Marcia Hodges has been an executive leader for more than 30 years and a group facilitator for the past five. She has executive experience in organizations with budgets ranging from $1 million to $30 million. She combines these areas of expertise to provide value to a wide array of clients in settings as diverse as corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors and in markets ranging from law and for-profit enterprises to environmental, education, health and wellness and social services. She utilizes a wide range of tools and methodologies to arrive at specific outcomes desired by an organization’s leadership.
Facilitation
Facilitated discussion objectives might include creating a consensus, an action plan or a strategic plan. At other times it is helpful to have a facilitator, such as in conversations around difficult or controversial topics. Then the facilitator ensures that all the parties are heard, and their voices respected. Based on advanced planning with the group leadership, each discussion is intentionally designed to achieve the outcome that the management team specifies.
Marcia believes in freeing up the “wisdom in the room” to arrive at innovative solutions to complex problems. She is a Nationally Certified Technology of Participation (ToP) Facilitator using methods developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs.
The powerful ToP methodologies help groups work together creatively and productively. They:
- Provide a structure to prevent groups from aimlessly drifting during important conversations or meetings.
- Are highly versatile so that whether members of a group know each other or not, productive work can result.
- Provide unique ways to focus people on one topic long enough to determine a clear direction for the next steps.
- Allow for real listening to occur, without any need for raising voices or repeating previously stated positions.
- Encourage understanding rather than criticism.
- Discourage negative thinking.
- Elicit both rational and emotional responses to arrive at authentic communication and real solutions.
- Create a sense of safety in the room so that all participants can speak honestly, knowing that their responses will be accepted and respected.
- Create a healthy environment so that important conversations can develop in an organic, dynamic process.
For those planning a facilitated discussion or process using ToP methods, it is essential to be open to this deep level of participative planning and dialogue.
Executive Leadership
Marcia is highly motivated to support managers and staff during leadership transitions and at critical moments of strategic business decisions—these are catalyst moments that can boost an organization’s momentum. She brings objectivity, a fresh perspective and new ideas to all aspects of management.
Incorporating facilitation into her executive leadership skills, she is gifted at creating consensus in groups large or small. Her clients have said that conversations are more inclusive and meaningful, and that their organizations have become more energized and productive. This approach leads to deeper levels of commitment and greater levels of satisfaction for collective decisions.