We need just a bit more theory before we can take the next step, which is broadening this monologue on systems from theory to principles of re-design and change. A little more theory might be a foundation of informed actions. The diagram about the organization as a socio-technical system (below) is a useful view of …

Many nonprofit organizations boast lists of honorary trustees, board members, and/or directors. And the vast majority of those named individuals are “there” in name only. The question that must be asked is how does that benefit the NPO. There are two basic reasons why a person gets the “honorary” title. S/he may have been of …

Three ways to understand yourself in systems Events, Patterns, and, Structure There are three ways to think about yourself and your behavior in complex systems. To increase your effectiveness as a leader, it is useful to understand all three and how they interconnect. You can understand yourself in systems through the lens of Events, through …

The first step in the planning study process is determining what it is that you want the study to accomplish. Second, is the creation of a list of those folks you’d like to interview – a list that can be as long as you’d like … as long as you’re realistic. No one goes on …

Premises that Shape Leadership Story Work Stories and Story Work This post is the third in a series about a breakthrough Leadership Coaching approach: Creating your Leadership Story. I have suggested that one of the most powerful ways for leaders to see how you lead, understand the reasons you lead as you do, and make …

Earlier this year, the Social Enterprise Alliance published Succeeding at Social Enterprise: Hard-Won Lessons for Nonprofits and Social Entrepreneurs (Jossey-Bass). Anyone interested in starting or strengthening a social enterprise would benefit from reading this informative book. The book’s sixteen chapters are organized into three sections: Startup and Structure, Methods, and Leadership. Each section contains chapters …

Key Ideas Underlying Story Work “There is nothing so practical as a good theory.” Kurt Lewin In last week’s post, I suggested that one of the most powerful ways to understand yourself as a leader and as a human being, and to align your energy to create the results you want in life, is to …

A couple of questions appeared in my email recently … from an organization getting ready (!!??) to plan an event, ”How do we put together and structure our event committee?” Should our board be the committee? The answer to the latter question is an emphatic “No!!” The board should not be the committee. Some key …

This Blog is By Kathie Allen, CPCC, ACC – Guest Writer As a coach, it has often occurred to me that my clients are afraid to “want” things. They live in a place of wishing but they never take action to go after it. What is it that you want? What do you want to …

This Blog is by Kathie Allen, CPCC, ACC – Guest Writer Recently I was coaching a client who was overwhelmed with work and wholeheartedly believed that “quitters never win.” I asked her/him, “What are some valid reasons why someone would quit any of the work s/he is doing?” “Well,” s/he said, “if you aren’t any …