Workshops
Affordable, small-group workshops that give you highly usable skills in less than a day.
Email us to be notified about upcoming workshops.
All venues are wheelchair accessible and close to public transit and parking.
Current workshops include:
Strategic planning kick-start and repair clinic
Date: Friday, October 17, 2008
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Quaker Meeting House (San Francisco, CA)
Strategic planning kick-start and repair clinic
Date: Friday, November 7, 2008
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Quaker Meeting House (San Francisco, CA)
Strategic planning without a consultant: Going solo safely
Not currently scheduled
Essential facilitation of small groups: Making working together easier
Not currently scheduled
Strategic planning kick-start and repair clinic
The workshop
Are you getting started on a strategic planning journey but not sure what to pack or route to take? Is your current strategic planning project experiencing poor fuel efficiency, flat tire or a blown valve? Join us for this hands-on, tailored clinic and get on the road!
Open lunch hour, with optional brown bag discussion. (Location is near dine-in and take-out options.)
Who should attend
This workshop is for anyone leading, coordinating or participating in an organizational strategic planning process.
What you'll learn
Applying a wide range of incisive concepts and tools to their specific cases, participants will learn to diagnose problems and identify solutions that can greatly improve their strategic planning experience and outcomes. Some common topics include planning project design, assessment, strategy development, timeframes, mission assessment, values and vision development, goal setting, indicators, organizational alignment/integration, implementation and evaluation mechanisms, action plans, roll-out, planning evaluation, and more.
Cost
$110/person. Lunch not included. 10% off total cost for a group of three or more registering for workshops at the same time.
Learn more about our workshops.
Strategic planning without a consultant: Going solo safely
The workshop
No other kind of planning is as consequential for your organization as strategic planning—the process of building a well-considered course and structure for your work. Often it requires costly external resources to ensure good process, detailed coordination, planning expertise and objectivity. It is, however, possible to do primarily in-house (and save significant resources), if you have a good grip on the fundamentals.
Open lunch hour, with optional brown bag discussion. (Location is near dine-in and take-out options.)
Who should attend
This workshop is for managers and planning participants who seek to safely go it alone or limit reliance on outside guidance in strategic planning.
What you'll learn
Participants will learn the essential components of strategic planning and explore what level of in-house direction would work well for their organizations. Topics include planning to plan, taking stock (including organizational guidance, lessons learned and organizational and environmental assessment), strategic plan development (including timeframes, mission assessment, values and vision, strategy development, goal setting and indicators, organizational integration, action plans, follow-through and evaluation mechanisms), adoption, roll-out and planning evaluation. Effective planning worksheets and other tools are included. We'll spend time working with your particular case to help you decide how to approach your planning needs.
Cost
$190/person. Lunch not included. Needs-based discounts available. 10% off total cost for a group of three or more registering for workshops at the same time.
Learn more about our workshops.
Essential facilitation of small groups: Making working together easier
The workshop
Meetings are a decisive part of working together to change the world. Good facilitation makes working together effective and positive, improving focus, clarity, decision-making, ownership, implementation, use of time, satisfaction and much, much more.
Open lunch hour, with optional brown bag discussion. (Location is near dine-in and take-out options.)
Who should attend
This workshop is for beginning facilitators and those with significant experience who wish to become more capable and confident. Be among the relatively small pool of people appreciated for making working together easier!
What you'll learn
Participants will increase their understanding of facilitation issues, concepts and techniques, and position themselves to take the next step in their role as facilitator with concrete concepts and techniques to apply.
Topics include the facilitator's role, setting agendas (and other preparation), balancing process direction, creating inclusive and productive participation space, making things engaging and fun, dealing with difficult member dynamics, decision-making concepts and techniques, orientation to advanced topics and elective topics, such as consensus process and teleconference facilitation.
Bring your specific facilitation issues. Role plays abound in this highly participatory session!
Cost
$95/person (includes copy of presenter's text: Essential Facilitation in Non-profit and Grassroots Groups and Teams). Lunch not included. Needs-based discounts available. 10% off total cost for a group of three or more registering for workshops at the same time.
About our workshops
All of our workshops:
- Focus on highly usable skills in less than a day
- Are affordable
- Are small (maximum enrollments vary)
- Can be custom designed and delivered in-house, anywhere
- Include follow-up support
Presenter
Workshops are led by Skip Spitzer, principal of Root Action Consulting. A change maker on a wide range of social and environmental issues for more than 25 years, Mr. Spitzer has worked locally, state-wide, nationally, internationally and globally. He has founded numerous organizations, worked in war zones, coordinated international coalitions and helped negotiate global environmental treaty texts. Mr. Spitzer has worked with groups focusing on neighborhood quality, labor, education, social services, international development, toxics, public health, environmental, gender, race, sustainable agriculture, transportation and other issues. An experienced social change skills trainer, mediator, university and college instructor, researcher, author, planner, strategist, software engineer and Web developer, he provides collaboration services to help people work together for effective and inclusive social change.
Other workshops
Additional workshops include:
- Time management for effective change
- Campaign development
- Grassroots organizing
- Essential facilitation of small groups
- Strategic planning
- Joint efforts, coalitions, networks and other collaborations
- Decision-making by consensus
- Using non-violent direct action
- Custom trainings
Other services
Additional services we provide include:
- Facilitation and issue resolution
- Strategic planning and organizational development
- Campaign development
- Conflict resolution
- Event and action organizing
- Project management
- Time management
- Focus groups
Root Action Consulting supports effective change through effective public action. Whatever your team or group's size, focus, roadblocks or scope, we can help make working together efficient, inclusive, rewarding and easy.