Speaking & Training

The pace of change and the increasing demands placed on leaders requires a culture of continual improvement. Every organization benefits from ongoing training and professional development activities. Sometimes, the pace of change and competing priorities bring people and groups into conflict. Facilitation is the method of helping people communicate, bringing diverse interests to consensus, and creating the “win-win” that is in the best interest of the organization.

Since our founding in 1990, Sumption & Wyland has delivered over 200 teams training, board development, and customized group training in a variety of settings to all sizes and descriptions of audiences. We have facilitated countless planning processes and helped many “difficult conversations” become successful, goal-focused partnerships.

Board Development

Boards of Directors are constantly evolving. The ability to assess leadership needs and create brief, clear programs that allow for immediate application is a clear strength of the Sumption & Wyland team. Over 70 boards of directors have received effective needs assessment, training, and facilitation to remain healthy and ready to meet the challenges of organizational governance. Nonprofit organizations, public school boards, county commissions, and city commissioners are among the groups that have benefitted from Sumption & Wyland’s board training & development.

Teams Training

Teams of one to 40 have received customized training in all areas of management, leadership, teams-effectiveness, and communication. Each training program is customized to meet the goals set for the organization, business, or industry. Some often-sought training programs include:

Management 101
Management Series for Governmental Leaders
Executive Leadership Series
Building New Leaders
Behavioral Interviewing Techniques.
Recruitment and Retention of Talent
Leading from the Middle
Measuring Success
Effective Teams
Coaching Strategies for Managers

Facilitation

Building quality communication, confronting bad behavior, mediating broken relationships, building coalitions, carving out community strategies, and prioritizing future actions are just some of the facilitation work Sumption & Wyland have completed. We have worked with over 100 groups, assisting in the mapping the future through facilitated discussion. As facilitators, Sumption & Wyland assists groups to get the very best solutions and get the buy-in necessary for ideas to come to life.

Two of my FAVORITE people on the planet - you are both such a gift!

Angie Bakke , Chief Care Officer

I trust Michael as gifted counsel, enjoy his insight through collegial conversation, and hold him in the highest esteem.

Hugh Weber

Michael is one of the most professional nonprofit consultants I know, in how he stays up-to-date in his learning, his opinions and how he shares his knowledge with others.

Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

Margaret, working with you as my coach was the turning point in my career. I will always be grateful.

marvin Smoot , President, CHI - ND/MN

Margaret, I owe so much to you. Thank you for being the coach, mentor, and authoritarian I sometimes needed.

Marvin Smoot, MBA

Michael...is a gifted nonprofit scholar who is able to translate abstract government requirements and new challenges for non-profit executives into concrete steps for nonprofit organization success.

William Anderson, PhD

Michael, you are a tremendous asset to the nonprofit sector worldwide.

Mark Blumberg , Canadian Charity and Non-profit Lawyer, Blumberg Segal LLP, Toronto

Second time in two weeks that I read your articles AND took notes! Thanks for always providing a thoughtful perspective Michael.

Marla Meyer , CEO