People work in teams for a reason. Whether they are volunteering on a cause that they feel strongly about or, assigned to a team, they all want to feel that their time has been well spent. Following the guidelines to achieve the status of a Blue Ribbon Team, will maximize the impact of your group as well as encourage participation and fun along the way. Not every team will be able to achieve every goal outlined in this book. The more goals your team can fulfill the more effective performance of your team. We recommend that your team members complete the baseline evaluation located in the appendix to start a baseline score for your team. You can then measure your progress incrementally until your team becomes a Blue Ribbon Team. If you are looking for a book that you can hand off to your teams/committee leads and have them drive their own changes, this is your book. Consider a work session with your team leaders and use this book as the driving content and how they will implement in their areas.
About the Author: Laurie Dougherty, Certified Association Executive (CAE), ToP Qualified Trainer, Certified Facilitator, and Florida ToP Methods Registrar, understands non profits and government agencies. Laurie is serving in her 25th year as Executive Director with the Illinois Section AWWA. She offers virtual and in person facilitation and strategic planning and training. Laurie earned her Certified Association Executive designation in 2013 and is a Technology of Participation (ToP) (R) Methods Trainer and Facilitator. Laurie is one of the first trainers to offer the Meetings That Work 2 day workshop in the US. Meetings That Work is endorsed by the International Association of Facilitators as part of the Professional Facilitator Program. While most people dread meetings, Laurie's passion for a well run meeting is only matched by her "out of the box" thinking. She is able to retool and re-energize committees and organizations. Laurie's current knowledge of methods, trends and technology are an asset to her facilitating skills in getting participants to think out of their comfort zone. Participants are pleased and surprised with the work that can be accomplished in a meeting when Laurie is facilitating. She is able to keep the group on track and have a lively discussion capturing the essence of the goal of the meeting and bringing the discussions to a conclusion. Laurie currently serves as a Board Member of the Association of Boards of Certification. She has coordinated many events from strategic planning sessions for non profits, large and small grant funded community events, and has assisted with national conference planning. She is a trained professional facilitator for both in-person and virtual meetings using a variety of tools. Illustrations by Susanne Nason of SusanneNasonIllustration.com