Team Retreats, Facilitation & Leadership Team Consulting
Every team has a through‑line, too. Let's find yours together.
Retreat design and facilitation, senior leadership team development, and steady support for teams moving through change. I'm a thoughtful outside partner for leadership teams, staff, and boards, whether or not you're looking for a "coach."
When Teams Bring Me In
Most teams don't need fixing. They need room to do the work together.
Teams usually reach out at a turning point, when what got them here isn't quite enough for what's next. A few of the moments I hear about most often:
- A new leader is inheriting a team and wants to start well
- Trust has frayed after a reorganization, a merger, or a hard year
- A senior team operates more like a group of department heads than a team
- There's a strategy everyone nods along to, but no one quite owns
- You have an annual retreat coming up and want it to actually matter
- Roles and decision-making have gotten blurry, and it's costing the team time and goodwill
What I Do
Ways I partner with teams.
Every engagement is shaped around your group, but most draw on some combination of the following.
Retreat design & facilitation
Half-day, full-day, and multi-day retreats for leadership teams, staff, and boards. I design the retreat with you and facilitate it, so the leader can participate fully instead of running the room.
Senior leadership team development
Helping senior teams get clear on their purpose, decide what only they can do together, and work as a real team. My approach draws on research into what makes senior leadership teams effective.
Team assessment & discovery
Confidential one-on-one interviews or a short pulse survey, followed by a candid readout of themes for the leader. It's a clear picture of what's really going on before anyone designs a solution.
Facilitated working sessions
Focused sessions on strategic planning and priorities, role clarity, decision-making, and team working agreements, where the hard conversation finally happens and leads somewhere.
Team coaching through change
A series of sessions across a season of change, whether that's a reorg, a new leader, rapid growth, or a strategic pivot, so the team keeps its footing while the ground shifts.
Coaching for the team's leader
One-on-one coaching for the person leading the team, alongside the team work, so the changes the group commits to have a leader ready to carry them.
How It Works
Start by listening. Then design for your team.
Clear to scope, and grounded in what your team actually needs.
I don't bring an off-the-shelf retreat. We start by understanding what's going on, from your perspective and, often, from your team's. Then I design the work around it and put a clear scope, timeline, and investment in writing. I work with organizations across a wide range of budgets, including non-profits and public agencies.
Request a proposal- 1Intro conversationWhat your team is navigating, and what a good outcome would look like.
- 2DiscoveryConfidential conversations with team members or a short assessment, as needed.
- 3Readout & designWhat I heard, shared with the leader, and a session or retreat designed around it.
- 4The work itselfA facilitated retreat, a session series, or support across a period of change.
- 5Follow-throughA written summary of commitments and a check-in, so the momentum lasts.
What It Can Look Like
A few common shapes.
These are starting points, not packages. Most engagements end up as some version of one of them.
One focused day that moves the team forward.
- Pre-retreat conversations with team members
- A design session with the leader
- A facilitated half- or full-day retreat
- A written summary of decisions and commitments
- A follow-up check-in
Building a real leadership team over time.
- A series of retreats or working sessions over several months
- Focused on purpose, shared work, and how the team decides
- Light work between sessions to keep momentum
- Optional coaching for the team's leader
An honest picture before you act.
- Confidential one-on-one interviews across the team
- A themes readout for the leader
- Recommendations for what to do next
- Can stand on its own, or lead into a retreat
Not looking for a coach? That's okay.
Some teams want a coach. Others want a facilitator, a consultant, or simply an experienced outside partner who can help the group have the conversation it hasn't been able to have on its own. Call it whatever fits your organization. The work is the same: careful listening, thoughtful design, and a room where people can be honest and get somewhere.
Why Me
I've sat at the leadership table, and I've facilitated it.
I've spent 13+ years partnering with leaders and teams on culture, complexity, and change. Today I'm a Senior Organizational Development Consultant at the University of Virginia, where I design and facilitate retreats, support senior teams, and coach leaders. Before that, I was Chief of Staff at UVA's Batten School and Managing Director of Executive Talent at Teach For America, so I know what it's like to be a member of a leadership team, not just to advise one.
I started out as a journalist at the Associated Press, MSNBC, and The Hill, and that listening craft is still at the center of how I work with groups. I hold a graduate certificate in Organizational Behavior from Harvard and an MPP from the University of Chicago, and I've worked across academic, medical, government, and non-profit settings. If your team is in public service, here's more on that work.
Questions
Common questions from team leaders.
Is this coaching or consulting?
Both, depending on what your team needs. Some engagements are mostly facilitation and design, like a retreat or a planning session. Others look more like team coaching across several months. We'll figure out the right mix together.
Do I need to know exactly what we need before we talk?
Not at all. Many leaders reach out with a sense that something isn't working, or a retreat date on the calendar and no plan yet. Sorting that out is what the first conversation is for.
What kinds of groups do you work with?
Senior leadership teams, intact staff teams, cross-functional groups, and boards, across academic, medical, government, and non-profit organizations.
Will what team members share stay confidential?
Yes. In discovery conversations, I share themes, not who said what, and we agree on how information will be used before anything begins.
Can you work within our budget or procurement process?
Yes. Every engagement is scoped in a written proposal with a clear timeline and investment, and I'm glad to provide whatever documentation your organization needs. I work with teams across a wide range of budgets.
Get Started
Let's talk about your team.
A short, no-pressure conversation about what your team is navigating and what kind of support would help. No prep required.