The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) conference is coming
April 27, 2018This week (May 2 - 5) I’ll be heading back to my Ottawa roots to attend and present at the…
Understanding, Reconciliation and Plain Old Respect
February 15, 2018Yesterday, in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister announced a new legal framework for Indigenous people. While the details…
Culture of Consultation Webinar: Q+A Follow-Up
November 17, 2017It was one for the record books! On Oct. 30 Delaney + Associates (D+A) partnered with Providence Healthcare in Ontario…
NCI Charrette Blog Day 1: Getting Ready to Engage
November 14, 2017The Vancouver D+A team is taking charrette training this week with the National Charrette Institute (NCI), and we're blogging each…
Through an Indigenous Lens: Three Lessons in Authentic Engagement
November 10, 2017I had the opportunity to attend the Putting Patients First conference this week, hosted by the BC SUPPORT Unit,…
Featured Technique: Charrette
September 25, 2017Delaney + Associates is excited to host the National Charrette Institute in Vancouver Nov. 14-16 to deliver its certificate training…
Explore Your ‘Culture of Consultation’ in Upcoming Webinar
September 25, 2017Are you currently developing a community engagement plan? Considering how you engage with your clients and stakeholders? Perhaps developing or…
Self Reflection and the Engagement Specialist
September 25, 2017“We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.” ―…
What’s (Not) New in P2: Challenge of Closing the Loop
May 5, 2017Healthcare is one of Delaney + Associates' areas of expertise, and patient engagement – and increasing patient engagement – across…
Featured Technique: Future-State Action Bridge
May 5, 2017The context: In engagement processes that involve group problem-solving and future planning, it can be easy for participants – and…
Quality Forum 2017: Increasing Patient Participation
March 2, 2017Unless you have been very busy and purposefully ignoring your social media feeds, and you also work in the health…
Tips for Neutral Communication
January 25, 2017In our two previous blogs on communicating in the post-truth era, I focused on how to communicate in emotionally-charged environments…
Tips for Communicating to Support Broader Engagement
January 23, 2017This is the second in a three-part series on communicating in the "post-truth" era. Read the first part here. What…Communicating in the Post-Truth Era: A Three-Part Special
January 20, 2017In our January newsletter, I shared my top three engagement trends for 2017. One of them included the oversimplification of…
Engagement Forecast for 2017
January 5, 2017Around this time last year, I wrote an outlook for 2016 around engagement for our planet, country and home. Click…
Featured Technique: Problem Flow Diagrams
January 5, 2017The context As we move into the New Year, and an era of increasing public engagement efforts by organizations and…
On the 12th Day… Christmas Wishes from D+A
December 23, 2016We hope you have enjoyed our 12 Days of Christmas blog series, exploring our top 10 engagement principles. Thanks for…Day 10: Shared Values Yield Compromise for Consensus
December 21, 2016There are positions, interests and values in the world of stakeholders. When focused on positions, two parties are furthest apart. It’s…
Day 8: Approach Conflict with Compassion, Curiosity
December 19, 2016We could write a lot about today's principle. How to manage high emotions, and "angry" or disruptive engagement participants, is a…
Day 2: Never Guess
December 9, 2016This is part of an ongoing series exploring Delaney + Associates’ top 10 engagement tips, also known as our Company…
Featured Technique: The Opportunity Tree
October 20, 2016“A vivid imagination compels the whole body to obey it.” –Aristotle The context: The Opportunity Tree is a thinking…
Who Cares About P2? Insights from the 2016 IAP2 North American Conference
October 20, 2016I had the pleasure of attending the 2016 International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) North American conference Sept. 28-30 in…
Engagement Illustrated: Building and Managing Spaces
October 18, 2016One of the jobs of an effective facilitator is to build spaces where creative dialogue can take place, and then…
You’re Invited: Special Networking Event in Calgary Oct. 19
September 30, 2016Calling all Calgary clients, course participants and friends: Join us for a casual evening of conversation and camaraderie on Wednesday,…
Are You an Engagement Imposter? (continued…)
May 11, 2016Welcome back! In my last post, I addressed the uncomfortable reality that engagement is not public relations or social marketing…
Being a Stakeholder
February 9, 2016I am usually on the other side of an engagement – the facilitator working to support the sponsor organization. Recently, I’ve been…
Our Engagement Outlook for 2016
December 21, 2015At every level, it appears there are wicked problems, and golden opportunities, that could benefit from community and stakeholder engagement.…How to be a Reflective Facilitator: Three Tips for Success
December 16, 2015A professional facilitator has many roles, but the core of facilitation is about helping people and groups think together so…Three Reasons to Engage Youth
November 20, 2015Youth and children are not often the main target of public engagement efforts, but perhaps they should be. Or at…Loving to be Loved
November 16, 2015I’d like to suggest that just about all of us want to be liked and respected as professionals. There’s nothing…Including Diverse Voices in the Conversation
November 5, 2015The New York Times was recently criticized after an article about the Democratic presidential candidates’ debate included the comments of…Facilitation Technique: E.L.M.O.
November 2, 2015If you’ve ever been to an engagement event or training that was facilitated by Delaney + Associates, you know that…Our Top 5 Highlights for HealthAchieve 2015
October 30, 2015It’s an exciting time of year for us at Delaney + Associates – we’re busy preparing for HealthAchieve, one…Facilitators: Seven Jobs in One
October 21, 2015Have you ever had a conversation with someone who asked just the right questions at the right time, who maybe…Three Hopes for Canada’s New Government
October 20, 2015Dear Fellow Canadians – It’s a new day, we have a new government and here are the top three things…P2 Technique in Action: Nominal Grouping
October 1, 2015I found Day 4 of the IAP2 Foundations course energizing and inspiring. It was less about heavy brain power and…New St. Paul’s: Planning a Hospital With Patients at the Center
September 17, 2015“Patient-centered care” is a relatively new standard in health care delivery, and one that is being actively pursued in B.C.’s…