According to our clients, one of The IllumiLab’s greatest skills is meeting management. However, there’s nothing particularly innovative or creative about how we facilitate meetings. I think it’s safe to say that our meetings: Set and accomplish objectives, Have and adhere to agendas, Start and end on time, End with a recap of what was[…]
In January and February, I asserted that you’re a project manager and that project planning is a team sport, and I want to expand on those ideas here. So much of the work that nonprofit managers do is about managing change, and that often takes the form of projects. Responding to site visit findings. Implementing[…]
Unclear roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes are some of the biggest causes of delays, rework, frustration, and confusion in any organization that relies on teamwork to make the dream work. The same is true in nonprofits. Maybe even more so, because we tend to shortchange valuable self-reflection and planning time in favor of direct service[…]
A project plan is more than a to-do list! A project plan not only lists what needs to be done, but in what order. A smart aleck like myself might say, “Then number the list! Problem solved.” Not so fast. Multi-Tasking Matters How many projects have you managed (for example, holiday meal preparation, bathroom remodel,[…]
I said it last week, and I’ll say it again. Nonprofit professionals wear many hats. When I was a program manager in a small nonprofit, my responsibilities spanned clinical supervision, program design, program evaluation, data management, grant writing, and grant reporting. In this way, our work often overlaps with that of our colleagues on other[…]