Independent facilitation for boards and leaders to help people reach agreement, make decisions and move forward together.

Your team or board needs greater clarity, direction and alignment

You need to agree direction, priorities, roles or ways of working so everyone is clear on the pathway forward, and their part in delivering results.

An important project or idea needs shaping

You need to bring the right people together to explore, plan, make decisions and follow through.

Organisations or communities need to work together

You need to bring agencies, partners, stakeholders, iwi, hapū or communities together around a shared issue, opportunity or outcome.

You want to set a collaboration up well from the beginning

You're starting something new and want to be clear about the purpose, involve the right people and create the conditions for people to work well together.

You're going around in circles

The conversations keep happening, but decisions aren't being made, priorities remain unclear or agreements aren't being followed through.

Different people need to find a way forward together

There are different perspectives, priorities or interests to work through before you can reach agreement and move ahead.

Good collaboration needs to be deliberately designed and supported. After years of practical experience and observation, I've learned that effective collaboration relies on five connected elements: Foundations, Design, Facilitate, Implement, and Review and Reflect. What each looks like in practice depends on the people, purpose and context in each situation. Together, they help build trust, bring different perspectives into the conversation, and turn decisions into shared action.

Foundations

Understand what you're trying to achieve, the context you're working in, and what needs to be in place to move forward. You start in the right place, with the right people, and don't waste time solving the wrong problem.

Design

Shape the process around the people, purpose and context. People can contribute meaningfully and you have a clear way to work through differences and reach decisions.

Facilitate

Create the conditions for honest, inclusive and productive conversations. You hear what needs to be heard, work through the tricky stuff and reach decisions people can get behind.

Implement

Turn decisions and agreements into action. Everyone knows what happens next, who is responsible, and good intentions don't disappear once the meeting is over.

Review and reflect

Step back, learn and adapt as the work progresses. You can see what's working, deal with problems early and adjust before things get off track.

When to consider an independent facilitator

An independent facilitator can help:

Encourage different voices to contribute, and create a fair, inclusive process.
Select the most effective tools and activities
Work through difficult issues without tension derailing progress.
Keep conversations moving towards decisions and action.
Protect relationships while working through differences.
Let you participate fully rather than facilitating at the same time.

Independent facilitation isn't needed for every situation.

When it is, having someone who isn't tied to a particular position or outcome can be really valuable to help people work through ideas and options, and find a way forward.

Get in touch

Carolyn Smith

Collaboration & Facilitation Specialist

I help people work together to plan, make decisions and move forward. For more than 25 years, I’ve worked with people tackling important issues where no one person, team or organisation has all the answers.

Let’s talk about what you’re working through

Let's talk

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Internal collaboration and team development
Shoma Prasad, Principal Engagement Advisor - Local Boards, Auckland Council

"Thank you so much for your openness and flexibility over the last two days. The Engagement Advisor cohort was incredibly appreciative of the safe space you created for them to openly share thoughts, challenges, and experiences"

Building clarity, alignment and commitment within governance roles
Hanariki Mā, Chairperson, Northland Youth Theatre.

“This has been a highly impactful process helping our entire board to understand governance better, identify our gaps & goals and create a plan that inspires us into action. As a result, we are united as a board, clear on our roles and alive with the values of our organisation.”

Strategic planning shaped around the people and kaupapa
Chris Twiss, CEO, I Have a Dream Charitable Trust.

“Carolyn did a great job of quickly gaining an understanding of all of that and adapting and customising the strategic and operational planning processes accordingly. All of the sessions that she facilitated were very inclusive... The end outcomes are an excellent set of roadmaps that will really help guide the direction and success of the organisation over the next 3–5 years.”

Bringing different perspectives into a shared direction
Louise Saunders, CEO, Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku Trust.

"Her facilitation helped distill our diverse perspectives into a cohesive logical structure, and we appreciated the time she allowed for important conversations and finding the commonalities in our diverse group."

Strengthening alignment within a senior leadership team
Jensen Webber CEO | Mahitahi Hauora PHO

“The two days we spent together were the most valuable from a team building perspective. I have already started using the new definitions of our values – its so much easier to describe and work towards as a result.”

Collaboration across organisations and sectors
Angela Mayson, former Partnerships Director, Department of Conservation

“Through collaborative strategic planning, both within the organisation and with partners from businesses, to government to communities, Carolyn initiated a step change in nature conservation and the links to social development... [and] worked to facilitate a wide range of collaborative initiatives across the motu with businesses and local government.”

How well is your collaboration working?

Take the Assessment

Is independent facilitation worth the investment?

When a group of busy people spends hours in meetings that go in circles, avoids difficult issues or leaves without clear decisions and ownership, that already has a cost.

Independent facilitation is most valuable when the outcome matters enough to get the process right.

A well-designed and facilitated process can help people use their time well, bring different perspectives into the decision, work through difficult issues and leave with greater clarity, ownership and commitment to what happens next.

What does it cost?

The cost depends on what you're trying to achieve, who's involved and the level of support you need.

You don't necessarily need to bring me in to lead the whole process. I can provide coaching and advice to help you lead it yourself, work alongside you at key stages, or take responsibility for designing and facilitating the whole process.

We'll talk first about what you're trying to achieve and the support that would add the most value. You'll know the cost and what's included before deciding whether to proceed.

Find out about costs

How do I know whether we need outside support?

You may not. Sometimes you simply need advice or coaching to help you lead the work yourself.

In other situations, having someone independent design or facilitate the process can make a significant difference.

It may be worth considering outside support when conversations are going in circles, different interests or power dynamics need careful handling, important issues aren't being discussed, you need to participate fully yourself, or the outcome needs to be seen as fair and credible.

Isn’t this project management?

No. My role is usually focused on helping the people involved understand the issue, bring different perspectives together, make decisions, build commitment and agree a clear way forward.

Project management focuses on managing the detailed delivery: plans, timelines, budgets, tasks, reporting and coordination. The two can work alongside each other, but they solve different problems.

Coaching

From $300 + GST. Experienced advice and practical support to help you confidently lead the process yourself.

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One off facilitation

From $2,200 + GST. For when you need an independent facilitator to design and lead a particular meeting, workshop or strategic planning session.

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Multi-stage facilitation & support

Generally from $8,000 + GST. For work that needs several connected stages. I help you set it up well, support the parts where I can add most value, and build in clear accountability and review.

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