Portland, OR Facilitation
“Sessions that are far greater than the sum of their parts”
Our facilitation services in Portland support leadership teams in refining strategic direction, conducting structured evaluations, and improving coordinated efforts. Each session creates space to address key challenges, define forward goals, and reinforce effective collaboration.
With experience engaging over 110,000 participants around the world, we apply trusted leadership frameworks through flexible facilitation methods tailored to each setting. Our focus is on helping groups take measurable steps that support lasting progress and organizational stability.
Let’s plan a facilitation that helps your team think clearly and work in sync.
Discover how Positive Impact curates sessions that
allow you and your business to thrive.
What We Facilitate
Great content is only made better by great facilitators
As an Award-Winning Facilitator and the Owner and Founder of Positive Impact, Will empowers people around the world to lead their best life by blending the art of coaching, integrating mindfulness principles with skills learned from over a decade’s experience with one of the top-three best-known brands globally. The result is a meaningful vision and a gratifying journey. Read more about Will’s journey from Coca-Cola to Positive Impact below.
Lindsay was recently awarded the Top Entrepreneur Coach by the Coach Foundation. She is a passionate entrepreneur, guide, and coach. She brings her experience as a director and divisional head, along with an international coaching certification to help entrepreneurs and business leaders achieve the strategic growth, scale and success they strive for. The focus is on building a highly strategic plan, finance model and leadership team to support this growth.
Bringing over a decade of leadership and development experience ranging from improv stages to executive offices, Michael has worked with over 50,000 people across North America in supporting their own personal and professional development.
Jason is a TEDx speaker, author, certified Life and Corporate Coach, counsellor, and hypnotherapist. With training in Suicide Intervention (ASIST), NLP, MBSR, MBCT, psychology, and peer support, Jason tailors his approach to meet each client’s unique needs. Driven by a passion for building more cohesive teams, he focuses on emotional intelligence, effective communication, and self-restoration—the triad of success.
It was a pleasure to work with Will and Positive Impact. I was both inspired and empowered to co-deliver a meaningful offsite. Their positive incite into leadership performance and emotional resilience gave me clear direction and tactical tools I could apply to my workplace right away. I thoroughly look forward to working with Will again.
– Haley Daniels
Olympian and Motivational Speaker
Thanks for your incredible support, kindness, professionalism, and realness.
It was my sincere pleasure and privilege to work with you on our event.
You are a unique and special human, and I’m grateful that our paths crossed on this project, and look forward to the next time.
– Shauna Grinke, MBA, CPHR
Vice President – People and CultureThe workshop was an incredibly valuable experience for our team — the facilitator created an open, engaging environment that encouraged honest discussion and collaboration. The content was thoughtfully tailored to our team’s specific goals, making the session both relevant and actionable. We’re excited to continue partnering with Positive Impact to build on the great momentum sparked in this session.
– Shannon Charbonneau
Account Director
Treetop Marketing and Promotion Inc.
I’m leaving our session with a sense of optimism that I haven’t had in a while. It was time extremely well spent! I am sure that we all feel much closer and more connected.
– Participant
MDA Geointelligence Engineering Leadership SummitThe environment that was created made me feel comfortable to participate and collaborate with my colleagues. It was very well organized. I liked the outcome of the brainstorm sessions and warmup activities.
– ParticipantThe level of engagement and pace of the training was excellent. Like the fact that this workshop was trainer-guided, but participants lead!
– ParticipantFantastic facilitating most importantly Will understood when to let us talk and when to corral us back on track. Excellent value this afternoon.
– Engagement Workshop Participant
Featured Workshop
COMS Communication Styles
COMS Communication Styles draws inspiration from Paul Costa and Robert McCrae’s research on the Big Five Personality Model, introducing how different personality styles prefer to communicate along the spectrums of result-driven vs. interpersonal and reflective vs. assertive.
COMS is an interactive communication styles exploration. Through answering 8 strategically designed questions, you and your team will gain valuable insights into how individuals tend to communicate and interact. By visualising this into a simple but effective grid and delivering an interactive workshop, it can be instrumental in improving team dynamics, reducing conflict, and fostering more effective communication across the organization. Each of the four identified style has its strengths in different contexts. Your team will leave the session knowing with a deeper understanding and appreciation for diverse communication styles as well as how to leverage each approach and adapt their style to maximize impact and drive positive outcomes.
