Learning for Good | L&D Solutions and Leadership Development for Nonprofits

In our house, we have a good couch and an everyday couch. Our good couch is taken care of. And it's lasted for years. Then we have our everyday couch. It's also used to watch movies or lounge around on. But we are a little less careful about spilling popcorn on it and kids jumping on it. This couch is also part of our story, but we don't expect it to last as long. It's easy to...

Do you remember your first real job? I was probably a strange combination of timid and overconfident.  I probably hesitated to speak up at first. Thankfully, I gained experience, skills, and competence over time. What if we could help our early career staff gain some of those invaluable skills earlier in their career? Imagine the impacts that could have on your nonprofit. That's what we'...

I knew I wanted to record an episode on personalized learning . So I asked myself, why do people want that? Why do people want personalized learning? And why does it work? When I started thinking about things in my life that have been personalized like birthday parties, or baby showers, things that were just for me - I cherished them. Our learners want that. They want something that is for them, t...

I can remember when working internally at a national nonprofit, managing up to 10 projects at once.  They were in various stages of the process. They had different subject matter experts and different people approving the projects. They all had different modalities. And I had to keep up with all of them.  Project management is a key skill in Learning and Development teams.  So when Jami Yazdani an...

Role clarity, career development, and accountability - are just a few of the most common reasons a nonprofit reaches out to me about creating a custom competency model. Here's the thing, a competency model can do all of those things if it's created with your organization in mind and implemented correctly. It has to be specific to your nonprofit. That's why today, we are focused on t...

As nonprofit learning and development leaders, there are so many reasons we may feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or even burned out. And to overcome burnout, we need to be able to identify the underlying causes of it. That's why I've invited special guest Jessie Pagliari to talk about dealing with corporate burnout and managing stress as a nonprofit leader. Jessie is the founder and CEO o...

I remember many years ago, working on a tough project – like all caps, screaming at the microphone tough. I was working internally at a national nonprofit on a high-profile project. I had a difficult subject matter expert, things kept changing, and decisions were hard to come by.  And yet, I somehow managed to keep the project on time and within budget. How did I do it? That's what we're...

If your nonprofit or association is undergoing organizational change, you know that it can feel heavy and overwhelming. That's where play comes in. As nonprofit learning and development leaders, we can use play to bring curiosity and fun back to the workplace. I'm so excited to have play expert Acey Holmes here with me today to explore how we can do just that.  Acey believes that adults...

People managers are critical to your organization. They have the greatest influence. They have the ability to help initiatives go well. They hear from both the senior leaders and the support staff. I've heard from several nonprofits that they are focused on developing their people managers this year. But how do you know what to focus on? That's what we're going to explore in this we...

I've worked with dozens of nonprofits as a consultant. And one thing I hear over and over again is the need for clear staff expectations. And you might be thinking, but isn’t that what the job description is for? Isn't it all laid out there?  A job description is a great first step – and it's an input into the fundamental resource I often recommend, a competency model. In this episo...

As nonprofit L&D leaders, we are investing time and money into creating engaging solutions for our learners. But all of our learners are not the same. Their needs are not the same. Their likes and dislikes are not the same. Their goals are not the same. And their abilities are not the same. So how do we create solutions that are accessible to everyone?  That's what we’ll explore today wit...

Are you investing in your people managers this year? They have a central role in the organization – taking the vision and strategy from leadership, and helping your teams put all of that into action. It requires a lot of skill and leadership. Yet, people managers don't always have the training or the support they need to be successful. So, in today's episode of Learning for Good, we&apos...

Have you ever created a training, but realized staff just didn't want to attend? Maybe you facilitated or observed and saw the hesitation, or worse, the resistance from learners. Sometimes our staff isn't ready to change. So, today, let’s talk about creating buy-in for staff development. In this episode of Learning for Good, I'm going to share an approach that I used in a virtual in...

We keep hearing that burnout is at an all-time high, especially within nonprofit organizations, yet changes continue happening and can sometimes add to our stressors in the workplace. That's why today I've invited Mandy Sharp Eizinger to talk about staff well-being and what nonprofit organizations can do to help prevent burnout even in the midst of a change. In this episode, we talk abou...

If your nonprofit or association is delivering in-person or virtual instructor-led training, you probably have trainers who lead that experience. This one role can make a big difference in the outcome of the training. And while we focus a lot on creating the training for impact, it's also important to support the trainers. That’s why I invited Dave Powell, nonprofit veteran and author of The...

We've all been there. You're working on a project or initiative, and you find yourself working around someone on the team. It's a pain, but it's easier than working with them. So, let’s talk about dealing with toxic staff today. Do they need training? Maybe. Training can help create cross-functional relationships needed to get work done. It can help motivate staff to contribute...

When I first started working with nonprofit organizations, I thought that the shared mission would instantly create a positive work environment. But it takes more than a shared purpose. There’s more that goes into creating a positive culture, and that’s why I invited Veronica LaFemina, non-profit executive strategic advisor, to talk about it on today’s episode of Learning for Good.   In this episo...

When we have a performance problem, we often go straight to training as the solution. And while training can certainly be A solution, it’s not THE only solution. Today, I want to explore three staff development solutions that can create behavior change in your staff, aligning them with the ADKAR change management model. ▶️ From Poor Performer to High Achiever? Three Staff Development Solutions to...

Our world is so often centered and tailored around us.  And I don't know about you, but I've attended training sessions where that felt the furthest from the truth. But I've also attended others where I left feeling like it was exactly what I needed. So how do you create more of THAT scenario – where learners feel like they got exactly what they needed? ▶️  Centering Learner Needs:...

Imagine this. You do the work. You invest so much time and energy into creating this training. You send it out into the world. Crickets. It doesn’t have to be this way. You have to step up and find out whether it worked or needs improvement. I want you to set yourself up for success by doing these five things. ▶️ Does Your Training Make a Difference? 5 Tips to Increase Staff Development and Traini...

I’ve been in your shoes. Since starting my consulting business, I’ve worked with dozens of nonprofits that needed to develop their staff to achieve specific goals. But it’s not always easy because of the barriers our staff face on a daily basis. To cultivate effective employee performance, we need a tailored staff development solution that produces measurable and actionable outcomes. ▶️ Improving...

We’ve heard the saying, “People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers.” In fact, there is existing data that supports this. Does that mean the opposite is true? Here’s what I know. People want to feel heard, respected, and valued in your organization. And people managers are an important way to achieve that. So how do we develop our people managers into the leaders we need? Let’s find out....

Moving into 2023, I’ve conducted market research calls and found out so much about what nonprofits are thinking about and are struggling with. I know I won’t get to work with every single nonprofit out there. But I’m doing the research and this podcast to know what resonates with you. I can’t wait to share with you what I heard from nonprofits and these new trends gearing toward the new year. ▶️ T...

Emotional intelligence. Digital maturity. Communication. Collaboration. Data-based decision making. Adaptability. So many competencies. But how do you know which of them should be included in your competency model? Let’s dissect two important components so you can decide the right competencies to implement in your organization. ▶️ How to Determine Which Competencies are Right for You Key Points: ...

Have you ever wanted an inside look into another nonprofit’s competency model? Kristi Burnham, UNICEF USA’s Vice President for Professional Learning and Leadership, is here to talk about what competencies are working for them, the challenges they face in implementation, and their strategies for reinforcement. ▶️ One Nonprofit's Honest Opinion after 6 Months with a Competency Model with Kristi...