Articles
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
Michael introduces the Seasons of Growth framework — his signature model for understanding and leading organisational change through three distinct phases: Prepare, Cultivate, and Harvest. Speaking with George Weiner, Michael explains how the gardening metaphor unlocks a more intuitive and humane way of thinking about change timelines, stakeholder engagement, and
A more personal conversation — Michael speaks with Heather Anne Keyes about his life journey, the experiences that shaped him as a consultant and facilitator, and the values that underpin his work with leaders and organisations. If you want to understand not just what Michael does but why he does
The end is in sight! The finish line is close! At last, you can declare success and bring this change initiative to an end! Or can you? What might happen to all of the hard work that you and the team have put into this project? We’re in the final phase
“Here’s what’s happening, and here’s what you can expect.” examples of organizational change With these words, the pilot on a recent flight let us know that there was going to be a delay. She explained why (storms on our flight path), how long we could expect to be delayed
Implementing organizational change doesn’t have to be challenging. If you’re a leader interested in how to do this well, I’ve got 5 insider tips to share with you. Change is the only constant, the old adage goes. Organizations need to change to meet new demands, and an evolving marketplace. When
What can we learn from gardeners about organizational change and leadership? Actually, quite a lot! Gardeners are stewards of the land. And good leaders recognize that they are stewards of their teams and organizations. (Even if they are founders, they will most likely pass it on to someone else at
“A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.” Katzenbach and Smith (2015) The Wisdom of Teams I find this such a helpful description of a team! It is simple, clear,
Will a Mackenzie Scott grant to your nonprofit make you MORE or LESS attractive to other donors? Ever since Mackenzie Scott began making unexpected Transformational Gifts to nonprofits in 2019/2020 (a total of about $16 billion so far), some have had a concern that these gifts will somehow ‘chase away’
Oof – that was unexpected! Who knew there was going to be so much resistance to this organizational change? Have you ever been in this situation? You recently launched a change initiative with great fanfare! You’ve been planning this change for a while, but the response is less enthusiastic than
You’re excited about the future! You’ve got an ambitious strategy to grow and scale a proven program so that you can reach many more people! But are you really ready for growth? The unfortunate reality is that too many organizations find themselves overwhelmed by the practical challenges of managing growth.