September 10, 2018 Leadership, Managing People Well

The 10 design principles that could make you a better leader

The growing popularity of “design thinking” shows just how much leaders at all levels can learn from designers.

A “design mindset” can give a leader a clear thinking or problem-solving process that works well with everyone from family members to a community, or whole organisation.

Leaders with a design mindset “paint” the way forward with colourful, wide brushes to ensure a diverse range of perspectives.

The trick is knowing which aspect of our thinking processes to listen to at which time. Is it time to converge on an idea or action? Or is it time to diverge to create more options?

September 3, 2018 Human Resources, Legal Issues, Managing People Well

Everything you need to know about the Fair Work Commission’s decision on domestic violence leave

On 1 August 2018, the Fair Work Commission’s ruling that anyone working under a modern award is entitled to five days’ unpaid leave if they are affected by domestic violence came into effect – a welcome development.

While this legislation is certainly a step in the right direction, does it go far enough? And how does this ruling affect your NFP?

August 13, 2018 Managing People Well, Organisational Strategy

Could greater autonomy be the secret to growing your impact and improving staff engagement?

The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been a catalyst for high levels of change in Australia’s NFP workforce.

With greater empowerment and choice for NDIS participants has come greater demands on service providers and their staff.

In turn, old workplace structures, processes and practices have sometimes struggled to keep up with new demands for flexibility, responsiveness and client-centred approaches.

One innovative solution lies in equipping staff with the autonomy to make their own decisions.

June 18, 2018 Managing People Well

Would you like to be able to constructively resolve conflict in your team?

Everybody disagrees, sometimes.

But despite disagreements being widespread in the workplace, they can often remain unresolved.

Simmering below the surface, unresolved conflicts can negatively impact organisational culture, productivity and staff/volunteer morale.

Enter the concept of “Conflict Intelligence”.

January 29, 2018 Managing People Well

Why coaching, not gadgets, is key to getting the most out of your employees

Forget the gadgets and “lifehacks” to increase productivity – managers need to become coaches to get the best out of their employees. In practice there are four things managers should do during coaching.

January 9, 2018 Human Resources, Managing People Well, Recruitment & HR Technology

Three HR trends your NFP can’t afford to overlook in 2018

Happy New Year! As we’ve ticked over into 2018, your organisation has likely done some strategic planning around your people and culture goals for the year ahead – and how you plan to achieve them.

But have you considered how the changing external world will impact on these goals, and the future of people in your organisation?

October 23, 2017 Making Decisions, Managing People Well, Organisational Strategy

How “design thinking” can change the way your NFP works

Are teams in your organisation open to new ways of working?

While “innovation” may be something everyone says they love, when push comes to shove, convention and tradition – ‘the way things have always been done’ – often rules supreme.

That’s because innovation can be risky, unproven – and scary. But given that not-for-profit organisations deal with some of our society’s most important problems, the need to apply creative solutions in order to make an impact is even more important – particularly with a rapidly changing external environment and increasingly strained budgets.

Enter “Design Thinking”.

July 12, 2017 Managing People Well, Organisational Strategy

How the NFP sector needs to respond to the rapidly changing landscape of work

You’ve probably noticed that the world of work is changing fast – probably faster than ever before.

Driven by technological changes, generational shifts and increasing demands for flexibility from both employers and employees, we’re rapidly leaving behind the traditional idea of the workforce to make way for new ways of working.

So how should Australian NFPs approach the changing landscape of work?

July 10, 2017 Giving Feedback, Managing People Well

How to communicate compassionately

Why do some teams succeed and ‘flow’ while for others, every day seems like a struggle?

Tthe success or failure of teams often comes down to communication. Not just good communication, but great communication.

But what does great communication look like?

July 5, 2017 Health & Wellbeing, Managing People Well

How to tell the difference between a staff member who’s underperforming, and one who’s suffering with their mental health

A key part of any manager’s job is to know how to approach staff who are struggling to do their job to the required standards or expectations.

But with increasing recognition of mental illness in the workplace, before you begin a performance management process with a staff member, it’s important to ask: could this be a mental health problem, rather than a pure performance problem?

And how do you tell the difference?