This July marks one year of working with Sheffe Consulting and when I reflect on it, it’s been a remarkable year. I almost didn’t meet Nora Sheffe. At the time, I was working for Saskatchewan Soccer, starting this business, and working through some difficult personal matters. So, I missed the expression of interest to join the Canadian Women and Sport women and leadership facilitator training. I overheard a conversation about the training on a bus to attend Sport Manitoba’s LeadHERship conference and asked what it was about. As a result, I was a last-minute addition for the following weekend and that’s where I met Nora.
Nora led the three-day facilitator training and I thought she was so cool. She was poised, funny, and had so much knowledge about facilitation. She’d been involved with Canadian Women and Sport and the sport industry for many years and had so much insight to share. The facilitator training taught us to deliver the Women and Leadership workshop series and how to facilitate in general. I left energized about my work and happy that I had expanded my facilitation knowledge.
A Chance Ask
Fast forward to July 2020 and I had just landed my first client through Spark Solutions. On the recommendation of a mutual acquaintance, I emailed Nora and asked to have a virtual coffee to discuss the project. She was happy to help and gave me all sorts of tips. I ended the call feeling so much more confident about the upcoming project and starting my business. A few weeks later she emailed me to ask if I’d be interested to support her on some of her projects where she needed extra help. Without hesitation I said yes, and things have blossomed from there.
The Work We Do
Nora is a process facilitator, which means she customizes a process to meet a client’s needs to help them achieve their goals. She supports clients in defining their objectives, designing their process, and then running their meetings so that they may have better conversations and achieve better outcomes, faster. The expertise is already in the room – the structure Sheffe Consulting provides helps clients to focus on the content so that they can do what they do best.
As an Associate, I attend scoping meetings to define the project and timelines, write proposals, and am the main contact person with clients. I manage meeting logistics, plan meetings, draft agendas and materials, design surveys, write reports, and facilitate and produce meetings. I’ve worked on developing strategic plans, conducting governance reviews, facilitating strategy sessions, holding focus groups, anddelivering surveys. We have worked with national sport organizations, provincial sport organizations, multi-sport organizations, universities, and charities.
One Year and Beyond
What I appreciate about working with Sheffe Consulting is the collective drive to optimize, both internally and with/for our clients. Each team member approaches everything with a growth mindset – a belief that we all can improve with effort and time. Each team member is supportive and willing to jump in and lend a hand. We’re great creative thinkers. I have made great strides as an individual over the past year as a result of working with Sheffe Consulting. The fall looks like it will be even bigger, working with clients to debrief their quadrennial processes following the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. I’m excited to see what the next year with Sheffe Consulting holds.