Strategic Planning
This isn’t just another corporate exercise – it’s a chance for you to engage your team in the planning and execution of the organization and an opportunity to align on strategic planning initiatives and actions.
As strategic planning facilitators, we guide organizations through the strategic planning process. We don’t dictate solutions to you, we enable your groups to co-create strategies based knowledge, experience and diversity. We create an environment conducive to open dialogue, innovation, critical thinking, and collaborative decision-making. This role is distinct in that it focuses on empowering your organization rather than imposing external ideas. Our award-winning facilitators are catalysts for transformative decision-making and planning. We do, however, offer guidance and insight into how other organizations operate and offer suggestions you may wish to implement. To us, strategic planning is more than just a single planning session. We work with our clients to help them navigate the strategic plan throughout the months and even years ahead. With our objective lens, we are well-positioned to offer insights into the strategic plan and execution tactics.
Portland, OR Facilitation FAQs
What types of organizations in Portland hire facilitators?
Facilitators in Portland work with city departments, nonprofits, healthcare providers, tech firms, and educational institutions. These groups often engage support for strategic planning, equity-driven work, and complex collaboration. Portland’s diverse sectors benefit from a structured space to align on shared goals and values. Facilitation allows for progress when perspectives vary or decisions carry long-term consequences.
How does facilitation support equity-focused work?
Facilitators help create inclusive sessions where all voices are considered and power dynamics are acknowledged. In Portland, where equity and anti-racism commitments are central to many initiatives, facilitators use frameworks that prioritize participation and cultural sensitivity. This creates trust and helps teams navigate difficult but necessary conversations. The process is designed to keep accountability visible while maintaining momentum.
Can facilitation improve public engagement projects?
Yes, facilitators often lead public input sessions, stakeholder consultations, and community visioning events. In Portland, where resident input plays a large role in planning and policy, a facilitator ensures transparency and accessibility. Sessions are tailored to include a variety of communication styles and backgrounds. Their presence helps agencies meet community expectations while reducing tension.
What does facilitation look like during policy development?
Facilitators help align internal teams before public release and guide working groups through structured input sessions. They manage competing priorities, clarify timelines, and support decision-makers in staying focused. In a city like Portland, where environmental, housing, and transportation issues are complex, facilitators ensure ideas are examined without getting stuck. They also help synthesize input for implementation planning.
Do Portland-based facilitators support union-involved workplaces?
Yes, facilitators work with unionized teams on collaboration, conflict resolution, and shared planning. In sectors like healthcare, construction, and education, facilitators navigate conversations with collective agreements in mind. They help maintain respectful dialogue and clarify shared outcomes during negotiation-sensitive work. Pre-session planning includes understanding labor-management dynamics.
Is virtual facilitation common in Portland?
Many Portland teams still operate in hybrid formats, so virtual facilitation is well established. Facilitators use digital tools like Miro or Zoom breakout rooms to ensure full engagement. Portland-based organizations often prioritize accessibility, so sessions may include captioning or live translation. Even fully remote sessions can maintain momentum and inclusion when structured properly.
What local challenges make facilitation especially useful?
Portland teams often face challenges around rapid growth, housing, transportation planning, and inclusion. Facilitation helps surface competing interests and create shared language around complex issues. It also helps break through gridlock in multi-stakeholder settings. When priorities span different departments or sectors, guided dialogue adds clarity and direction.
Can a facilitator help with multi-agency collaboration in Metro Portland?
Yes, cross-agency work is a frequent focus of Portland-based facilitation. Projects often include regional districts, nonprofits, and city staff working together on climate, housing, or infrastructure. Facilitators design inclusive processes that clarify roles, commitments, and shared outcomes. Sessions reduce confusion and foster long-term partnership success.
What’s the role of facilitation in DEI planning?
Facilitators support DEI efforts by helping organizations assess readiness, name goals, and define commitments. In Portland, where many workplaces are actively deepening equity efforts, facilitation helps pace that work with care. The process surfaces assumptions, allows feedback, and supports accountability. Facilitators guide teams toward meaningful and durable change.
How do we prepare for a facilitation session in Portland?
You’ll want to clarify your goals, identify decision-makers, and confirm who needs to be in the room. If your team includes remote staff or multilingual participants, plan for digital access or interpretation. Portland sessions often reflect shared governance, so co-creating the agenda is common. Pre-session alignment makes the session more productive for everyone involved.
