I, and colleague Jay Vogt, just recently led a roundtable of over 100 business people, venture capitalists, lawyers, academics and government officials, who gathered to ascertain the feasibility of creating an industry group to promote clean energy businesses in Massachusetts. The result? The commitment and funding to launch, by fall of this year, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Council, a trade group modeled on the MA Biotechnology Council.
To read more about it in the Boston Globe, click here.

I recently designed a two-day summit sponsored by the Yale School of Public Health, the National Institutes for Health and the City of New Haven that brought together more than 70 diverse leaders from the New Haven and Yale communities to create a partnership whose mission is to promote and use clinical research to improve the health and well- being of New Haven.
To read the results of that summit, facilitated by Erline Belton and myself, contact me, click here.

A year and a half ago, I met with a diverse group of stakeholders in a large pharma to lead them through a process to collaboratively create a vision and plan for a new, cutting edge function - new to the industry and new to the company. Over a series of four planning sessions, we created the vision; strategy and implementation plan for that new function. I am pleased to report that the function is up and running with the first wave of over fifty new staff hired and delivering results. They have just been given the green light to continue on their ambitious plan.

In March, I facilitated a meeting of over fifty social change leaders from the US and Canada who gathered to explore the feasibility of establishing a regional council of ethical leadership in North America to promote policies aimed at creating a sustainable, just and healthy planet. The council will be an affiliate of the World Future Council, located in Hamburg Germany, an organization endorsed by the Dalai Lama, which holds the promise of being one of the most influential worldwide councils of the future.
To read Lois Barber's account in Kosmos,click here.

I just completed work helping a 100 year-old nonprofit organization create a vision and strategy for transitioning from an all-volunteer organization to a staffed organization. I am happy to report that they recently held their first open house with invitations to the community to see their new office space and meet their new executive director. Congratulations ARAW!

This past spring we piloted Creating Your Personal Strategic Plan, a group coaching experience for leaders. I am happy to report that less than two- months after completing the process, every participant is engaged in realizing a key goal, which they had not articulated until they began the process! A testament to these great individuals - willing to dream their impossible dream - and to the power of groups!

Here's what one participant had to say about the program: Energizing, inspirational, and remarkably effective - our PSP sessions provided the support and process to move my career and overall life forward in a new direction. Denise has a knack for opening your eyes to ways of getting around any roadblock or negative assumption that has stopped you before from flourishing. I also found the structure of a group meeting to be wonderfully reassuring - you quickly realize that you are not the only one who's been wondering, "Now, what am I going to do with the rest of my life?"

To see what others are saying, click here.

• Creating Your Personal Strategic Plan, meeting Thursdays at noon
• Creating Your Personal Strategic Plan - a special group for CEO's (TBA-call for details)
• Emerging Leaders, a coaching group for new leaders (TBA)

Each group meets twice per month for one hour via teleconference with 6 participants. Register today if you are interested! Spaces will fill fast! For more information or to register, click here

Why Do It?
The value of the multi-stakeholder summit is five-fold:

• It saves time
• It stimulates innovation and creativity
• Learning happens, from hearing different points of view, real-time
• Relationships are built, and
• It creates a springboard for planning and goal-setting.

What To Keep in Mind To Be Successful?

• Get the whole system in the room
• Have small, diverse groups self-manage their work
• Build a common database together
• Seek common ground through dialogue, and
• Strive to create parity among all participants.

If you are looking for a new way to tackle a complex challenge, contact me to discuss if a large group summit might be a good approach to take. And, be ready for magic to happen!

My newest article, Retaining Top Women Business Leaders: Strategies For Ending The Exodus, was recently published in the Handbook of Business Strategy's Focus on Leadership. To get your copy, click here.

As many of you know, my work is over 95% referral based. That means that you are my most valued resource for future work. Thank you for being part of the Cormier Associates network. We appreciate your support and trust in our capabilities.