What Our Clients Say About Olive Grove |
From a Board Chair:
"We are a strong organization, a much better managed entity and the relationship between staff
and board are now excellent.
"We can attest to [Olive Grove Consulting’s] outstanding support and assistance. They are extremely
thoughtful in their recommendations regarding how we can improve various activities and in all
cases, their suggestions have been truly focused on our particular needs. In addition, their
recommendations take into account our human and financial resources that enable us to implement
them with success.”
From a Board Chair:
"I so appreciate the counseling from Emily regarding the difficult restructuring decisions and actions
we took this past summer; she listened and really gave me confidence to move forward with a very
unpleasant task."
From a Coaching Client:
“I don't know if I "officially" thanked you for your input this last year. I feel like I'm a completely
different person today, than I was when we first met. The issues with the staff are still present, but I
feel much more confident in knowing what's needed to get the job done, and effectively
communicating these needs. I'm not sure what the next moves for the agency are, considering the
funding issues, but we will still go forward. Of that I am positive.”
From a Client:
“Thanks again for doing an excellent job: as a consultant, a retreat leader, a planner, a healer, and
on and on. In the end, integrity, value, and doing the right thing always works."
From a Strategy Client:
"Emily Hall's facilitation skills and knowledge of the non-profit sector are highly valued and have often
been sited by staff and board as the reason for the founding of our advocacy work. This generative
"spark" from the strategic planning process has evolved to greatly influence our communications
strategy and a broader focus on policy influence. It has resulted in an advocacy planning grant from
the Hewlett Foundation that will be the basis for our advocacy work over the next 2-3 years."
From a Facilitation Client:
"The two times we used Emily as facilitator, we were able to discuss and agree on doable initiative
lists and move forward accordingly; we had tried to accomplish this with another consultant and
weren't successful."
From a Strategy Retreat Participant:
“Just wanted to compliment you for managing this disparate bunch of folks. While your demeanor
was professional, your light touch and humor shined through and kept the day from becoming
ponderous. The fact that we abandoned the agenda is not a fault, but rather to your credit, as it
allowed us to take off in creative ways. I witnessed several "aha" moments on the faces of more
than one board member. We might not have got there had we stuck to a rigid agenda.
It was a long but satisfying day – thanks.”
From a CEO Search Placement, One Year Later:
“Coming into the position it was really helpful to me that you had done such an extensive interview
process with staff and board. Your notes helped me to avoid land mines and chart my course with
greater ease the first few months. The interview process itself was very smooth.
As a candidate I understood the steps and time line, I felt comfortable asking you questions without
the awkwardness associated with the asking the same questions of a future boss and I appreciate
how straight forward you were with me. I know that the board feels good about the how organized
and on schedule the process was. They accomplished a lot and stayed focused and got the job
done.”
From a Search & Transition Client:
“The value of your services to me was to focus my energies on the things I could do something
about, rather than worry about those things out of my control. As an outsider, you also were able to
point out those things we could fix, and you helped us prioritize the difficulties we should tackle.
With a contentious transition you were able to keep us focused on our mission, and focused on
potential solutions. By keeping our focus, you helped to diffuse some of the contentious issues.
With our restricted budgets, and therefore, restricted courses of action, your view helped us save
time and money to get through our transition. This was worth while to me. Your guidance did result
in a more stable organization.”
From a Board and Search Committee Chair:
“I was very pleased with the outcome. A few people afterwards mentioned they never thought we
had a chance to make the schedule we set out. They were impressed with that and the candidate!
Obviously everything went pretty smoothly, but our success, I believe, was in large part, because
you laid out a process and time line and did a great job helping us stick to it.”
From a Workshop Participant:
“Thank you for facilitating a great forum. I really learned A LOT and I have gotten excellent feedback
from the other members. People say it was one of our best meetings. I think founders/founding
directors leaving is such a taboo topic that people say they felt relieved to learn how to do it right
and to view it as a normal part of strategic growth. And people thought you did a great job and
appreciated you sharing all your insight and experience.”
From a Staff Member at a Board/Staff Strategy Retreat:
“Your leadership was invaluable last Thursday. The results are very useful and yet not so deep as to
have the board involved in the day to day operations - a great balance.”
