Meeting Facilitation II

It is a few days out from the intensity of our officer's retreat and I have been thinking about what worked best.

In order to keep meetings from dragging and turning into grueling sessions of room-coma, nodding napping and secret Words with Friends playing, I try and mix things around—one agenda item over dinner, one sitting outside on benches, one in small groups that report back, etc.

meeting at board table

meeting over dinner

much more fun

This year during the Happy Hour break we put all of our names in a hat and picked pairs of conversation partners. Whoever wound up  paired spent Happy Hour together in a structured conversation: What is your story? How did you get to this profession?  What have you accomplished in your role as an officer that you feel really good about?

Aloft has a very nice bar with cool conversation corners and the lobby view of the flats.

view from lobby balcony

The next day at the conclusion of the meeting, I used a closing exercise in which we stood and talked about one take-away and one appreciation for another person in the circle. I was struck by how many people cited the experience of one-on-one conversations as a highlight experience. Despite the fact that we have all known each other for years, and are often in large group situations together, setting aside time to really get to know someone one-on-one and in a deeper way had a profound effect on not just each pair, but the group as a whole.

We plan on using the experience in our larger group meetings in November to expand the circle of relationships and build a better team in the large group council of leaders.

Restaurants: Dante

From their website: DANTE is Chef Boccuzzi’s signature restaurant located in the Historic Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. DANTE features Modern American Cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal and local fare. The Restaurant is Zagat rated Extraordinary to Perfection with high score of 28 for Cuisine. Chef Dante has been recognized by The Robb Report as one of the Top 5 Chefs in the Country. At the Dante Restaurant we create more than great meals we create memories.

charred artichokes over chick peas with microgreens

I took my 10 visiting colleagues to Dante's last night, where we had the chef's table. This is one of the most amazing restaurant experiences ever, and this table of savvy foodie sophista-cats was beside themselves. Even the New Yorkers and Chicagoan were beside themselves. We mostly had the tasting menu and Chef Bocuzzi personally took our orders as one by one we asked for customized menus: vegan, vegetarian, no carbs, pescatarian. Nothing fazed him.
 

something insanely delicious

We have also hosted many TOA dinners at Dante and it never fails to wow. Really one of the top restaurants in the world, and I say that with great aplomb!

 sorbet selection

after dinner coffee - we are at the chef's table in the kitchen

Hosting Business in Cleveland: Aloft Cleveland Downtown

Yesterday I began hosting a group of 10 cantorial colleagues in our annual Cantors Assembly Officers Retreat. It is two days in which, in conjunction with the standing president,  I facilitate meetings to explore the goals of the group in relation to our strategic plan.

This year I scouted out the brand new Aloft Cleveland Downtown. Its hip design strong lobby and meeting rooms perched on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland's flats provides a very funky and upbeat setting, and maximizes the interesting urban-scape of the flats. The rooms are extremely comfortable and streamlined, though short on storage space–not a drawer to be had if that is important to you.

view from the windows

Best was sitting in the meeting room with views of bridges, barges (with their accompanying deep horns sounding) and an amazing amount of trains running below our window and off into the horizon. One doesn't realize how much commerce is coming in and out of the city on train tracks! We saw stacks of tractors and colorful container cartons of every stripe throughout the day, seemingly every 5 minutes. It was like being a kid with a basement train set.

train tracks outside the windows

Our meeting ended around 7:30 and was perfectly timed to follow a stunning sunset directly outside the window, fully accompanied by moody skies.

The setting reminded me of how interesting the Flats are and reminds me to take Irad and family on an architectural tour of the district.