Welcome!
Insights
- Get to know your group and organization where they are now, to be able guide them into the future;
- Gain a baseline understanding of where your group is in terms of interpersonal skills, decision making, and maturity;
- Gain an understanding of both the individuals and how they work together as a staff;
- Increase a sense of inclusiveness, starting with your group.
Skills
- Improved problem solving skills and flexibility, more effective communication, increased resilience and insight;
- Improved ability to evaluate situations and react appropriately, including skills to help them advocate for themselves and others;
- A better understanding of the working environment at your organization and how skills learned can apply more broadly to the real world.
About Me
I’m Doug Sutherland. I am a D.E.I.B. Advocate and Facilitator, Group Development Facilitator, experienced with high/low challenge courses, and an Asker of Questions. (Full Disclosure: I am also a sinker not floater in the water, I have a pointless fear of birds, and I would do just about anything for cake.)
In addition to consulting and workshop facilitation, I’ve been a part of the summer camp field for over 20 years. I have been an Instructor, Counselor, Specialist, Assistant Director, Director, and Executive Director.
Originally from St. Louis, MO, I made the unlikely move to New Hampshire in June of 1999 to work directly with children and adults in outdoor settings. I have presented at many ACA New England and Tri-State Conferences. I am on the board of 3 non-profits focused on helping families and our environment. I actively participate in creating a world where the impact of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is mindfully and purposely explored. And, I am delighted to watch my daughter grow up in the camp industry and community where this work is being done.
My Style
I enjoy having the conversation and being challenged. I enjoy observing the process, asking questions, and adapting to achieve the desired outcome. I enjoy creating experiences unique to groups to help make it meaningful. Overall, I facilitate but the work is done by the group.
My personal style is laid back, passionate, observant, and present. As a facilitator, I believe in judicious empowerment, and like to allow teams and individuals to use and develop their skills. Unless safety is an issue, I believe that a facilitative style of informing, supporting, trusting and guiding allows for development of confidence as well as critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.
Group Development comes from the observation and conversation of the activity. This debriefing takes place after the more interactive part of a team building exercise is complete. During debriefing, the group talks about the experience and asks questions like what did we learn? How can this be applied? What insights were gained? What was surprising? To me, this is one of the most important parts of group development, as it distills and reinforces the core experiences and insights for both participants and facilitators. The same questions could be asked while doing the DEIB and Cultural Mindfulness sessions.