed decision-making, your team will be able to make choices that lead to better results for your organization.
By using resources more effectively, you and your team will be able to save money and increase profits.
Enhanced teamwork and collaboration will help your team work better together, leading to a more cohesive and effective unit.
Greater adaptability to change will allow your organization to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities.
By focusing on innovation and sustainability, you'll be positioning your organization for long-term success and a brighter future.
Schedule a meeting, book a call, or submit an inquiry below to get the conversation started. We'll discuss what you need and what you're looking for and craft a solution that gets you the results you want!
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Information to connect via Zoom will be provided in the calendar invitation sent to you after you confirm this appointment.
When reviewing available timeslots, remember to select your preferred time zone in the top right-hand corner below. Information to connect via Zoom will be provided in the calendar invitation sent to you after you confirm this appointment.
When reviewing available timeslots, remember to select your preferred time zone in the top right-hand corner below.
The phone number at which you can reach me will be provided in the calendar invitation sent to you after you confirm this appointment.
When reviewing available timeslots, remember to select your preferred time zone in the top right-hand corner below. The phone number at which you can reach me will be provided in the calendar invitation sent to you after you confirm this appointment.
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A copy of your inquiry will be emailed to the address you provide, and you will receive a response within 24 to 48 hours. When you submit your name and email, you are opting in for my email newsletter and relevant upcoming updates from Starla West International. I respect your privacy. Your email address will not be shared or sold. You can unsubscribe at any time.
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* Required
A copy of your inquiry will be emailed to the address you provide, and you will receive a response within 24 to 48 hours. When you submit your name and email, you are opting in for my email newsletter and relevant upcoming updates from Starla West International. I respect your privacy. Your email address will not be shared or sold. You can unsubscribe at any time.