Today’s nonprofits face several challenges that are forcing them to operate more and more like their business counterparts. Competition for dollars in a skeptical post-9/11 world, coupled with demands for accountability, has caused nonprofits to reevaluate the way they ...
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I recently heard a story about an employee who received a very enthusiastic call from a headhunter trying to recruit him for a job. The employee said he wasn’t looking to leave the organization, to which the headhunter replied, “You are on my list of ...
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Last week I had a moment of sheer bliss. A moment that elevated my spirits and made me believe that all things were possible. A moment where I forgot I was at work in the middle of a goal planning meeting with an employee. Here’s what ...
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I recently heard a story about an employee who received a very enthusiastic call from a headhunter trying to recruit him for a job. The employee said he wasn’t looking to leave the organization, to which the headhunter replied, “You are on my list of employees ...
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You’ve seen it and felt it: There is no mistaking an organization where employees are engaged. In those organizations, employees are friendly and helpful, and work seems to hum along. If you are a customer or client, you may leave feeling better than when ...
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Often faced with more needs than resources, Executive Directors must do their work by navigating complex power, funding and organizational structures. Being the leader of a nonprofit organization requires a vast set of skills that include leadership, ...
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A few years ago, I interviewed a prospective employee who was just right for the job. His resume demonstrated the kinds of skills needed, his communication was easy but focused, and he clearly wanted to do the job that was open. In the end, I ...
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In a perfect world, conflicts at work would improve productivity and even relationships. However, in the real world, conflicts can result in damaged relationships and a lack of trust. A recent study...
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Recently, I did some work for a fairly financially well-off nonprofit. While this may sound like an oxymoron, it isn’t. This nonprofit has had some luck, a good business model and longevity. With this success, the nonprofit provided very nice benefits to ...
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You know the old joke: When somebody you know loses a job, it’s a recession; when you lose a job, it’s a depression. No matter what it’s called, when 51,000 jobs are lost in July only, all of us our touched by layoffs. While most of these job cuts are ...
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recently read an article written by the head of a community foundation that encouraged readers to step up their giving during these financially difficult times. While this is a reasonable request, it made me think about the value of emotional ...
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Like seasons, careers change. And even though a bad economy with massive job layoffs makes today’s job market seem like a job hunter’s winter of discontent, there are always approaches job seekers can use to plan and prepare for their career. There are phases and stages to our work ...
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The other day, my colleague of 21 years and I went to lunch. We started talking about what it was like to work so long for one organization. My colleague said that for many years she has set yearly goals about what she could do to be the best ...
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As I sat down to write about the relationship between a board and executive director, a beloved colleague came to my office to tell me about a board on which she participates. That day, the relatively new Executive Director gave his ...
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It happened again. The phone rang a few weeks ago on a Friday afternoon at 4:30. It was an Executive Director who was at her limit with an employee who had worked at the organization for more than two decades. The caller...
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New studies by the Hay Group and the Corporate Leadership Council suggest that employees are getting frustrated with their current employers. Employees feel overworked, underpaid and undervalued. As a result, as many as six in 10 employees are looking to exit, according to the Hay Group. Some 85 percent of ...
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The walls at Seniors’ Resource Center (SRC) are lined with beautiful photographs of people they have helped, which can be shared with generations of family members. These pictures tell of lives filled with joy, struggle and stories. Telling the story of these seniors is what the CEO for almost 30 years, John Zabawa, believes is the ...
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It’s four o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon. The school dismissal bell rings and most students leave for the day. One classroom fills with middle school students. These students walk to desks, pull out academic materials and quietly begin to work on ...
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There is chatter suggesting what leaders do to lead nonprofits is different than what they do to lead for-profit organizations. According to George Sparks, the CEO of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the only difference is profit-focused organizations have shareholders and nonprofits have volunteers...
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Meet with funders, manage staff, create strong, connected relationships with board members and now you want me to embrace happiness at work? Yes, because we have it backwards. According to Shawn Achor, author of “The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work,” happiness ...
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