This program is intended for new or newly formed groups of up to 20 participants who need a shared statement of purpose in order to move forward. It is also appropriate for established groups whose purpose has drifted or broadened enough that it needs to be restated, refined, or evolved.
Possible groups include:
- planning teams for a new center, institute, or initiative, including pilot-phase groups working toward a charter
- cross-disciplinary research collaborations bringing together members who define the shared problem differently
- groups spanning units, campuses, or institutions that rarely convene in the same room
- committees, working groups, and advisory boards taking on a broadened or unclear charge
- departments, programs, and units restating purpose ahead of strategic planning, a review, or a leadership transition
This program is well suited to groups where seniority, disciplinary standing, or institutional hierarchy makes open disagreement difficult. Written reflection collected and synthesized in advance gives every participant a route into the conversation, and lets the facilitator name a disagreement without attributing it to any one person.
For similar goals associated with larger groups or units, or for a full strategic planning effort, please reach out via our Contact Form.
Individual asynchronous preparation (60-90 minutes)
Each participant completes the following in the online course:
- A module customized for this group, assembling what already exists: the founding proposal or charge, any draft mission or vision language, the stated scope and boundaries of the work, and the context in which the group is operating. Participants begin from a common account of where the group actually stands.
- A structured written reflection on the purpose of the group, the terms it uses and what those terms mean within the participant's own field, the group's intended reach, and what the participant hopes and fears about the work ahead.
- Just prior to the first meeting, a review of the synthesis report generated by the Kardia Group facilitator based on the individual reflections.
First facilitated discussion (60 minutes, virtual)
All participants gather for:
- a presentation of the facilitator's synthesis of individual input, identifying where language already converges, where it appears to converge but rests on different meanings, and where it diverges
- facilitated discussion to confirm the points of ready agreement and surface what is behind the differences
- identification of the questions the group needs to answer before mission and vision language can be drafted
Second round of reflection (60-90 minutes)
Each participant completes the following in the online course:
- A structured written reflection related to the questions generated in the first discussion.
- Just prior to the second meeting, a review of the synthesis report and a rough draft of mission and vision generated by the Kardia Group facilitator based on the individual reflections.
Second facilitated discussion (60 minutes, virtual; 3-4 weeks after first meeting)
All participants gather for:
- a presentation of the facilitator's synthesis synthesis report identifying where group consensus is emerging and topics needing discussion
- facilitated discussion to address remaining topics and further develop the draft mission and vision (either in the moment or by empowering a wordsmithing committee)
- final synthesis of other insights and questions arising from this exercise
NOTE: the interval between sessions is deliberate to give members time to think past their first answer, to consult colleagues, and to change their minds without doing so in front of the group. However, timing may be adapted to adjust to need.
Conveners' consultation (60 minutes)
The group's conveners, directors, or chairs meet with the facilitator to review what the draft language does and does not yet settle, what the discussions revealed about the group's readiness, capacity, and internal dynamics, and what the next steps are in developing the group's identity — including scope decisions, governance and charter questions, participation, and how to bring in members who were not part of these sessions.
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