Dialogue

on Purpose

Providing navigation and leadership through opportunities, challenges, goals, and difficult conversations.

Dialogue on purpose… both intentionally and with a focus… on purpose.

As a practitioner, I always start from a place of problem-solving with a view to understanding the ultimate purpose: where are we trying to go, why, what does success look like and why, where are the barriers, is it measurable, etc.

This strategic forethought ensures both the client and the project have a clear vision and relevant options to get there.

- Patti Balsillie, Chief Problem Solver, BA, ICD.D

Patti Balsillie - Dialogue on Purpose - gravel path leading to forest at the foot of mountains in the Yukon Territory - photo by Patti Balsillie.jpg

Patti Balsillie is a Canadian consultant and strategic advisor with a significant focus on strategy, tourism development, organizational governance, and working through conflict.

Areas of Practice

Working together to achieve improved outcomes.

We’ll find middle ground, design compromise, and devise options to help you resolve complex issues. Patti has served as a mediator in many situations of conflict, calming animosity and facilitating problem solving through her diverse experience and formal training.

Evaluating policies and practices for future success

Whether leading strategic planning or supporting the development and implementation of governance, you’ll get ultimate objectives that are clear, achievable, actionable, relatable, and measurable.

Building consensus and community involvement

Leverage Patti’s International Association for Public Participation (IAP2.org) training, and 25 years of practice and formal education, and develop purpose-built approaches for every project, ensuring clarity of the why, how, what and for whom.

Patti Balsillie - Dialogue on Purpose - winter scene outdoors in the Yukon Territory - photo by Patti Balsillie.jpg

Work with Patti

When you work with Patti you will be:

  • Accessing a renowned problem solver and leader

  • Leveraging the experiences of a twenty-five (25) year career in diverse sectors across the north and Canada

  • Connecting to successful strategies and lessons in tourism, government, community, business and the nonprofit sector

  • Benefiting from formal education in all areas of speciality including strategy, governance, tourism, organizational development, public engagement and conflict resolution/mediation

Past Clients

  • Gwaandak Theatre Society

  • Over the past 5 years, Patti has served as a consultant, facilitator, mentor, and friend in our shared collaborations. She brings valuable knowledge, innovation, networks, and compassion into her work, and is a true asset to work with in our communities in the North.

    Alyssa Carpenter, Leading Founder, Western Arctic Youth Collective

  • Patti was an invaluable resource in guiding us through a policy review and conflict resolution process. She was compassionate, attuned to our needs as a team, and flexible in helping us find a process that suited us. Her depth of experience was evident and the solutions she offered us were clear, realistic and grounded in a humanistic approach.

    Nicole Schafenacker, Chair, Gwaandak Theatre Society 

  • An exceptional strategist and facilitator who brings passion to every project..

    Lance Burton, Founder and Executive Director, Shakat Media 

  • I’ve known and worked with Patti since 2008. In that time, she has been integral to Canada’s tourism industry, connecting governance, advocacy, industry and provincial needs and challenges. In 2020 we contracted her to lead a feasibility study for a new tourism association in Manitoba and lead some training through COVID for operators. This was followed by her expert support in leading our volunteer tourism industry leadership group through the formation of our first conference, AGM and governance model. She has been a valuable member of our TIAM team and we hope to work with her again in the future.

    John Gunter, Board Chair, Tourism Industry Association of Manitoba 

  • Since 2009, Patti and I have worked together on big legacy inspiring projects including the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, hosting our first Yukon First Nations Tourism Conference to building up the Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association in branding, governance, business planning, training and more. With every project, I have witnessed Patti bring her national expertise, her community knowledge and her skills in conflict, strategy, engagement, governance, leadership and more. Patti is an asset to every team she contributes to and the collective ‘we’ is stronger for it.

    Charlene Alexander , Former Executive Director and co-Producer, Project YFN 2010 to the Vancouver Olympics

  • After several years without a strategic plan for our government organization, we contracted Patti Balsillie to lead us through strategy and engagement with the community to set priorities and direction. Our office, not unlike most places in Canada has undergone tremendous challenges with conflicting stakeholder needs, rising crime rates and constant demands. Patti’s approach and networks helped us learn from a diverse range of stakeholder groups and build bridges with many, culminating in greater implementation effectiveness. We would totally work with Patti in the future.

    Federal Government Department, Yukon Office

  • I am incredibly grateful to have Patti Balsille as my mentor during my training as an Executive Director. Her extensive experience in non-profit organizations has been invaluable in guiding me through the complexities of this role. Patti’s insights into organizational structure and best practices have not only helped me prioritize key areas within our association's operations, but they have also fostered my professional growth in ways I never expected. Her ability to provide clarity and direction has been a tremendous support, allowing me to navigate challenges with confidence. Patti’s mentorship has been a pivotal part of my development, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone seeking guidance in the non-profit sector. Thank you, Patti, for your unwavering support and for sharing your wealth of knowledge!

    Hanna Fish, Executive Director, Yukon Agricultural Association

Patti Balsillie - Dialogue on Purpose - gravel path leading to forest at the foot of mountains in the Yukon Territory - photo by Patti Balsillie.jpg

“Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.”

- Alan Turing