Start with everyday challenges, such as shrinking dollars, demanding clients, and increased competition. Set aggressive goals for change. Then rewrite the rules.  Add more work, but no more time.  Bring in new technology. Make new promises to the people you serve.  Now, ask people to work together seamlessly, as if there were no pressure at all.   

SMART Collaboration -- Training and Workshops

Rechtman Consulting Group offers proven workshops that enhance individual and organizational competencies in the skills of collaboration. The length, contents and interactive role plays for each training program and workshops are always customized to the specific situation of each client.

Each workshop builds on the skills and attitudes that pave the way for SMART Collaboration, that is:

• Sustainable - creating more energy and resources than they consume.
• Measurable - tangible outcomes that can be tracked over time
• Actionable - stakeholders follow-through on commitments
• Relationship oriented - creating and enhancing social capital for all stakeholders
• Transferable - easy to explain in ways that energize others

Using the principles of SMART Collaboration, Rechtman Consulting Group can help your team tackle tough problems. We provide facilitation, technical assistance and training that help non-profit organizations, public-private partnerships and government agencies embrace the challenges of collaboration as they work towards system level change. Our proven approach participatory planning and evaluation helps stakeholders surmount barriers with insight, knowledge and confidence with a collaborative approach to:

InVent- Architecture of Collaboration

Rechtman Consulting Group has developed a structured facilitation process called InVent. We facilitate collaborative solutions through a three step process that helps collaborative stakeholders define and achieve specific goals within a short time-frame. The process entails:

1. Confidential Interviews to VENTilate thoughts, ideas and feelings.
2. High INvolvement Work Groups to focus on priorities and goals of their collaborative VENTures.
3. Concise and timely reporting and support to ensure clear understanding of decisions and accountability. The practical support preVENTS misunderstandings, manages conflict and promotes morale during implementation, to ensure implementation.

Over the course of InVent process participants become owners of the recommendations setting the stage for successful implementation.

Design for Collaboration -- Consultation & Direct Technical Assistance

Rechtman Consulting Group also provides direct technical assistance and consulting in the following areas:

Program Design
Needs assessment and design of collaborative approaches to advocacy, program delivery, and team building.

Sponsorship and Participation
Strategies for inviting input and increasing involvement in, understanding of and support for new strategies, organizational changes, and individual differences.

Building Consensus
Practical support for setting priorities with limited time and resources; and managing conflicts that arise as people work together.

Communication
Internal marketing and information sharing strategies to keep people informed, managed expectations, and coordinate resources and activities.

Follow-through
Defining roles and responsibilities up front and measuring progress at key benchmarks along the way. Through our partnership with Fort Hill Company (www.forthillcompany.com), Rechtman Consulting Group offers ResultsEngine, a web-based capacity for tracking follow through on collaborations. This exciting tool facilitates real time communication and learning along the sometimes twisty path of implementation.

Leadership Development
Regular feedback and opportunities for learning how to navigate what Peter Vaill has called the "permanent white water" of today's dynamic business world.