Executive Retreats
Structured retreats help executive and department teams address strategy, decisions, problem-solving, creativity, roles, conflict, and team building through memorable, productive sessions tailored by interviews and surveys.
Develop confident leaders, aligned teams, and better decision-making with IdeaGuides’ highly interactive coaching and training programs. Since 1999, our expert facilitators and trainers have helped executive teams, departments, nonprofits, and growing organizations turn meetings, retreats, and leadership development sessions into practical outcomes, stronger collaboration, and more productive workplace engagement.

Customized leadership workshops, retreats, and training programs that build alignment, engagement, decisions, and practical workplace results.
Structured retreats help executive and department teams address strategy, decisions, problem-solving, creativity, roles, conflict, and team building through memorable, productive sessions tailored by interviews and surveys.
Participants learn how to lead productive meetings with better agendas, stronger engagement, idea generation techniques, follow-up tools, and practical templates for handling difficult meeting situations.
Customized workshops help teams improve trust, communication, role clarity, conflict management, problem-solving, and shared values, including support for virtual and cross-functional teams.
Leadership groups learn structured methods for analyzing problems, evaluating options, making decisions, and building shared commitment to solutions in both individual and group settings.
Facilitators guide leadership teams through mission, values, current realities, future vision, goals, tactics, and alignment so strategy becomes clear, actionable, and shared.
Interactive innovation training develops creative thinking skills, idea fluency, flexibility, and uniqueness through brainstorming games, problem-solving activities, and methods for sustaining creativity.

We begin by clarifying your objectives, audience, challenges, and desired outcomes. Interviews, surveys, or planning calls help us understand leadership dynamics, meeting pain points, team alignment issues, and the practical results your organization needs.
Organizations nationwide trust IdeaGuides to turn complex conversations into alignment, ideas, decisions, and action.
IdeaGuides helps leadership teams turn participation into practical decisions and lasting momentum.
Founded in 1999, IdeaGuides brings deep experience guiding leaders through complex conversations.
Certified facilitators and IAF members lead structured, inclusive, and productive leadership sessions.
Every program is tailored around your goals, group dynamics, timeframe, and desired outcomes.
Sessions focus on decisions, alignment, action plans, participation, and measurable workplace productivity.
Experienced facilitators, trainers, coaches, and published thought leaders.
Chief Executive Facilitator & Master Trainer
Bruce E. Honig is the founder and Chief Executive Facilitator & Master Trainer at IdeaGuides, bringing over 30+ years of professional facilitation and training experience to organizations across California and nationwide. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bruce leads the IdeaGuides team with a deep commitment to collaborative idea generation and productive decision-making. As a professional facilitator and member of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF), he has guided more than 150 clients through strategic planning, team alignment, and innovation sessions. Bruce is also a prolific author, having written over five books on innovation, team building, and meetings, making him a recognized thought leader in the facilitation industry.

Master Facilitator & Trainer
Adam Shames serves as a Master Facilitator & Trainer at IdeaGuides, bringing deep expertise in team development, innovation, and collaborative group processes to clients across California and the nation. With a strong foundation in experiential learning and creative facilitation, Adam designs and leads highly engaging sessions that inspire teams to think differently and work more effectively together. He is the author of Teambreakers, a book focused on innovation and team building, reflecting his passion for helping organizations break through barriers and unlock their collective potential. Adam's facilitation style emphasizes participation, creativity, and practical outcomes that teams can immediately apply in the workplace.

Certified Facilitator
Michael Wong is a Certified Facilitator at IdeaGuides with a specialized focus on supporting non-profit organizations through facilitated meetings, strategic planning sessions, and collaborative decision-making processes. His understanding of the unique dynamics, missions, and challenges that non-profits face allows him to design sessions that are both deeply relevant and highly productive for these organizations. Michael brings professional rigor and genuine dedication to every engagement, helping non-profit teams build alignment, clarify goals, and move forward with confidence. As part of the experienced IdeaGuides team, Michael upholds the firm's core values of collaboration, involvement, and creativity in every session he leads.

Senior Facilitator & Trainer
Jeanne-Marie Grumet is a Senior Facilitator & Trainer at IdeaGuides, contributing her extensive experience and professional expertise to help teams and organizations achieve greater alignment, engagement, and productivity. As a senior member of the IdeaGuides facilitation team, she brings a polished, skilled approach to strategic planning sessions, offsites, retreats, and team building workshops. Jeanne-Marie is committed to creating inclusive, participatory environments where every voice is heard and every participant contributes meaningfully to outcomes. Her work reflects IdeaGuides' mission of guiding clients toward collaborative and productive idea generation and decision-making across a wide variety of industries and organizational contexts.

