values
-
Integrating ESG practices into your mission
Nonprofits that are just beginning to concentrate on their environmental, social and governance impact can start small and expand from there. As you develop your own strategies, keep abreast of the latest trends and data around ESG strategies. Then ask your employees and board members what is important to them and then tailor your efforts to appeal to their interests. Like most things, the more they are involved, the more they will embrace it. Here are some practical things nonprofits of all sizes can do – from the mundane to the sublime: Set goals for reducing your organization’s environmental footprint – and then keep track of what you have done and…
-
Nonprofits should care about ESG, too
This article originally appeared on my LinkedIn page here on August 2, 2021. While the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) discussions have been largely focused on corporate (i.e., for-profit) entities, it is time for our nation’s nonprofit organizations to pay attention – and I would say, embrace – the practice. What is ESG? Wikipedia defines ESG as “the three central factors in measuring the sustainability and societal impact of an investment in a company or business.”[i] CNBC has an even simpler description: “investments made with an aim to contribute to a better environment, society, or workplace.”[ii] The operating motive of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) differs markedly from for-profit corporations – achieving their…
-
Workplace Bullies
Bullying in the workplace is a serious problem that doesn't get enough attention. Having experienced workplace bullying, I can attest that it makes work life unbearable. It affects workers, productivity, and culture in significant ways, but is too often ignored. In our consulting work at Leadership Bridges we often (but certainly not always) find that organizations experiencing dysfunction also have a history of harassment and bullying. Pamela Lutgen-Sandvik, Gary Namie, and Ruth Namie, in their article Workplace Bullying: Causes, Consequences, and Corrections, define workplace bullying as "repeated, health-harming mistreatment that takes one or more of the following forms: verbal abuse; offensive conduct and behaviors that are threatening, humiliating or intimidating;…
-
Five Lessons on Leadership
I served as the executive director of a fine nonprofit organization for 13 years and recently retired. (See my bio here.) I put my heart and my soul into the work. It became my identity, my quest, and my passion. I believe (ok, I know!) we did some pretty good things in those 13 years. But that is not the point of this post. The point is the many good things that happened in the last month as I said goodbye that provide important lessons for leadership. So many people sent me inspiring notes or said nice things about me and to me during this time. They said what I…
-
FAQ: Strategic Planning
Frequently Asked Questions About The Strategic Plan A note from Leadership Bridges: We have been asked to provide answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about various organizational governance, leadership, strategy, and operations topics that we have encountered in our work. This first FAQ topic is about Strategic Planning. We believe this topic should be first because an organization’s strategic plan provides the foundation for all the good work that follows. As you read this FAQ, let us know if you have other questions about strategic planning that we should answer. What other topics should we cover in future FAQ posts? Let us hear from you – either through the comments…