RAYMOND L. RIGOGLIOSO
Consulting Services for Nonprofits
Raymond L. Rigoglioso
Consulting Services for Nonprofits
Copyright 2011 Raymond L.Rigoglioso
All Rights Reserved
Challenge: The Joyful Dance Company (not its real name) is a small, independent, and successful dance company in New York City run by a husband and wife team. After a decade of producing exceptional performances with a promising company of dancers, the principals found themselves asking, “What’s next?”
Co-Designing the Process: Very soon into the conversation with the principals, it became clear that a traditional process of planning would not serve this dance company; rather, the frustrations that each expressed as to the company’s continued viability would require soul-searching. We agreed to three in-person coaching sessions.
Coaching Sessions: The principals and I agreed to allow our sessions to consist of open-ended inquiry—pure coaching. This would allow deeper exploration of the challenges the organization faced and help produce more relevant insights as to future directions. For this dance company, the personal aspirations of the principals took center stage, which led to surprising conclusions.
Results: In just three sessions, the principals became clear that it was time for a major life change, which would involve putting the dance company on hold while the husband engaged in a job search. Rather than representing failure—a fear of theirs—the outcome liberated both principals to follow their hearts and newly emerging passions. While they continue to create their new future, they do so with the clarity that this chapter in their professional lives is now closed.
Case Study: The Joyful Dance Company
“We expected to engage in a strategic planning process. We saw a set of challenges before us like we had overcome numerous times. What we could not have anticipated was that the core of our challenges came from inner difficulties pursuing and balancing long-term professional and personal interests. Were it not for Ray’s keen and nurturing sense of listening, insightful questioning, and gift of fostering honest dialogue, we might have been left in a linear limbo. We are forever grateful to Ray for helping us find clarity with our decisions."
--Principals, Joyful Dance Company
