Watch my 2-min personal video message 👆
AEE BOARD RETREAT (VIRTUAL)
Prepared for the AEE Board of Directors
👋 HEY PHIL
“The richness of connection will bring the richness of the contribution.”
You said that on our call, and it stuck with me. Because it’s exactly right. And it’s also exactly what most boards never make space for.
Twelve people. Monthly 90-minute Zoom calls. Only a 10-minute check-in (which you described as an unrealistic task to allow for genuine connection). 4 new members are still finding their footing after five months. And a dynamic you’ve noticed yourself: people share things with you one-on-one that never come up when the full group is together.
April 15th is your chance to change that. I’ve designed this virtual retreat to create the connection that makes everything else, the conversations, the decisions, the contributions, actually work.
I’m glad you reached out.
What you’re experiencing is more common than you think
70% of remote workers say it’s often or always hard to contribute or be part of the conversation during video calls.
Source: Owl Labs, State of Remote Work
The participation problem is real.
You know the moment. Someone asks, “Any thoughts?” and the silence stretches just long enough to feel uncomfortable. A few voices jump in, because they always do. Everyone else stays quiet. Not because they don’t care. Because something is holding them back.
If that pattern continues, the same voices keep shaping every decision. The rest of the board shows up, but doesn’t really weigh in. And over time, people stop trying.
92% of meeting participants admit to multitasking during meetings, leading to divided attention and a lack of meaningful contributions.
Source: Calendly / Bubbles Workplace Survey
Presence isn’t the same as engagement.
Virtual meetings make it easy to hide. Camera on, name visible, technically present. And still be replying to emails, half-listening, mentally somewhere else. Nobody notices. Nobody calls it out. That’s what happens when you’re in a room full of people you don’t yet feel connected to.
When you actually know someone, when you care about them, something shifts. You lean in. You pay attention. Not because you have to, but because it matters to you that they feel heard.
Google’s Project Aristotle found that psychological safety is the #1 predictor of high-performing teams. And psychological safety is built through one thing: social connection.
Source: Google re:Work
When people don’t feel safe, they stay quiet.
A board that hasn’t built real trust will default to safe conversations. People self-censor. Dissenting views get held back. The meetings feel productive on the surface, but the most important things never get said.
The longer that dynamic goes unaddressed, the harder it becomes to shift. Boards that don’t invest in connection early tend to operate at a fraction of their potential.
The good news? This is completely fixable.
Connection doesn’t happen by accident in a group of twelve people spread across three countries. But it can absolutely be designed. And a well-designed three-hour session can shift the dynamic of a board that has been meeting for months.
THE DEEPLY CONNECTED TEAMS RETREAT
This is a three-hour facilitated virtual session designed specifically for your board. Not a generic team-building exercise. Not a webinar. A carefully structured experience that builds real connection between twelve people across three countries, using activities I’ve refined over years of virtual facilitation.
Here’s what your board will walk away with.
☺️
A genuine sense of knowing each other. Not knowing names and roles. Actually knowing each other. What people care about, what makes them light up, what they're carrying. The kind of familiarity that would take years of monthly 10-minute check-ins, built intentionally in three hours.
🗣️
Every voice in the room. The session is designed so that every person has a way in, not just the ones who are naturally comfortable speaking up in a group of twelve. Small breakout rooms, anonymous tools, and graduated prompts mean no one has to perform confidence they don't yet feel.
🎯
A reconnection to the Purpose. Each board member chose to be here for a reason. We'll surface that reason and make it visible to the rest of the group in a way that changes how people show up going forward.
✍️
Personal commitments and connection rituals. The session doesn't end when the Zoom does. Your board will leave with small, specific practices they've chosen themselves, things they can carry into every monthly meeting that follows.
🔥
A stronger foundation for Day 2. When people feel heard and connected on April 15th, the strategic planning conversations on April 16th will be more honest, more open, and more productive. That's not a side effect. That's the point.
😊 ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Hey, I’m Jan 👋
I help leaders and teams create group experiences where no one feels left out, and everyone can contribute. Not through better icebreakers or slicker facilitation tricks. Through intentional design: the small, specific choices that determine whether people feel safe enough to speak and brave enough to say what they actually think.
For over a decade, I’ve worked with organizations to turn crickets into conversations, low engagement into deep connection, and small talk into meaningful dialogue. My expertise is in facilitative leadership — helping you not just run meetings, but create experiences where people feel included, heard, and empowered to contribute.
I’ve designed and led hundreds of workshops, trained leaders across industries, and developed frameworks that help facilitators handle resistance, disengagement, and high-stakes moments with confidence. My book, The Campfire Method, is a practical guide for designing the conditions for human connection in groups. It’s being published this year.
MY WORK HAS BEEN FEATURED IN
🤝 INVESTMENT
Here are two ways we can work together. Click each option to review the details and the investment.
→ Option A: Deeply Connected Team Retreat
This option includes everything you need for a focused and engaging retreat. Before we meet, I’ll send a short anonymous micro-survey to all twelve board members so I can design the session around what’s actually on people’s minds.
On April 15th, I’ll facilitate the full three-hour session on Zoom, with a 30-minute break in the middle. Afterward, you’ll receive a written summary with the connection rituals and personal commitments your board created together, so they don’t stay on a sticky note and disappear.
- Pre-retreat micro-survey sent to all 12 board members (anonymous, 3 questions, 5 minutes to complete)
- 1x planning call with Phil to align on goals and group dynamics
- 3-hour facilitated virtual session on April 15th (recommended: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM PT) with 30-minute break
- Post-retreat summary with 3-5 recommended connection practices for monthly board meetings
→ Option B: Retreat + Follow-Up
Everything in Option A, plus:
- 60-minute virtual follow-up session 4-6 weeks after the retreat
- Review how the working agreements and connection rituals are holding up in monthly meetings
- Adjust and refresh practices based on what’s working and what’s not
Why I recommend Option B
Connection doesn’t stick from a single session. A follow-up 4-6 weeks later gives your board a chance to reflect on what’s changed, troubleshoot what hasn’t, and recommit to the practices you created together. It’s the difference between a great day and a lasting shift.
👉 WHAT’S NEXT?
1
Make a Choice: Which of the options on this page are you most excited about? Get in touch, so we can get started to plan a memorable experience.
2
Dates + Timelines: We will confirm the date and timing.
3
Invoice: A non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total investment is required to confirm the project. I accept payment via PayPal, Credit Card or Wire Transfer (USA, CAN and EU).
4
Agreement: I will send you a summary outlining the details of our engagement that you can sign digitally.
5
Planning Call: We will connect to go over the logistics and agenda for you to approve.
6
Survey: I will share a video message with a short questionnaire to be shared with the participants.
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Your Virtual Board Retreat Where the magic happens ✨
8
Staying in touch: After the retreat, I'll send you a short reflection to look back on what shifted and what you want to carry forward. We'll review it together on a brief follow-up call.
ARE YOU READY TO GET STARTED?
Contact me to get started
Jan Keck
Trainer, Facilitator, Experience Designer
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