As nonprofit development professionals know, there are many factors that influence charitable donations. Emotional connection to an organization’s mission, commitment to creating a better community, giving back to a charity that made a difference in someone’s life or tax deductions can all be influencers. Add to these internal motivations the external reality of economic conditions […]
Leadership Is About Coaching – Here’s How To Do It Well
Michael Bungay Stanier is a Canadian coach. He is the author of “ The Coaching Habit.” He is one of my favorite people on coaching. The following piece of his is terrific.” If you’re a leader or a manager, you probably wear a lot of hats. You’re a project manager, delegator, spokesperson, and most importantly, […]
A Case For Risk Management
A case for risk management: You may have read about a case where a federal jury recently awarded Taco Bell workers approximately $496,000 in a class action case that alleged meal and rest period violations. Taco Bell ended up in court because of problems with its policy on meal breaks and rest periods. A clear […]
Good Leaders are Confident…But OOPS! Overconfident?
Good leaders are confident. Their confidence inspires trust and a sense of fulfillment for the mission. But there can be a fine line between confidence and overconfidence. The Wall Street Journal recently published an excellent article about this conundrum.[1] I will address the four questions, which are very explanatory, then add the characteristics that show […]
What We Can Learn From Baseball
A recent article, authored by Dave Blankenhorn (my son), in The Zweig Letter uses an interesting baseball story to illustrate the importance of “top down” and “ bottom up” communication in any organization. There was much controversy in the last World Series when Dave Roberts, the Dodger manager, removed pitcher Rich Hill in the seventh […]
Three Reasons to Hire a Coach
Leaders in not-for-profit organizations frequently ask why would I hire a coach. In my own experience as a leader and in coaching executives, here are three reasons you might want to hire a coach. It can be lonely at the top. Even though there are others who work in your organization, you can feel isolated. […]
Ghosting Is Not Just a Halloween Term Any More
It’s a recent phenomenon describing the practice of of suddenly ending a relationship without explanation. While this term frequently crops up in dating circles in recent years it has spread to the workplace where employers are donning the the role of jilted lover. Ghosting can take several forms. A job candidate may ditch an arranged […]
Performance Reviews Made Easier
Many managers dread the performance review process because of the time and preparation needed to deliver to and support their employees. BoardSource recently posted an article with practical suggestions to make the process easier.[1] The premise of the article is that more frequent, focused, and conversational discussions are more effective than the once a year […]
Conducting an Effective Meeting
Do you dread attending the weekly staff meeting and other meetings on your calendar?? Melanie Woodword from Balance Small Business offers the following advice: “7 Tips For Effective Meetings Establish the Meeting’s Objectives Before sending out a meeting alert and putting it on your calendar, ask yourself why you want to hold a meeting and […]
Characteristics of a Good Leader
When plans don’t go as we hoped they would, or we get discouraged, we may ask ourselves what went wrong. What kind of a leader have I become? I recently read a very interesting article that provided the ten most important characteristics of a good leader. The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) is known for […]