9:00 – Noon

An important part of future-proofing your association involves leveraging your peer networks and building strong decision-making skills. Maslow understood this well when he said “I suppose it is tempting if the only tool you have is a hammer to treat everything as if it is a nail.”

To expand your problem-solving and decision-making toolbox, you’ll be introduced to three specific techniques for engaging others in generating solutions. You will experience each of these techniques, exploring an issue or opportunity that you or one of your colleagues suggests.

Following each technique, we will discuss what you liked about it, what you didn’t like, when you could see using the technique, and practical tips for doing so. We also will consider some of the facilitation practices you and your board leaders can implement to enhance discussions and decision-making.

Key content elements:

• Characteristics and challenges of good decision-making and problem solving in veterinary associations
• Practice with different approaches and formats to address veterinary issues proposed by your peers
• Simple shifts in meeting and conversation facilitation to interrupt biases, have more robust discussions, and make better decisions