Workshops & Retreats
Get your people in one room.
Hands-on sessions for owners and their teams, built on the idea that people learn by doing something together and then talking honestly about what just happened. Real conversations, no death by PowerPoint, and something you can put into play right away.
"The exercise we did was fun and thought provoking. It was refreshing to have a speaker do something engaging with us instead of just lecturing. It made the session more impactful." — Dan New, President / CFO, Mid-City Supply Co.
Team Sessions from $1,500
These are tried and true, ready to go, and I've run every one of them more times than I can count. You bring the space and the snacks, I bring the rest, and we're done in ninety minutes.
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Point the Finger
When everyone's working hard and things still go sideways.
Your people care. They have good values and they're trying to do the right thing, and somehow it still turns into missed handoffs and finger-pointing. This hands-on session lets the whole team feel that moment together (it's funnier than it sounds), and then we talk about what's underneath it: fuzzy expectations, crossed wires about who owns what, and the conversations nobody wants to have. Your team leaves with a shared way to talk about accountability and one thing to change on Monday.
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Hoops
What does "good performance" mean here?
Most teams are working hard toward a target nobody has quite put into words. This one starts with a challenge full of unknowns, the kind of goal you have to chase without a clear map, and then we use what happened to get on the same page: what good performance looks like here, how we'll know when we're hitting it, and how values and results fit together. Your team leaves with a definition they can work toward, and you leave with a clearer way to set expectations and have fair conversations about them.
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Your Go-To Power Move
What you reach for when the pressure spikes, and where you learned it.
Every leader has a default lever they grab when things get tense: position, expertise, relationships, sheer force of personality. In this session leaders map where they learned theirs, which is usually long before they had a title, and then look honestly at how it shows up with their team today. It gets real fast. People walk out knowing their own default, where it stops working, and one other lever to practice. It pairs well with the Power Isn't a Dirty Word keynote.
"Dr. Shannon Jennings was a featured speaker at the REF CIO Forum retreat. She led us in experiential learning exercises. The group enjoyed the exercises while learning a bit more about themselves. Dr. Shannon Jennings skillfully facilitated the group of professionals who are not generally excited about experiential exercises. I would recommend Business Psychologist Dr. Shannon Jennings for your corporate group or team."
Clifford ClarkeREF Indiana, Facilitator Leaders – CIO Forum"I really enjoyed your presentation! I was so impressed with all of the insights we were able to pull out of a few simple activities. My teams really need this! We are in a season of restructuring and growing. Change is painful and sometimes scary. I think you may be able to help give us tools and a path to navigate."
Melissa EspinozaVice President of Finance, Loader Parts SourceThe Strategy Session from $7,500
A strategy day built on what you can do, not what you can't.
Most strategy sessions start with what's broken. Mine starts with what's working, because that's the stuff you can build on. Grounded in appreciative inquiry, this full-day session gets everybody up and moving, and it gets everybody's thinking up on the wall, the owner's and the team's. By the end of the day your team agrees on what direction you're headed and walks out with a concrete plan for how to get there.
Most strategy fails in the follow-through, not the plan, so I offer quarterly check-ins to keep it moving.
Looking for a full multi-day strategic plan? I use the standard tools and make them something your team will want to show up for. Let's talk about it.
"Dr. Jennings played a key role in creating and implementing our strategic plan, including creating and maintaining organizational alignment and engagement through meeting structures and communication initiatives."
Willy VeldmanPresident, Veldman's Inc.Custom Leadership Retreats
Built around what your team needs right now.
Sometimes it's a leadership team that needs to get on the same page. Sometimes it's a family business working out who decides what (and who gets to say so at dinner). Sometimes it's a team ready to understand how each person works best, with StrengthsFinder as the starting point. We design the day around the problem in front of you and make sure you leave with agreements people will keep.
"The StrengthsFinder workshop with Shannon had many lasting effects. Our newest employee told me it was really good to learn more about herself and her new co-workers. It helped her understand what strengths she could bring to the table and how to approach her new co-workers. The whole team gets along pretty amazingly, and I'm sure understanding each of our strengths has really helped."
Christen CarterPresident/Owner, Busy Beaver Button Co."Morale was low and the outlook was bleak. We have not only come through the pandemic, but our new ED, Staff and Board have gained remarkable knowledge on how to work together as one unit striving for the same goal and Hannah's House is thriving."
Susan FrucciExecutive Director, Hannah's House- Nonprofit Boards
I love nonprofit board work and keep a little room for it each year. If your board is ready to move from doing the work to governing it, book a 15-minute call and let's see if it's a fit.
- Looking for a keynote?
Dr. J is available for keynotes on power and influence (Power Isn't a Dirty Word) and the growing pains of second-stage companies. Ask about availability.
Not sure which one fits?
Book 15 minutes and we'll figure it out together. If I can't help, I'll help you figure out who can.