Recently, I was teaching a group of nonprofit executives about Almost Impossible Goals and Innovation. One of them said “How am I supposed to get staff to spend time on this when they are already booked 100% on other things they are doing?” The answer, of course, is that you need to give people time away from their current projects to do this. And it is not a popular … [Read more...] about Give Me Some Slack!
Decision Making
Better Team Decision-Making
We all want to make better decisions in teams, and here is some new research with on how to do this – based on an article from Harvard Business Review: *Small Teams are Better for Important Decisions. Research from this article suggests that teams of seven or more are more susceptible to confirmation bias. They suggest teams of three – five for important decisions. (This … [Read more...] about Better Team Decision-Making
Challenge Your Echo Chamber
If you read the headline and thought “I need to share this with a friend who I think needs to challenge their echo chamber,” then guess what – this article is actually for YOU! And for ME. For all of us. And this is not just about politics. It happens to all of us in our organizations. We all know what the customers/clients/donors want. We all know what the … [Read more...] about Challenge Your Echo Chamber
Beware of Decisions During Urgency
The past ten months or so have seen many of us put under the pressure of making a quick decision in the name of “urgency.” And we will likely see more of these times ahead as the pandemic is unrelenting. Here are some things that we can do to make the best decisions possible in these situations. 1. Is this really important? Dr. Steven Covey counsels us to pay more … [Read more...] about Beware of Decisions During Urgency
Tips for Team Problem Solving
Part of your success will depend upon your ability to lead your team through effective problem-solving on a regular basis. One suggested process* for team problem-solving includes: *Define the Problem *Generate Solutions *Evaluate Solutions *Choose a Solution *Make a Plan These seem obvious and straightforward, yet – quite often – teams do not follow this … [Read more...] about Tips for Team Problem Solving