"We are a strong organization, a much better managed entity and the relationship between staff
and board are now excellent.
"We can attest to [Olive Grove Consulting’s] outstanding support and assistance. They are extremely
thoughtful in their recommendations regarding how we can improve various activities and in all
cases, their suggestions have been truly focused on our particular needs. In addition, their
recommendations take into account our human and financial resources that enable us to implement
them with success.”
From a Board Chair:
"I so appreciate the counseling from Emily regarding the difficult restructuring decisions and actions
we took this past summer; she listened and really gave me confidence to move forward with a very
unpleasant task."
From a Coaching Client:
“I don't know if I "officially" thanked you for your input this last year. I feel like I'm a completely
different person today, than I was when we first met. The issues with the staff are still present, but I
feel much more confident in knowing what's needed to get the job done, and effectively
communicating these needs. I'm not sure what the next moves for the agency are, considering the
funding issues, but we will still go forward. Of that I am positive.”
From a Client:
“Thanks again for doing an excellent job: as a consultant, a retreat leader, a planner, a healer, and
on and on. In the end, integrity, value, and doing the right thing always works."
From a Strategy Client:
"Emily Hall's facilitation skills and knowledge of the non-profit sector are highly valued and have often
been sited by staff and board as the reason for the founding of our advocacy work. This generative
"spark" from the strategic planning process has evolved to greatly influence our communications
strategy and a broader focus on policy influence. It has resulted in an advocacy planning grant from
the Hewlett Foundation that will be the basis for our advocacy work over the next 2-3 years."
From a Facilitation Client:
"The two times we used Emily as facilitator, we were able to discuss and agree on doable initiative
lists and move forward accordingly; we had tried to accomplish this with another consultant and
weren't successful."
From a Strategy Retreat Participant:
“Just wanted to compliment you for managing this disparate bunch of folks. While your demeanor
was professional, your light touch and humor shined through and kept the day from becoming
ponderous. The fact that we abandoned the agenda is not a fault, but rather to your credit, as it
allowed us to take off in creative ways. I witnessed several "aha" moments on the faces of more
than one board member. We might not have got there had we stuck to a rigid agenda.
It was a long but satisfying day – thanks.”
From a CEO Search Placement, One Year Later:
“Coming into the position it was really helpful to me that you had done such an extensive interview
process with staff and board. Your notes helped me to avoid land mines and chart my course with
greater ease the first few months. The interview process itself was very smooth.
As a candidate I understood the steps and time line, I felt comfortable asking you questions without
the awkwardness associated with the asking the same questions of a future boss and I appreciate
how straight forward you were with me. I know that the board feels good about the how organized
and on schedule the process was. They accomplished a lot and stayed focused and got the job
done.”
From a Search & Transition Client:
“The value of your services to me was to focus my energies on the things I could do something
about, rather than worry about those things out of my control. As an outsider, you also were able to
point out those things we could fix, and you helped us prioritize the difficulties we should tackle.
With a contentious transition you were able to keep us focused on our mission, and focused on
potential solutions. By keeping our focus, you helped to diffuse some of the contentious issues.
With our restricted budgets, and therefore, restricted courses of action, your view helped us save
time and money to get through our transition. This was worth while to me. Your guidance did result
in a more stable organization.”
From a Board and Search Committee Chair:
“I was very pleased with the outcome. A few people afterwards mentioned they never thought we
had a chance to make the schedule we set out. They were impressed with that and the candidate!
Obviously everything went pretty smoothly, but our success, I believe, was in large part, because
you laid out a process and time line and did a great job helping us stick to it.”
From a Workshop Participant:
“Thank you for facilitating a great forum. I really learned A LOT and I have gotten excellent feedback
from the other members. People say it was one of our best meetings. I think founders/founding
directors leaving is such a taboo topic that people say they felt relieved to learn how to do it right
and to view it as a normal part of strategic growth. And people thought you did a great job and
appreciated you sharing all your insight and experience.”
From a Staff Member at a Board/Staff Strategy Retreat:
“Your leadership was invaluable last Thursday. The results are very useful and yet not so deep as to
have the board involved in the day to day operations - a great balance.”