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I’ve always been passionate about making sure all voices are heard in any planning process. This is one reason I love Compression Planning® which has a powerful definition: a visual brainstorming process designed to bring out a group’s best thinking and energy on a specific issue in an environment of fair play and equal participation led […]

What happens when you take control away from the front lines? You erode trust in an organization and diminish autonomy. Dr. Brené Brown identifies this pattern as Leading for Compliance and Control. She explains, “When we lead for compliance and control, we reduce work to tasks and to-dos and spend time making sure people do […]

Grants are an amazing tool, and when used appropriately can enhance an organization and serve as a catalyst for new programs and ideas.  But what I’ve found is grants can’t fix an organization. A toxic culture will kill grants of all sizes and quality. No amount of funding can bypass back-channel behavior in an organization […]

Clar·i·ty /ˈklerədē/ 1) the quality of coherence and intelligibility; 2) the quality of being easy to see or hear; 3) the quality of transparency or purity. In my consulting practice, I help people and organizations find clarity. In my personal life, there is nothing more rewarding to me than clarity. Clarity to me is an […]

We asked this question in the Nonprofit Strategic Plan series sponsored by the Tracy Family Foundation and here’s what we heard: *Unrealistic Goals*No commitment/no shared vision*It gets put on a shelf*No resources associated with the plan*No defined measures*No end point*Not given attention or gets postponed on agenda i.e. “our committee didn’t meet”*Board/Staff Turnover*A component in […]