Testimonials
Read what some of our clients have to say about our consulting, facilitation, and network building services, and about our trainings.
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Testimonials for our consulting, facilitation, and network building services.
“IISC was able to take a vague vision of trying to expand a field beyond its usual suspects and turn it into a powerful fun, enriching experience for the hundreds of people involved. Their capacity to create learning environments is unparalleled, in large part because of the nurturing attitude and professional skills amongst the staff. We always look forward to projects that involve IISC as we know they will be challenging and rewarding.”
Lisa Jordan, former Deputy Director of Governance and Civil Society, Ford Foundation
“With the dogged assistance of IISC’s staff, we experienced a well-orchestrated inclusive planning process that incorporated a diversity of vested perspectives. IISC methodically walked the Foundation through a discussion of what it would take to construct a shared vision and plan for improving the lives of Springfield’s young children. While the final product of this work was the development of a comprehensive “blueprint” for our children, the process of achieving this plan, under the competent direction of IISC was as important as the product itself.”
Mary Walachy,Executive Director,
Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation
“IISC facilitated for our entire staff a reorganization process of teaming structures, staffing assignments, and decision making processes. They expertly interwove individual interviews with small group and full staff sessions to build a unified plan of reorganization that was eventually embraced unanimously by the full staff. The consultants were terrific in helping each staff person have a voice in the conversations, while moving diverse perspectives toward shared understanding and common agreements. As a result, we now have in place a reorganized structure that meets the changing needs of the work we face, while most importantly building a more collaborative staff culture.”
Dan French, Executive Director Center for Collaborative Education
“IISC modeled the language, the behaviors, and the techniques for planning and thinking through a large scale process. All of that was brand new to all of us. And it’s actually quite amazing - it’s a language and a way of organizing and being in community that has really filtered down into the way the Peace and Security community does its business and its operations.”
Naila Bolus, Executive Director, The Ploughshares Fund
“I don’t know of any other consulting group that has the knowledge and experience in the area of social change work that IISC has. We are attempting a sea change within a complex situation and I am sure that no other consultant could have gotten us to where we needed to be in such a short time. We are forging deeper and broader relationships in the community development field and there is a sense of hope that we can actually do something about the issue of racism now and how it impacts our field.”
Pam Jones, Program Officer, LISC Boston
“For an organization like the Ten Point Coalition, collaboration is both essential and often maddeningly difficult to achieve. That’s one reason we treasure the invaluable role that the Interaction Institute for Social Change has played in our development. Their training, facilitation, strategic planning and other services have helped us build partnerships, master the skills needed to maintain those partnerships, and develop the organizational structures, policies, and practices we needed. Without their help, it would have been difficult, if not impossible to do what we’ve done in the time that we’ve done it.”
Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond, President, Boston Ten Point Coalition
“Our strategic planning process with IISC was successful beyond our wildest dreams. Not only have we crystallized our vision for our work and for our role in social change in Boston, we have learned so much about how to work together well. The IISC process and commitment to careful preparation for each phase of the planning process meant that we literally did not waste a moment of our planning time. One of our key stakeholders told me after a meeting that the thoughtful and careful design of that process reaffirmed that UEI is an effective and visionary partner. We owe that sort of positive feedback to IISC.”
Charlie Lord, former Executive Director Urban Ecology Institute
Testimonials for our trainings
“IISC brought really excellent tools to use for developing leaders. The tools they offer give people a framework and provide flexibility –this is important because it empowers people to be successful in their own way….All of the IISC consultants were well grounded and authentic people. They embody the material and the concepts.”
Michael McCormack, former Program Director, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
“The IISC approach to working with teams and groups catapulted the strength of our teaching cohort to a new level. Our professional interactions and personal understanding of each other has made working together enlightening. We had previously taken classes together as the same group, and bonded through those, though not nearly as much as through the unique approach of IISC – treating everyone as valuable members, leaders, and collaborators. I wish I could have the shared experience of Facilitative Leadership® with the staff that I work with most closely because those that went through it connect on a real collaborative level of leadership.”
Jesse Leavitt, 8th Grade Academy, Citizen Schools
“Without being overly dramatic, the practical, usable, simple tools were life changing. I’ve been through lots of trainings and leadership courses in my career and this one is so different. It is complete, fun, tangible, focused and you get to practice using the tools in a “safe” environment. This makes them immediately usable when you leave. I’ve not run a meeting the same since and I’ve not managed my staff the same since. Thanks for providing these powerful experience to make me a better leader.”
Amy Smith, Regional Vice President, Hands On Network
“Everyone should have the opportunity to participate in something similar, regardless of whether or not your core activity is facilitation. We all participate in meetings of some kind and this understanding can lead to a much more effective, inclusive way of doing our jobs.”
Virginia Bohan, Senior Training Advisor, FAS- Training and Employment Authority, Kilkenny, Ireland
“How I wished I had taken this workshop years ago! Any organization that cares about its success should invest the time and resources in their staff so that they may learn the benefits of Facilitative Leadership®.”
Andrea Freeman, Director of Training and Conferences, Land Trust Alliance
“The best workshop/training session I have ever been involved in. It provides useful and usable tools to facilitate change, and to develop and engage in collaborative change. It gives me a sense that it is really achievable and can really work.”
Aoife McCormack, Community Enterprise Development Officer, Kerry County Council, Ireland
“Facilitative Leadership® gave me the confidence to create an agenda and then stick to it. I am now able to give everyone the opportunity to speak and to make sure that everyone understands what’s going on throughout our meetings. I now have the tools to facilitate agreements. We’re making decisions! It feels so good to have a meeting and be able to say, “We got so much done!” We’re so motivated by the changes that Facilitative Leadership® has made in the quality of our meetings that we’re planning much more ambitious projects than even a year ago. It has made a world of difference in our Council.”
Grantee, Graustein Memorial Fund Discovery Initiative
“As a facilitator of parent leadership programs, I was delighted to learn new processes in Facilitative Leadership® that help me lead effective change in communities on behalf of children and families. Soon after the training, I spent more time with staff developing our next meeting agenda with roles, responsibilities, and timeframes clearly (and reasonably) defined. Attending this training with a colleague made the experience even more powerful. We are now perfectly aligned on process, and work intentionally to be effective leaders for change. Our workshop facilitators met our needs at every turn. They delivered content and led our classroom experiences with great insight and capability. It is, however, the power of their spirit that influenced me most profoundly. This is a learning experience I will not soon forget.”
Patti Keckeisen, Grantee, Graustein Memorial Fund Discovery Initiative
“I brought in IISC consultants to do a Facilitative Leadership® training for Centro Presente staff and board members because I knew it could make a significant organization-wide impact, especially during a time of stressful transitions. The consultants skillfully created a spiritual and loving space for us to learn and be together in a very different way than in our day-to-day work. Beyond learning the skills, framework and principles of FL, community was built over the three days. I remember a qualitative change in our morale and internal strength to face the challenges that were confronting us at the time. I believe that one of the biggest barriers to transformative and profound change is that people doing social justice work do not know how to come together for conversations that get us to a deeper level of mutual understanding and agreement. FL demonstrated to me the importance of being very deliberate and purposeful in the way that one designs a space for people to come together for conversations. I see FL as more than a skill-building workshop – it is a movement that has potential to make a huge impact.”
Elena Letona, former Executive Director, Centro Presente
“Facilitative Leadership® is a powerful foundation for leaders. The principles and the strategies that are a part of that course really enable people to advocate and build around change, in communities and in organizations… . It is very clear to me those at Citizen Schools who have participated in the training – how they organize meetings, how they lead within the organization, and how they bring different stakeholders together towards getting something done.”