Do you ever feel like you're having two different conversations with someone? It’s like you're saying one thing, and they are hearing something completely different. This happens regularly in our workplaces. Your Gen Z staff are waiting for you to set clear expectations and if you don't, they just might leave. In this episode, I’m going over three ways we can help ensure clear expectations are set for staff and in turn, increase staff retention.  ▶️ Why Setting Clear Expectations May Help...

How do we know when we are successful? And how can we actually measure that? I know this can be frustrating, but it can be done. And who better to guide us than today’s guest, L&D Detective, Kevin M. Yates. I am so excited to have Kevin as a guest,  not only is he the L&D detective and an expert on measurement, but he also has his own nonprofit and we're going to hear about both of those things today. I know you're going to love it and get so much value from what Kevin has to...

The skill sets your staff need  are expected to change by 50% in 2027. That's according to LinkedIn’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report. 50% in just a few short years. With so much changing, Learning and Development has a role to play. In today’s episode of the Learning for Good podcast, we are exploring two techniques L&D can use to prepare your staff for the future. ▶️ One Goal, Two Techniques: How L&D Can Prepare Your Workforce for the Future ▶️ Key Points: 02:55 Identifying...

Culture can be a complex thing and it's what allows you to attract, retain, and develop your staff. That’s why I’m so excited to have Rebecca Marchiafava on the podcast today, to discuss culture change and to help you successfully lead or navigate that change. Rebecca is the founder of Culture Work LLC, where she consults with organizations to develop healthy environments and improve well-being at work. An experienced speaker, facilitator, and consultant, Rebecca is passionate about building...

Have you ever left a meeting thinking that could have been an email? As a nonprofit consultant working on training and leadership development projects, I lead a lot of meetings. And my goal is to make them an effective use of time, every time. Today, I want to share some ways you can make your meetings more effective. So no one leaves thinking it could have been an email. You’re going to want to take notes during this one! ▶️ Your Training and Development Project Meetings are Going to be...

How do global nonprofits bring people together for a global learning cohort, despite the challenges, for the good of all involved? That's what we're going to explore on today’s episode of Learning for Good with Tommy Lee. Tommy is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in the areas of faith and work integration, organizational development, and strategic planning and he has a wealth of knowledge on running global cohorts. ▶️ Three Tips for Running a Global Learning Cohort in Your...

Most subject matter experts are open to redesigning activities and interactions, but when you talk about cutting content, that can be a challenge because it feels personal. So how do I navigate situations like these? And what can you do to navigate similar situations as you are working with your subject matter experts? I have three tips to share with you today. ▶️ Need to Cut Content? How to Work with SMEs Without the Frustration ▶️ Key Points: 03:49 Establishing expectations...

One of my favorite things is when a nonprofit comes to me with a strategic plan that specifically mentions developing their people, their staff. But this isn’t always the case. Regardless of whether Learning and Development has been written into your strategic plan or not, it still has a large role to play. In today's episode, Carol Hamilton and I sit down to discuss the strategic planning process and how you prepare staff to implement it once your nonprofit strategic plan is done.  ▶️...

Depending on your experiences with training or coaching, you might have a preference for one over the other. But should we make organizational decisions based on our preferences? I'd argue no. Which is why I wanted to bring this episode to you. It's an episode where we will compare leadership training versus coaching and explore when to use which solution in your nonprofit organization. ▶️ Leadership Training vs. Coaching - When to Use Which Solution ▶️ Key Points: 03:19 Comparing...

You know you need a comprehensive training program based on your organization's prioritized competencies. But if you don't know how to get there, it can be overwhelming to start. This is one of the common questions I get when working with my nonprofit clients to create competency models. It's that now what question. Today, I want to explore how you can use your competency model to develop a comprehensive training program and boost workforce development. ▶️ Using Your Competency  Model...

We made it! Today is the 50th episode of the Learning for Good podcast and we’re taking a behind-the-scenes look at Skill Masters Market, my consulting business that powers this podcast and helps nonprofits all over the country achieve their staff development and training goals. I’m also giving you a sneak peek into my plans for the future! ▶️ Behind the Scenes at Skill Masters Market ▶️ Key Points: 03:30 Why I do what I do 06:30 The Learning for Good Podcast 09:09 The top 5 podcast...

I am so excited for today's episode; it's an Ask Me Anything episode and I've collected some great questions from listeners just like you, as well as from past clients.  There's one thing you should know. You can ask me anything, anytime. But in today’s episode, we cover questions on everything from custom competency models and competency assessments to email training. ▶️ Ask Me Anything! Questions from the Learning for Good Audience  ▶️ Key Points: 03:23 Using a custom competency model to...

Today we're getting an inside look at the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective - a free virtual community for talent management, DEI, and learning and development leaders to share ideas and learn from each other. I’ll be sharing what the Nonprofit L&D Collective is (and what it isn’t), the value of the Nonprofit L&D Collective, and what exactly goes on inside of it. ▶️ Want a Network of L&D Professionals? An Inside Look at the Nonprofit L&D Collective ▶️ Key...

As Learning and Development leaders, we spend so much of our time thinking about training. Who needs training? What do they need? How will it benefit them? How will it benefit the organization? What is the value and ROI? Today, I want to explore the qualitative impact of training. That's why I'm bringing the stories of impact from across my network. These are stories that were shared with me by previous guests and listeners just like you and I'm so honored to share them with you here...

We need a training. You've probably been approached by someone in your nonprofit telling you this. They didn't come saying we have a problem, or can you help us? They said, “we need a training.” But we all know that training isn't always the answer. And while we can set up processes to help mitigate how often this happens, it still happens. And this is one reason it's helpful to proactively identify skill development opportunities in your nonprofit. That's what we're talking about...

When I decided to do an episode on identifying learner needs, I wanted to showcase an organization that used multiple approaches and saw results from their work. That's why I've invited Trang Truong-Hill from the YMCA of the USA to join me today to explore a project that we've worked on together as well as many other projects they have going on inside of this nonprofit. Trang shares how her nonprofit identified what staff needed to be able to do to work with New American communities more...

When you say you expect good communication skills, do your staff know what you mean? Is it verbal communication or written? Do you mean that they are using clear concise language or that the communication is error-free? When you talk about communication, are you talking about with their colleagues, or with organizational partners, or industry leaders? There are so many ways you can communicate. So how does your staff know what you mean? Are you using the same language? That’s exactly what...

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 know which couch is more valuable. It's the one we care for. But is it that easy to know if your Learning and...

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're exploring on this week's episode of Learning for Good with Emily Glasgow and Alanna Hughes. Emily...

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, that feels like the perfect fit for exactly what they need when they need it. But for those of us...

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 and I connected about bringing you an episode on project management, I knew we had to get it...

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 two questions you can ask to identify your nonprofits core competencies ▶️ Ask These Two Questions to Identify...

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 of Everyday Bliss, a personal and corporate wellness company. She is an ex-top performer in the Fortune 15...

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 focusing on in this week's episode of Learning for Good. ▶️ Two Ways to Keep Your Staff Development...

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 deserve (and need) more play. As a former speech and language pathologist, Acey has decades of experience...