Does your organization have a Questioning Culture? Michael Marquardt suggests that a questioning culture exists when we ask questions of others and invite them to search for the answers with us. By doing this we not only share information with each other, we also share the responsibility for answering the tough questions associated with problems […]
Disaster Preparedness & Response in your Community
When disaster hits close to home, it’s not always easy to know exactly how to respond and start picking up the pieces. As a member of a community, there is always a way to get involved and help in the relief efforts regardless of whether a disaster preparedness plan is in place. The UVM Extension […]
Getting Heard Requires Skill and Practice
Like most natural introverts, I really hate speaking in a group settings. So much so that, for years, I let my reluctance keep me from participating in important conversations, voicing good ideas and asking some important questions. Then I decided that my ideas and contributions were as good as a lot of the stuff I […]
Tags: communication, conflict management, groups, meeting management
Measuring the Impact of Your Volunteer Program
I recently encountered an article by Tony Goodrow on calculating the Return on Investment (ROI) of a volunteer program. He offered some very thoughtful ideas and I want to share some of them with you. Goodrow began his article using a quote attributed to authors of business management, most frequently to Robert Kaplan, founder of […]
Tags: evaluation, impact, volunteer
How Resilient is Your Community?
In recent weeks many of our communities have been tested by flooding and other weather-related challenges. Meanwhile the economic news indicates that federal and state spending will continue to diminish. Of course these events will impact our communities. However, history proves that some communities emerge from these challenges stronger while others struggle unsuccessfully. How resilient […]