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SharED

A new capacity building program for

not-for-profit organizations in the South Okanagan.

What it is
The SharED group includes approximately 12-15 different not for profit agency Executive Directors, General Managers or Administrators and two facilitators.  The group meets once a month for two and a half hours to serve as a board of advisors for each other.  In a confidential environment, members help each other with agency challenges and other not-for-profit related issues. 

Meetings
Meetings follow a tested and proven format which includes, among other things, agenda items intended to develop a culture of accountability between team members. Meetings focus on long-term, strategic issues, in the process forcing team members to plan and strategize for the future. Participation in the problem-solving forum allows each member to openly, yet confidentially, discuss challenges and opportunities.

The success of SharED’s problem-solving format is founded on the following beliefs:

• That all not-for profits have similar problems
• That, by assembling twelve (or more) Executive Directors, General Managers or Administrators and two trained Facilitators in one room, someone will have a solution to any given problem.
• That fourteen heads (12 members and 2 Facilitators) are better than one.
• That peer problem-solving is the best way to successfully resolve business problems.
• That experience is a more efficient teacher than trial and error. 

 What Makes the Problem-Solving Concept Work?

Three key components are necessary for the success of SharED's problem-solving format.

 1. Confidentiality. Each team member must sign a Confidentiality Agreement in advance of becoming a member. This agreement pledges that the signer will keep all meeting discussions confidential. Experience has proven that team members take these Confidentiality Agreements seriously, thus confidentiality has never been a problem in SharED's years of existence.

 2. Commitment. Team members are counseled before joining that once they commit to becoming a member of a team they become an integral part of that team. As a result they make a commitment to their Facilitators and to their fellow team members to attend meetings regularly. Commitment is measured by attendance, and a lack of attendance is followed up, and acted upon, by the team's Facilitators.

 3. Accountability. Presenters of issues at team meetings understand that they are "accountable" to either act on the Action Items assigned to them by their Facilitators or, failing that, at the very least respond to those Action Items at a future meeting. In this manner a "Board of Advisors" environment is created as team members become accountable to follow up suggestions and recommendations.

Team Meetings
Team meetings are held once a month on recurring dates (for instance, the second Tuesday of each month) for 2 1/2 hours (flexible) at a site arranged by the administrator and/or the team's Facilitators.

  Each meeting includes a set agenda as follows:

• A two-minute update by team members on what has happened since the last meeting.
• A follow-up of the Action Items that were assigned to team members at the previous meeting.
• An opportunity for team members to present an Immediate Crisis - a problem for which they need immediate help.
• Presentation by two or more team members of their most pressing "Strategic Issue," defined as a long term challenge, problem or opportunity. Those team members will, at the team's previous meeting, be pre-assigned the responsibility of presenting their Strategic Issue.
• Assignment of Action Items for the next meeting. The Facilitators will determine which of the team's suggestions should be assigned as Action Items, to be followed-up at the next meeting.
• This follow-up of assigned Action Items is essential to the success of creating a successful, engaged Problem-Solving Team. Follow-up builds accountability, and accountability is a necessary component of the problem-solving process.

Pricing
Thanks to our volunteer focus – the SharED membership fee is a nominal $149 for agencies.
If after three months you decide that SharED is not for you, we will refund your membership fee in full.