Services

Strategic Planning

From visioning the future you want to finding a way to execute that vision, Serendipity Strategies can help you on the path to reinventing your organization.

Management Support During Staff Unionization

What does it look like to honestly face management’s concerns in the face of this sudden change while honoring personal and organizational values and affirming staff’s right to a union? How do you protect the future of the organization, honor and strengthen relationships and find the capacity to manage the work while negotiating a first contract?

Serendipity Strategies can support you in this new environment. That includes training for managers and supervisors on how to work in a union-welcoming organization, coaching and support for the management bargaining team and help with implementation of your first Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Coaching

Julie has worked in executive leadership and has a heart for those who do that important, difficult work. She supports leaders who are new to their role, those who have hit a difficult time in their leadership as well as experienced leaders looking to improve their skills and results. It is truly possible to be a great leader and a healthy, joyful individual.

Testimonials

It was a delight and very productive to work with Julie to create a mission statement and 2-year goals for our organization. She asked great questions as we prepared. The facilitation itself flowed like water, seamless and natural and dynamic. We also had fun along the way with playful prompts that stimulated our creativity. Then somehow magically, at the end, we'd accomplished all our goals.

Jenelle Ludwig-Krause, Executive Director, Grassroots Organizing of Western Wisconsin

We recently asked Julie to facilitate a session for our coalition. I was impressed by how skillfully she facilitated the group. I went into the morning knowing that there were likely to be hard conversations and a lot of big emotions. Julie was able to create a space where people felt heard and she was able to move us through the conversations to reach productive outcomes. I was so grateful for her help and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled and kind facilitator.

Anjali Bhasin, Civic Engagement Director, Wisconsin Conservation Voices

Julie has been an instrumental partner on our management team in working to develop our first Collective Bargaining Agreement with our voluntarily recognized Union. She has used her knowledge and expertise to give our team unreservedly sound guidance to ensure we are working towards the best interest of the Union members and the organization. She is a valued partner and we are so fortunate to have her as part of the team.

Tracy Dennis, PhD, Vice President, Human Resources, National Immigration Law Center

Julie supported the National Women’s Law Center’s first collective bargaining agreement negotiations by working closely with management’s team to prepare for bargaining sessions, draft responses to the union’s proposals, and coach the management team during sessions. As we wrapped up the agreement she ensured the organization was ready to honor its commitments by creating tools to track obligations in the contract, helping training supervisors and HR staff in understanding the contract, and advising on priorities. She brings an enthusiastic, pro-union stance, deep expertise on both sides of the table, and a calm, steady approach that honors relationships. NWLC deeply appreciated her contributions to our organization and our labor-management relations.

Nancy Withbroe, Chief of Staff, National Women’s Law Center

Julie served as Interim Executive Director of The Land Stewardship Project for 11 months. As chair of the LSP board, I was so grateful for her calm and reassuring presence during a fairly chaotic transition after the sudden departure of our Executive Director. In spite of some frayed relationships between board and staff, Julie was able to help us all reset and get back to work in our appropriate roles. Julie has great listening skills, clarity in setting boundaries, and is able to discern the underlying issues that create snags in work relationships and organizational operating procedures. She was instrumental in creating some changes that have helped LSP run more smoothly. She also helped steer us through difficult negotiations with a new employee union. In addition, the board benefited greatly from her participation with us in a series of training sessions by Propel Nonprofits which helped us plan our board's future work and the permanent ED search. We are extremely grateful that she was willing to stay on for an extra two months after we hired a permanent ED to help him get up to speed during a busy, stressful time.

Deborah Allan, Board Chair, Land Stewardship Project