Team Building for a Big Mission

Case Study

Neil Clark – President
Magic Valley Pediatric Cancer Coalition (MVPCC)
Idaho based non-profit

MVPCC has a great mission but had noticed decline in execution.  The teamwork and momentum had slowed, goals weren’t met and board meetings were not efficient or effective. They were looking to revamp their initiatives to retain the volunteers on the board and hit goals.

Goal: Team building, goal setting and strong execution plan.

Services Provided: DiSC Assessments and 2-Day Team Retreat

Jamison: Let’s start here—before the retreat, what wasn’t working? What challenges were you having as a team?

Neil: Honestly? Communication was the biggest struggle.
Communication and execution. It’s tough to get people to buy in and take action when not everyone is consistently showing up or communicating. And when that happens, things just… stall.

J: We utilized DiSC assessments at the retreat and there was instant positive feedback in the room. How did it help the team?

N: The DiSC training created an understanding for each other, and people got more vulnerable instead of shut off. Honestly, a big piece was getting to the point where we could get things out in the open. Like—“Hey, this isn’t working. What do we need to fix?” Prior to the retreat, that conversation was not happening. I think out of fear.

And it wasn’t about blaming anyone.  It wasn’t like someone messed up. It was more about asking, “What did we lose sight of—and how do we refocus?”  That was huge.

J: We unpacked a lot in two days. What surprised you about the experience?

N: I think the biggest surprise was how introspective people got.

Going through the DISC assessment, people started realizing, “Oh, we actually approach things very differently.” And not in a bad way, just… different.

That awareness really hit home. We walked away with a much better understanding of each other as a team and that’s carried into every meeting since.

J: What has changed since the retreat for the board? What are you seeing now?

N: A lot, actually.

More engagement. More buy-in. And a much stronger, unified drive toward our goals.

Morale has been, honestly, stellar. People are showing up. They’re jumping in to help. It feels like everyone actually wants to be here and is working toward the same thing.

We’ve also seen a big shift in communication. At the leadership level especially, there’s a lot more consistency. We’re looping each other in, staying connected, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. It’s been effective. And that’s started to ripple out across the whole board.

J: How did the retreat impact you personally as a leader?

N: That’s a good question. Right before the retreat, I was gearing up to step into the President role. I was excited—but also nervous because of all the reasons we talked about earlier.

After the retreat, though? It’s completely different. Now it actually feels fun to work in this non-profit. I know I have the support of not just the executive team, but the entire board. Everyone’s engaged, working hard, and pushing toward the same outcomes.

It gave me a spark of excitement for what’s ahead and we are crushing it this year.

J: Looking back on the retreat, what do you think made the biggest difference? How would you describe the experience?

N: The combination of what we did in the two days.

We started with the DISC assessments and the way you trained us on the results gave us instant awareness and understanding of each other. It was a great team builder that was more than just “having fun”.

Then the planning conversations gave us clarity and goals to execute. We went deep.  It forced us to slow down and actually look at what matters and what doesn’t. You challenged us in a good way.

It wasn’t surface-level. You asked questions that made us stop and think, like, “Is this really a priority?” That kind of push helped us get out of autopilot and actually be intentional about what we’re doing while everyone got a chance to engage. It was very organized in the execution, and we covered everything on the agenda. We didn’t get hung up and spiral on one thing, it just flowed.  If I had to sum up the experience you provide in three words: Intentional, knowledgeable, effective.

The Bottom Line

This team didn’t need new people or a new mission. They needed alignment. And once they had it, everything started to move.

If your team feels stuck, disconnected, or just slightly off— it’s time to reset the room and refocus as a group.