When a founder or long-term executive leaves an organization, especially if their departure wasn’t planned, the loss can be a major factor on team morale and leave a sense of something deeply missing from the workplace. BoardSource calls this “the hard to follow executive,” and I think that phrasing is particularly apt because it feels like following the performance of a lifetime. How could anyone possibly fill those shoes? What’s key for your organization in the transition to a new executive...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Hi friends! When you think of onboarding, what do you include? Most onboarding protocols include a rushed two week schedule, with a boisterous "welcome to the team!" tossed the way of new hires. I'm here to encourage you rethink your onboarding norms to build out a 30-90 day onboarding opportunity to cultivate and support your new employee’s path to success. Proper onboarding isn’t just “here’s the company handbook, good luck!” It’s intentionally creating a supportive period for a new team...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi friends! I don’t speak much about marketing and communications in this space, but there’s one significant overlap between comms and the idea of Leaving Well. And it’s this: You MUST keep your marketing in motion during transitional periods when your organization is going through big changes. It’s so easy to drop your social media while you worry about new job descriptions and interviews and onboarding your new hire. After all, getting the right person in for the job is your top priority....
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
"We are in a revolutionary moment in our country, in our world. I'm thoughtful and hopeful about change and transition, but also know that comes with great pain. It can come with a lot of conflict. The framing that our country holds around polarization is really around change and transition. So, how do we rename what's actually happening? It is truly the life learning mechanism to get to a place of truer self, to get us to justice and liberation." -Amanda Andere Today's episode release is...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
"I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important and the important are never urgent." -Dwight D. Eisenhower Nonprofit leaders often have too much on their plates, and not enough time or capacity to effectively choose what task or projects are important vs. urgent vs. should be delegated. In this YouTube video (it's short, at just 8:28 minutes long), I’m sharing the well-known concept of the Eisenhower Matrix and how it can be applied to workplace...
2 months ago • 1 min read
“One of the most significant responsibilities a leader has is to plan for their eventual departure and have great leaders ready to step up and maintain the momentum in the organization.” -Mark Clouse I 100% agree with this sentiment and recently shared it on LinkedIn. People Leave™️ and proactive and intentional (and thoughtful) workplace transitions and succession planning is something that every organization—from Campbell’s Soup to your nonprofit food bank—must prioritize. Is your...
3 months ago • 1 min read
When I spoke with Africa Brooke on the Leaving Well Podcast, our conversation took a beautiful stroll around the topics of values, integrity, legacy, and reputation. One of the big topics that came up in our discussion was around reputation and self-identifying with our work, especially for women. Living in a patriarchal society, women are held to more rigid standards with less forgiveness of perceived transgressions. We have been socialized to put other people’s needs before our own,...
3 months ago • 1 min read
A board member who feels very connected to the mission, purpose, and operations of your organization may seem like the perfect candidate for an interim role while your nonprofit finds its new hire–especially when that board member also has some experience in an executive leadership role. But I’m coming in HOT with a strong opinion: You should NOT place a Board member into an interim executive role! Now, are there situations where this might work well? Of course–but they are exceptions to the...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Have you lost sleep wondering how your nonprofit will survive after your executive director announces an immediate departure? Or felt that knot in your stomach when board members resign during a crucial capital campaign? Maybe you're an ED yourself, desperately needing a sabbatical but terrified of leaving your organization vulnerable. I understand the weight of responsibility you carry. As a certified Interim Executive Leader with over 15 years in the sector, I've guided organizations...
3 months ago • 1 min read