My approach to coaching...

Sometimes the leaders of an organization can determine the professional development they need and I can respond to deliver that expertise in a variety of sessions to fit this need. More often than not, though, folks around the planning table know that 'something' is needed, but there is much conjecture on 'what' that is.

Utilizing Lifecycle Stages, my own considerable first-hand experience, and tools and practices I've picked up along the way from my own mentors, I love to facilitate the engagement that helps leaders and managers arrive at a consensual diagnosis of their present capacity.

From this diagnosis, we then work together to identify and carry out the steps to build the capacity necessary to deliver the value that the 'moral owners' of your Society desire.

We can set up a complimentary call and I can tell you more...

Recipient of the Raising Curtains career achievement award from BC Touring Council, April 2024.

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

Part historical, part philosophical, always practical, 'Create Value. Become Indispensable.' offers first hand perspectives on how organizations succeed by building a reputation for dependable, valuable performance. With detail and insights, this Keynote presentation gives leaders and managers the opportunity for a reality check-up to assess where your organization is in its life cycle and to consider why some non-profits build engagement and trust with stakeholders while others lack for confidence.

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Board / Staff Planning customized sessions

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

These are usually a full day or a 1.5 day where an evening session is added the night before. If we're in diagnostic mode, we'd start with the "Create Value. Become Indispensable." session and then proceed into a number of activities that asks the leaders/managers around the table to consider and come to consensus on a diagnosis of their current realities. This is a powerful place to arrive at. Then the work turns to planning the steps needed to progress to building the desired capacity.

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Coaching Calls

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

Coaching Calls

Sometimes all it takes is a chat with someone who's "been there, done that" to clear the head and come unstuck. Throughout my career, there has been nothing more powerful for me than to be able to talk, listen, and learn from folks who've been on this path before me. I've had lots of practice at creative problem solving and I can support you to consider your competing options and offer up tools to strategize what to do next. We can set up one-off calls or we can arrange for some regular check-ins as you and your team make your way from "here" to "there."

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Galen Olstead, Managing Director, Key City Theatre

"Bill brought my board together to think about big ideas – Where do you want to get to? Where are you now? And with those questions, Bill took us on a deep collaborative dive into examining our organization.

"Our day long session was inspirational as Bill brought a lifelong passion for the performing arts with an equal passion for nonprofit leadership/governance and tied it all together with stories and examples that resonated with us all - both board and staff alike.

"What I really loved about this session is that it was about my board members – they were able to express their individual thoughts and challenges but also had a platform to work together to have real conversations. We left with new concepts and a concrete idea of where we are, and what we need to work on to get to where we want to go next. Thanks Bill!"

Galen Olstead

Dr. Andrew Mark, Executive Director, Hornby Island Arts Council

"At the start of 2019 we had a decision to make: were we going to fully and completely recommit ourselves to our goal of building an arts centre? With deadlines approaching, we seized that moment to invite Bill Usher to help us bridge the gap between the actual and the possible. Within the span of a few days, we reached out to Bill and he leapt into the fray with us the coming weekend.

"Sharing the advantages of Bill's visit and expertise with our community, we invited local community leaders and business leaders to Bill's opening sessions to help our organization position ourselves in the eyes of our community: How were we perceived? How were we performing? Where were we in the cycle of growth, maintenance, and contraction that all organizations experience, particularly in the arts?

"The following day, our board and Bill got down to brass tacks: What were the gaps between our perceptions of our capacity and the public's? How were we to operationalize closing the gap between the reality of the present and where we wanted to go? Bill, as our guide and coach, helped us chart the course, allowing us to see where we were as individuals and as a group, allowing us to air our troubles and strategize collective action. Bringing Bill to Hornby signaled to our community how seriously we were taking our job, and it helped us come together. Whether you are in the arts or any other nonprofit sector, you can use Bill's empathetic coaching skills to build consensus."

My approach to coaching...

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

Board / Staff Planning customized sessions

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

Coaching Calls

90 minute Keynote presentation "Create Value. Become Indispensable."

Coaching Calls

Galen Olstead, Managing Director, Key City Theatre

Dr. Andrew Mark, Executive Director, Hornby Island Arts Council

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