Across industries, leadership is incredibly challenging right now. This month, a nonprofit I've admired and supported as a donor for years is closing down many of its programs and laying off staff due to a lack of funding. Another organization doing similar work, led by a former colleague of mine, is in a similar place and is fundraising to keep its doors open for the critical community work it leads. If you're struggling with similar challenges, I see you and appreciate all that you're doing to take care of others and yourself in your role.
Let’s get to your Monthly Management Memo - as always with something bold, something new, something borrowed, and something to pursue.
🔥Something Bold - Strategic Planning is Not A Thing My friend and client Lakisha and I are working on a couple days of sessions for her teams about how to solve the right problems in their organization. One of the thought leaders inspiring some of the content is Roger Martin, and I thinkthis brief videoabout why "a plan is not a strategy" is really thought-provoking and a must-watch for all leaders.
🆕 Something New - Updated Appreciation Toolkit I took some time last week to add new resources to my free Appreciation Toolkit for leaders, and you can get the updated version here: jessicaeastmanstewart.com/appreciation. In addition to the session plans you can use (with deck template) and printables, I added another page of practical appreciation tips and ideas, a description of the "Round of Appreciation" activity and a video describing how it works (you can use this in a team meeting this week; it can take as few as 10 minutes), and printable quote pages about appreciation that I used in a session last month with a client. I hope this refreshed toolkit is helpful to you!
🤝🏼 Something Borrowed - Ask this of your team I posted on LinkedIn recently with a suggestion to ask for "advice" instead of feedback - this can be particularly helpful for those who are in leadership roles and often need to take intentional action to make it feel safe for others to give feedback. One of my clients (I've led a retreat for her team), Noreen (she's in a Development Director role), had a great suggestion in response - she asks those on her team, "If you were the Development Director, what's the first thing you'd do?" Drop this into your next check-in agenda and get some insight from your team!
🏃🏾♀️Something to Pursue - Affordable Headshots If you need updated headshots for yourself or want to get them done for your entire team, the most affordable option I'm aware of is Shoott. You can schedule a free photo shoot (suitable for individuals or teams of up to 5-6) and then pay $15 per photo for the ones you like, or you can purchase the entire gallery for a rate of around $3 per photo. Alternatively, you can opt for the "company headshot session," which costs $39 per employee. It's all booked online, which is also great. I've used this service for both professional photos and family photos, and it's been a great experience every time.
Bring your team; I’ll bring my A-game. I love helping teams with workshops on productivity, team culture, and effectiveness at work. Find out more and book a free chat to see if I can be helpful to your organization.
Jessica Eastman Stewart, LLC is guided in our work by these values. We are a proud member of 1% for the Planet, committing at least 1% of all revenue annually to organizations working to protect our planet from the devastating impacts of climate change.