Aid for Aid Workers Leadership Podcast

As humanitarians we all have our stories about reaching, and perhaps surpassing, our breaking point.  You know, the time when you lost it and started yelling at your team, or you slammed a door harder than you had meant to, or you find yourself sick with some parasite whose name you cannot pronounce. My guest today, Lia Hulit, shares some ways to make wellbeing more sustainable, or how to be proac...

Many of you are aware of what's happening right now in the US with protests over the recent death of George Floyd, another unarmed African American male killed by a policeman.  This has been a reality for African American males for years, but only more recently has come to the attention of the general public.  And this begs the question, how did many of us not pay attention for so long, and what e...

Discomfort can be a sign that we're stepping outside our normal routine, and trying something new.  As I used to tell my staff, discomfort is a sign that you are growing.  But why do we get so uncomfortable in the first place and how can we manage our discomfort so it does not get in the way of reaching our goals?  In this episode you'll find four ways you can reach beyond your comfort zone in aid...

I am excited to introduce two of my former students, Brenda Kamboga and Bronwen Moore.  In this episode they share what they learned in my coaching course, The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101, and how it changed their perspective in how they approach their teams and at home.  You might be surprised by what they have to say, and some of the advice they give in starting your own coachi...

The words "coaching" and "mentoring" are used a lot these days, and sometimes even together.  And there's a reason for that!  Coaching and/or mentoring can be super effective in getting you to where you want to go - personally and professionally.  But in order to decide which is right for you, we need to start by defining the differences. In this episode, you'll learn the following: Coaching versu...

As aid workers we tolerate quite a lot.  But if you're like me, reaching a breaking point can be damaging to our friends, family and coworkers (whomever happens to be around at the time).  In this episode I provide some ways to relieve your stress in particular during COVID-19 crisis so you can be happier, think more clearly and get more done. This episode is brought to you by my free one hour Mas...

Social isolation and extra time at home is a great time to take advantage of the incredible opportunities the Internet has to offer.  Whether it's learning accounting, how to write a solid proposal or time management, there are many trainings to help take your performance to the next level.  But how do you decide which training is right for you?  This episode will take the overwhelm out finding th...

In aid work, time is precious.  And although we know that spending time on our team's professional development will pay off in the long run, it often seems like competing priorities get in the way.  In today's episode you'll learn about a very efficient way to use your time during professional development, and three reasons why it's so effective.

As aid workers, we are accustomed to a large degree of uncertainty in our work.  Will that procurement ever show up?  Will our local partner implement the training fully?  Will drought destroy this year's crops?  These are all questions we encounter in our work.  The current situation with COVID-19, however, is a whole new level of uncertainty.  Perhaps because it doesn't just impact our work and...

This episode is a bit different from the norm, and is for those of you interested in how Aid for Aid Workers will be evolving over the next year or two.   In this episode you'll learn: Next phase of the podcast, website and email My upcoming digital course (The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101) One on one coaching services More about the Aid for Aid Workers podcast - how it's made, nu...

We can all use a little inspiration these days, especially during what my husband calls the "infodemic" - that is, the bombardment of craziness on the news and social media.  I could not think of a better story of inspiration than that of Jane Ndenga.  Jane is on the Kenyan National Wheelchair Tennis Team, and also works for Action Network for the Disabled.   In this episode we discuss her perspec...

Whether you're a Regional Director, Country Director, Procurement Manager or Project Manager, if you supervise someone you have a responsibility to communicate with them properly during a crisis.  Unfortunately during this COVID-19 crisis I have witnessed a lack of communication.  This means people fill in the gaps with their own information or take their own actions that may be against their inte...

As you may know, hiring your dream candidate goes way beyond just an interview.  If you're looking for a candidate that will fit your team not only technically but also in terms of values, this episode is for you.  

We all know those behaviors that annoy us during meetings.  Like when someone comes in late, or interrupts others, or when everyone is on their phone instead of listening.  Whether the behavior is from one person or several, and whether you have a long standing team or a new one,  by the end of this episode you will have a clear set of steps you can apply with your team to eliminate those unwanted...

As aid workers we all strive for the sometimes elusive "work-life balance."  It can certainly be tricky, with competing priorities at work and emergencies which need responding.  I chose today's guest, Matthew McIlvenna because although he oversees the emergency operations for WFP in nine countries, he somehow manages to go home at a reasonable hour and devote time to extracurricular activities (o...

Most of us like to think we keep our commitments to ourselves.  Like when you tell yourself "today I am going to finish that budget" or "I am going to go running later."  But what happens when someone else's request gets in the way of your agenda?  Do you stand your ground and honor your self-commitment, or do you cave in and do what that other person wants?   Keeping the commitments we make to ou...

It is almost impossible to find a job that doesn't involve something you find yourself avoiding.  As Country Manager I avoided accounting as much as was possible, but it was a necessary part of being successful in that role.  In order to achieve more impact and reach our goals, we sometimes have to focus on the areas that we want to avoid the most.  It's not always easy, but in this episode I prov...

Aid work can be tiring - the last minute proposals, limited resources, as well as being far from friends and family. Sometimes we need ways to regain our motivation and feel ready to get back to work and do our best. In this episode I share eight ways you can quickly and easily increase your energy so that you can get more done and feel great doing it. For resources click here.

Whether it is directly, or through a performance evaluation or a 360 Feedback review, receiving negative feedback can be discouraging.  In this episode you'll learn how to know what feedback is worth your time, and then how to act upon it in a way your team and supervisor will appreciate. Related episode:  How to Use Difficult Feedback for Positive Personal Growth

The idea of giving feedback, especially negative feedback, can be intimidating.  And knowing how to give that feedback in a way that will be well received can also cause many leaders to just not say anything.  Although our idea of negative feedback makes us uncomfortable, it is important our teams know how they can do better.  In this episode you'll learn how to become comfortable giving negative...

As we enter the New Year (and even beyond) it is helpful to remember what will make us a more successful leader in aid work.  These five reminders will help you avoid some common mistakes all leaders can make, so you can reach your leadership goals for 2020!  

One of the most important things you can do as a leader is hold your team accountable for the performance you want.  Failing to hold teams accountable can mean poor morale, lower quality work and possibly a bad reputation.  The problem I've seen with myself and others is that we have certain beliefs that prevent us from holding under performing team members accountable.  And those beliefs are impa...

One of the major struggles in aid work that I have encountered both myself and amongst other aid workers is around protecting a certain number of hours during the work week to work on those “important” tasks. You know, the tasks that can help us make a bigger impact, and advance our teams and ourselves professionally. But somehow, it always seems like other things get in the way of working on the...

So you've created your team vision, you have your team's alignment with that vision, now how do you make sure your vision doesn't disappear with all the other visions and missions that everyone forgets about?  In this episode I share proven ways you can make your vision top of mind and an everyday way of operating within your team.

Once you have your team vision, how will you get your team's alignment to follow that vision?  In this episode you will take the vision you formed in part one, finalize it and introduce it to your team in a way that will get their buy-in.