Awake Leaders Gather for Strategic Planning and Look Ahead with Hope
Awake’s staff gathered on Saturday, minus Catherine Owers, who will be returning from maternity leave soon!
Last Saturday, leaders from Awake gathered in the Milwaukee area and virtually for a strategic planning day to brainstorm, discuss, and set our priorities for the next three years.
Some members of the Awake staff, Leadership Team, and Board of Directors met at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, while others, who live around the United States, took part via Zoom.
The meeting opened with a welcome from Patty Ingrilli, president of the Awake Board of Directors, followed by prayer with a Lectio Divina reflection led by Esther Harber, survivor care coordinator. The group meditated on the parable of the mustard seed from the Gospel of Matthew. After time for individual reading, reflection, and prayer, group members came back together to share insights with one another.
Building Consensus
On Saturday, Awake’s leaders utilized a process often called consent-based decision-making. This is a format that helps groups reach agreements that all members can support.
The day included multiple small-group discussions.
Under this model, a leader presents a proposal to be decided on, providing context and background information, and then asks the group for questions and discussion.
In the case of complex issues, we use a “round,” in which all members take a turn succinctly sharing their views, asking questions, or offering objections. After listening to this conversation, the leader can present an amended proposal based on the views expressed. Then, everyone is asked to offer their consent to the proposal, using a thumb to signal our opinion.
A thumbs up means “Yes, this is my preference.”
A thumbs sideways means “This is not my preference but it’s within my range of tolerance and I give my consent to the proposal.”
A thumbs down means “I still have an objection to the proposal, and I want to talk about this before I am comfortable giving my consent.”
If everyone in the group gives a thumbs up or thumbs sideways, the proposal is approved. If anyone shows a thumbs down, the discussion continues if there is time. If there is no time, the proposal is tabled or returns to a small group for more work.
"As an organization, we want to make decisions in a collaborative and transparent way that embraces the diversity of opinion and experience we have within our community,” Awake Executive Director Sara Larson explains. “The consent-based decision-making process allows us to listen to each person's voice, take into account everyone's perspective, and ultimately move forward with a shared decision that everyone is comfortable with."
Fellowship, Focus, and Hope
The Awake leaders who were able to attend in person were invited for a Friday night social at Patty Ingrilli’s home and to Mass on Sunday morning at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Milwaukee.
This marked the first time that Awake Associate Director Meghan Fiebelkorn, who was hired in October 2024 and is based in Michigan, had the chance to meet many members of the Awake community in person.
Technology made it possible for members of the Awake community in other states to participate in Saturday’s meeting.
“Since so much of our work and services are virtual, it was lovely to spend time with one another in a non-virtual setting,” she says. “I feel like these intentional times together in person at leadership gatherings really cement our connection to each other and to Awake's mission.”
At the same time, Fiebelkorn appreciated that technology made it possible for members of the Awake community in other states to participate in Saturday’s meeting. “I was encouraged by the commitment and passion of the virtual participants as I know it's not always easy to be present online for that length of time,” she adds.
Fiebelkorn was also heartened to witness how Awake leaders make decisions. “They operate with the well-being of survivors at the forefront,” she says. “Every single brainstormed idea and discussion is examined through this lens.”
“As leaders, we also operate from a place of hope,” she adds, noting that it felt meaningful to hold this planning day just as the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year of Hope begins.
“That's not to say it isn't difficult and wearying at times,” she says, “or that we're not realistic about the challenges we face in this work. But we are confident and hopeful that we are doing the Lord's work and that healing and transformation are possible.”
While Awake’s leaders have more work to do to finalize the strategic plan, they look forward to sharing exciting updates in the months ahead.
—Erin O’Donnell, Editor
