How can charity leaders develop the capabilities they’ll need in the 2020s? Charity leaders deal with complexity. Charity leaders in the 2020s will find themselves working at the edge of what they know. Many, perhaps, already are. There are no silver leadership bullets, not even donated ones. Which is why charity leaders must be good … Continued
The backstory Rebecca Nestor, founder of Learning for Good, and I are collaborating with NCVO on a new leadership programme targeted at the next generation of non-profit leaders. The programme has gone live on the NCVO website, and we are meeting the participants for the first time at 5pm on Sunday, 6 November 2016. So, … Continued
I’m never happier than when I am learning from a good teacher. At school, I always got better grades if I had confidence in the teacher. Now that I am properly middle aged, I still learn better if I trust my teacher. I listen better, I try harder, and I have more fun. Verbal, vocal … Continued
People who work with groups wear different hats. I’ve learned a lot from the gym instructors at the London Central YMCA who don’t actually wear hats, yet. “Don’t give up now, push yourself, see if you can work just a little bit faster” The YMCA instructors motivate and manage groups of people – mainly office … Continued
Why Maslow doesn’t satisfy real change-makers Years ago, well, towards the end of last century, I ran a training programme for a bunch of environmentalists. They were nearly all young leaders and visionaries who wanted to change the world. And change the world they did, every day, with exceedingly good humour. Beer, biscuits and extra large … Continued
Keeping good company At this time of the year e-mail updates are about as welcome as mince pies. Puffed up and full of additives. Mince pies, just to explain, are an essential part of Christmas in the UK, just as ‘end of the year’ e-mails tend to make their first appearance about now. Nevertheless I … Continued
It’s one thing to be a trainer. It’s quite another to explain how you do it to other people. Here is what I have learned from trying to pass on training skills and knowledge to other people. Key message: Be systematic 1 Be systematic in your approach to training needs analysis, design, delivery, evaluation, and follow-up. … Continued
Many trainers use acting skills to get their message across Growing up in Scotland, I was fascinated by the eponymous heroine of Muriel Spark’s novel ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ which is set in an Edinburgh girls’ school. Miss Brodie gets her pupils’ attention by telling stories to bring history to life and – this … Continued
Does it matter what trainers teach? Over the years I have run training programmes for a wide range of organisations and institutions. Based on my experiences, I’m not sure if it matters what trainers teach as long as the learners can see the relevance of the content, and the style of the training is ‘relational’. … Continued
Pure water? “Pure water” in Nigeria refers to a sealed polythene sachet containing 500mls of water at a minimum cost of ₦5 ($0.03 or £0.02) per sachet. It is available on every street corner across the country in both urban and rural settings. The “pure water” phenomenon started in Nigeria sometime in the 1990’s as … Continued