Recently I had a chance to do a half-day workshop on “Making Change Stick” for a group of nonprofit executives at a conference sponsored by NeighborWorks America. Here’s one of main take-aways that may help you when you are in the process of leading a change. These particular nonprofit leaders have been working on various improvements in their organizations for the past year … [Read more...] about Making Change Stick
Sleepwalking Through SWOTs
SWOT analysis – analyzing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of an organization – is usually not done well. I often feel as if organizations are just sleepwalking through the process. I think this is because so many people look at this as a mechanical and analytical process while it should be spirited and creative. Examples: “I think our #1 Weakness … [Read more...] about Sleepwalking Through SWOTs
A “Mess” of Trouble is Heading our Way!
You probably have things in your organization that you know need to change, that you want to change, that you know absolutely must change, but – how do you get started? Many experts agree that the first step in leading a change is to create a “sense of urgency” among those who need to help make that change happen. But how do you do that? One of my favorite recipes for … [Read more...] about A “Mess” of Trouble is Heading our Way!
Goal Setting Primer
This is a summary of all the important things you need to remember about goals, with links to my earlier blogs for more detail. Tack this to your bulletin board as a reminder. Set Goals! The mere act of setting even general goals helps direct attention to relevant activities.* Keep your life and work more relevant by setting goals. Set Goals as Outcomes. Focus on what … [Read more...] about Goal Setting Primer
“We celebrate noble failure.”
If you are like most people, your relationship with failure is this: you avoid it at ALL costs. I am suggesting that if you are going to produce higher levels of performance, and especially breakthrough performance, you need to transform your relationship with failure. I met a corporate executive once who told me that one of her favorite sayings was “We celebrate noble … [Read more...] about “We celebrate noble failure.”