Expert Facilitator & Trainer
Alice Cochran is an Expert Facilitator & Trainer at IdeaGuides with a distinguished background in meeting facilitation and group process design. A published author of more than two books on meetings, Alice brings authoritative knowledge and practical wisdom to every session she facilitates. Her expertise helps organizations transform how they run meetings — making them more focused, efficient, and results-oriented. Alice's facilitation approach is grounded in best practices and years of hands-on experience guiding executive teams, senior leadership groups, and cross-functional teams toward clearer decisions and stronger collaboration. She is a trusted resource for organizations seeking to dramatically improve the quality and productivity of their group interactions.

Facilitator & Trainer
Ken Homer is a Facilitator & Trainer at IdeaGuides with specialized expertise in large group facilitation methodologies, including Open Space Technology and World Café. His deep knowledge of these powerful participatory approaches makes him an invaluable resource for organizations looking to engage large numbers of stakeholders in meaningful, self-organizing conversations that generate real insights and actionable outcomes. Ken's facilitation style is adaptive, inclusive, and highly effective at bringing out the collective intelligence of groups of all sizes. He works across a variety of sectors to help teams and communities explore complex challenges, build shared understanding, and move forward with clarity and commitment.

Master Facilitator, Trainer & Coach
Ray Madaghiele is a Master Facilitator, Trainer & Coach at IdeaGuides with deep expertise in strategic planning facilitation and organizational development. As the author of a book on strategic planning, Ray brings both scholarly depth and practical experience to his work with leadership teams, helping organizations clarify their vision, align around priorities, and build actionable roadmaps for the future. His coaching background adds an additional dimension to his facilitation, enabling him to support both group processes and individual leadership development simultaneously. Ray is known for his ability to guide organizations through complex strategic conversations with clarity, structure, and lasting impact.

Treasure Hunt Maven & Team Building Facilitator
Dave Blum is IdeaGuides' Treasure Hunt Maven & Team Building Facilitator, bringing a uniquely creative and energizing approach to team engagement and collaboration. As the author of Dr. Clue Build-A-Treasure-Hunt, Dave is a recognized expert in using experiential treasure hunt activities to build team cohesion, communication, and camaraderie in a fun and memorable way. His programs are designed to break down silos, strengthen relationships, and foster the kind of trust and teamwork that translates directly back to the workplace. Dave's innovative facilitation style makes him a go-to resource for organizations looking for dynamic, out-of-the-ordinary team building experiences that deliver real results.

Master Facilitator
Lee Gimpel is a Master Facilitator at IdeaGuides, bringing a high level of skill and professionalism to every meeting, workshop, and retreat he facilitates. With a command of advanced facilitation techniques, Lee helps teams and organizations move through complex discussions with focus and efficiency, ensuring that every session produces meaningful outcomes and that participants feel heard and engaged throughout the process. His work spans a wide range of industries and organizational contexts, from strategic planning and alignment sessions to innovation workshops and leadership offsites. Lee embodies IdeaGuides' commitment to guiding groups toward their best ideas and most important decisions with expertise and care.
IdeaGuides leadership coaching and training programs can include executive retreats, meeting leadership training, team development, strategic planning, decision-making tools, innovation exercises, and facilitated action planning. Programs are tailored to your organization’s goals, audience, and time available, with interactive methods that help participants practice new behaviors instead of simply listening to a lecture.
Share your goals and get guidance on the right program format.
IdeaGuides supports organizations across California and nationwide with flexible in-person, off-site, and remote formats.
Nationwide
Service Area
Over 25 Years
Experience
250+ Projects
Completed Work
Tell us where your team is located and how you want to meet.
Professional facilitation membership demonstrating industry commitment.
Team includes certified facilitators and master trainers.
Authors on innovation, meetings, and team building.
Tell us about your leadership goals, group size, timeline, and preferred format. We’ll help shape a practical program that fits your organization.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at 1.415.479.2028. You can also send us a quick email at bruce@IdeaGuides.com.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at 1.415.479.2028. You can also send us a quick email at bruce@IdeaGuides.com.