CASE STUDY
Graphic Facilitation
The Humane Society of the United States convened their Companion Animal Advisory Council annually for two days of meetings. The Council included humane leaders from each state, primarily shelter executives.
VISIONARY
Organization: The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
Location: Washington, DC area
HSUS is the largest animal protection organization in the U.S. Its mission is to end suffering for all animals.
Challenge
The Companion Animal Advisory Council gave HSUS the chance to hear members’ perspectives on what was happening in the field, to share key initiatives and identify ways the organizations and leaders from around the country could help each other be even more effective for animals.
The meetings addressed critical issues affecting dogs, cats and other domestic animals as well as management of the Council.
Approach and Results
This meeting was the first time I’d added visual work to meeting facilitation. The project included everything from planning the agenda to developing templates to leading the session.
The impact was tremendous. Participants reported being energized as soon as they walked in and saw the large, colorful templates, such as the one at the right. They knew they’d be rolling up their sleeves to do productive work that would make a difference.
HSUS shared the follow-up images so Council members could communicate with their staff and providing additional feedback. The charts also supported ongoing work between meetings.
Caryn was instrumental in partnering with me to lead full-day, issue exploration and planning sessions. Our participants really loved the visual facilitation and graphic recording — the style and format provided the group with a memorable, visually-apealing way to capture all the ideas generated. Caryn is a pleasure to work with and makes meetings easier, more productive, and fun!
Betsy MacFarland, past VP, Companion Animals, The Humane Society of the United States