Articles
Culture change is one of the hardest things a nonprofit can attempt — and one of the most expensive to get wrong. Michael speaks with Haley Cooper about what culture change actually involves (beyond the posters and values statements), the real costs of staff turnover during change transitions, and how
Associations face a unique set of change challenges — balancing member expectations with the need to evolve, often with volunteer boards and distributed governance structures. Michael joins Elisa Pratt and Andrew Chamberlain on the Association Transformation podcast to explore how association leaders can stop fighting resistance and start listening to
Have you heard our clients describe what happens when they work with us? Unlocking Potential: From Resistance to Cohesion When Sam stepped into his new leadership role at a global pharmaceutical company, he inherited more than a team—he inherited a tribe. With deep loyalties to their previous leader and
How hard can it be to develop a plan? You’d be surprised at just how challenging it can be! There are so many things that can go wrong – both in the process of developing the plan, and in the process of implementing the plan. But I think there is one
Leadership Transitions can be hard. Even The Walt Disney Company has stumbled, as this article points out, highlighting its efforts to land on the right path. types of organizational change The problem: companies are not aware that they are engaging in ‘magical thinking’ when it comes to leadership transitions. Organizations,
Why do smart, well-intentioned leaders keep making the same change management mistakes? Michael returns for a second conversation with Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken to go deeper on the psychology of resistance, the structural reasons change initiatives fail, and what leaders can do differently from the very first day of a change
Unleashing Collective Wisdom: Using “Wise Crowds” to Supercharge your Leadership In today’s fast-paced environment, leaders are continually confronted by new and unfamiliar situations. This means that they are also looking for guidance on how to deal with these novel challenges. When you are facing something you’ve not encountered before,
Congratulations! You’ve done it! organizational change leadership You’re at the end of your change initiative, and, despite earlier concerns, things have ended successfully! How are you going to celebrate this accomplishment? Here are some ideas of activities that you can do together as a team! Team lunch or dinner: Organize
What happens at the end of an organizational change initiative? If you search online or through books and articles on managing change, there are surprisingly few resources to guide change leaders. organizational change leadership However, the ending phase of change (the Harvesting phase in the RCA Seasons of Growth framework)
What can nonprofits learn from MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropy about being ready to receive — and act on — opportunity? Michael joins Carol Hamilton to discuss the six key areas of organisational preparedness that determine whether a nonprofit can seize a major opportunity or is simply overwhelmed by it. Grounded in
What proactive steps can nonprofit leaders take today to create the organisational foundation that will support growth tomorrow? Michael speaks with Cynthia Sepp about the structures, habits, and leadership practices that separate organisations that grow sustainably from those that grow chaotically. An accessible, forward-looking conversation for executive directors who want
Michael joins Patton McDowell for a frank conversation about the five mistakes that most frequently derail nonprofit change efforts — and what leaders can do instead. From failure to build a coalition of support to moving too fast without adequate communication, Michael draws on 25+ years of change management work