-- Lunchtime meeting! --
What do you do when you’re facilitating a meeting and the client or the group springs something unexpected on you?
Has your client ever changed the agenda in mid-course? How do you handle that?
So many of us have had this experience – it’s part of being a facilitator! We need to hone our skills to be prepared – to not freak out, to stay centered and to respond with poise.
In this unique program, we will hear a few scenarios from the presenters, up to the “cliffhanging” moment. Then, we’ll break into groups and discuss what we would do in their shoes, and how our background and experience influence our choice of interventions. Then we’ll hear what really happened and what the presenters learned from the situation – as well as what lessons we can take away from their experience. Thank goodness it was them and not us! (smile)
Here are some participants’ takeaways from previous programs:
It is incredibly valuable to have people reflect on the things they notice about "their" responses--with no sense of rightness--and hear from others.
I realized the option to stand back for a moment before reacting, and trying to fix something that may not need fixing.
The format and structure was quite conducive to shared learning.
Another amazing evening. Thank you so much for your skill at creating the container for this lovely group of facilitators to learn from each other.
Learning Objectives
Learn from other consultants and facilitators how to deal with unexpected changes
Gain insight into your reflexive reactions and surface your assumptions about “appropriate” reactions
Learn from each other some strategies for staying present in the midst of confusion.
Audience
Anyone who consults with clients, teams or groups will benefit from participating.
About your Facilitator: Abby Yanow has been an Executive Coach and an Organizational Development consultant for 20 years. She has coached physician leaders and nurse managers, as well as managers and executive directors in non-profit, education and state government - working with them on interpersonal skills, leading change and increasing their influence. Abby also helps leadership teams increase their capability to engage in difficult conversations. Abby is the President of the Boston Facilitators Roundtable, which is a professional association of 300+ OD consultants and coaches.
11:45 - 12:00 pm: Join Zoom Meeting
12:00 - 1:30 pm: Training
Please be aware that our trainings could be recorded or photographed.
~Special early morning meeting in partnership with TODN!~
AI is no longer a future consideration—it’s already shaping how leaders, teams, and organizations operate and get work done. For human-centered professionals, the opportunity is not to replace expertise or judgment, but to augment thinking, streamline effort, and expand capacity.
This session introduces generative AI as a strategic partner in your work: supporting insight generation, pattern recognition, documentation, communication, and design—while preserving the relational, reflective, and ethical core of your practice. Participants will explore how AI can assist with needs assessments, coaching preparation, workshop design, change initiatives, stakeholder communication, and ongoing learning reinforcement.
Imagine accelerating proposal development without starting from scratch, synthesizing qualitative data in minutes, or generating multiple pathways for client scenarios—all while maintaining professional judgment and confidentiality. Through hands-on exploration and real-world examples, you’ll learn how to apply AI responsibly to save time, enhance clarity, and deepen impact.
Designed for participants at all levels of AI familiarity—from cautious to curious to confident—this session emphasizes practical application over technical complexity. Attendees will leave with free AI tools, curated prompts, and next-step resources to continue building capability and momentum beyond the session.
Session Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Demystify Generative AI for Professional Practice -Understand what generative AI is (and isn’t), and how it can ethically support coaching, consulting, and OD work without replacing human judgment, presence, or expertise.
Enhance Impact Across the Engagement Lifecycle -Explore practical AI applications for discovery, diagnostics, design, delivery, communication, and follow-through, improving efficiency while increasing value for clients and stakeholders.
Strengthen Ethical and Responsible Use - Learn how to apply AI in alignment with professional standards, confidentiality requirements, and organizational policies, ensuring trust and integrity remain central.
Create a Personalized AI Integration Plan - Develop a simple, role-specific action plan to integrate AI into your work in a way that supports your goals, your clients’ needs, and your organization’s outcomes.
Access Practical Tools & Resources - Walk away with BONUS AI prompts, tools, and learning resources designed specifically for coaches, consultants, and OD professionals.
Your Facilitator:
Lei Comerford is an award-winning Executive and Leadership Coach, Certified AI Consultant, and founder of Lei Comerford Consulting. With over 25 years of leadership experience across healthcare and hospitality, she helps leaders advance by blending human-centered coaching, cognitive diversity, and practical AI fluency. Named one of the 2025 Top Coaches in America, Lei is known for empowering leaders to move from surviving to thriving with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
7:45 - 8:00 am: Join Zoom Meeting
8:00 - 9:30 am: Training
Today, probably more than ever, people face adversity, change, conflict, and uncertainty. It is imperative that they can both individually and collectively adapt, problem-solve, and navigate this environment effectively together.
The Spiral of Accountability™ takes the complex dynamic of human self-talk and human interactions and simplifies it into a visual representation that allows the readers to identify, name, and understand what is going on with them and the people around them. It then shows a pathway toward improving their reactions.
Together, participants will:
Participants will take away a Spiral Coaching job aid and an action plan to integrate their learnings into their day-to-day efforts.
Carol Horner is a published author with extensive experience designing and implementing custom learning and organization development programs and processes in the areas of leadership development, coaching, team development, communication, and change management. These experiences have led her to believe that in order to affect positive and productive changes in people’s attitudes, performance, and relationships, you need to actively engage them in their learning process and align them with key business objectives. Learning related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are incorporated into her work.
In 2019, Carol created the Spiral of Accountability™ that takes the complex dynamic of human self-talk and interactions and simplifies it into a visual representation that allows people to identify, name, and understand what is happening with them and the people around them. It then shows a pathway toward improving their reactions. Since then, her book titled The Spiral of Accountability was released on Amazon.
Learn more about Carol’s credentials, education and services on her LinkedIn profile! https://www.linkedin.com/in/beinsynch/
3:45 - 4:00 pm: Join Zoom Meeting
4:00 - 5:30 am: Training
"PNODN" is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
PO Box 46107, Seattle, WA 98146
