Facilitation
Photo: Roger Lawrence, LRPS
Lin Whitfield regularly designs and facilitates review and strategic planning days for organisations and teams, partnership away days, and team development days. She develops working frameworks which focus on specific outcomes and clear, achievable action plans, using practical and participative methods which are designed to get people working together and to emphasise the 'we'. Discussion flows naturally as part of the working process, and understanding is built between participants.
"Lin facilitated a review and strategic planning day for the Board and senior staff 18 months ago. Her insightful work set us off down a road of change: we decided that our Articles of Association needed revision (specifically, to add another charitable object), that we needed a plan to involve all Trustees more closely, and that we needed, especially, a comprehensive strategic plan. Now all these are in place and/or in effect. In governance terms, we are much stronger than before. We hope this will soon lead to operational strength too, but as always so many of the levers are just out of reach!"
- Julian Williams, Chief Executive, SOFA Project
Lin has many years' experience of collaboration and partnership working, particularly in delivering services. She supports and facilitates consortium development and collaborative working, especially in tendering, where she draws on her experience of both commissioning services and also being contracted to deliver.
"Thank you for your hard work over the past six months in helping us to achieve a single credit union service for Wiltshire. Your commitment and skill in driving things forward and the mentoring support and advice you have offered to the partnership have been much appreciated and have helped us move nearer to our aim."
- Lynn Gibson, Assistant Chief Executive, Community First
Lin is able to convey a sense of energy, enthusiasm and excitement in order to encourage individuals and teams to think creatively, but can also inject a strong dose of realism where this is needed.
"Our staff and Trustees had been through a challenging period of uncertainty, change and growth, and we wanted a team day that would celebrate our achievements but also acknowledge how tough things had been and what we'd learned. The team day Lin designed and facilitated achieved all this and much more - we had a creative and enjoyable day which enabled us to look ahead with confidence."
- Rachel Robinson, Chief Executive, The Care Forum