Nonprofit organisations generally have communication and social media policies to guide their spokespeople and staff on acceptable practices. Despite this, mis-communications and other communication problems occur, especially where social media is involved. Most of the tensions within our communities are fuelled by words. Words used to label, blame, shame, or cancel people. Legitimate protests can… Continue reading Ethical Communications
Tag: stakeholder engagement
Rhetorical repetition, reiteration, and redundancy
“At the risk of repeating myself, …” How many of us have irritated an audience with ill-judged or unthinking repetition? For myself, I plead guilty as charged. By way of penance then (not pedantry of course), this post explores some of the ways repetition can either enhance or undermine communication. Repetition as a rhetorical tool… Continue reading Rhetorical repetition, reiteration, and redundancy
Slips of the ear & tongue: eggcorns, mondegreens, & malapropisms
A ‘slip of the tongue’ is one way we refer to an error in our speech, but a ‘slip of the ear’ can catch us out as well. Directors or executives who have spent long hours in board meetings over many years are likely to recall numerous incidents where a speaker used the wrong word.… Continue reading Slips of the ear & tongue: eggcorns, mondegreens, & malapropisms
Actors, Factors, and Vectors of Change
Not all goals are amenable to linear change processes. Some prefer being nudged towards actualisation. While there is a range of possible strategic styles and methods, the two contrasted in this post involve linear (logframe) and non-linear (vector-based) theories of change (ToC). These are illustrated in the header image above as the straight line arrow… Continue reading Actors, Factors, and Vectors of Change
Being present: listening with your eyes
Leaders who listen – Part 1 I recall a disconcerting meeting with a Government Minister some years ago. It wasn’t because he rushed off to other (more important) business before we had the opportunity to advocate for our cause. Rather, it was because he spent most of our allotted time head down, writing notes on… Continue reading Being present: listening with your eyes
“Am I thinking what you’re thinking?” – Perspective taking Vs perspective sharing
The conversational query “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” may have become a cliche, but rephrased (as in the heading above), it may help us to think a little more deeply about how we try to understand each other. We have been urged not to judge another until we’ve walked a mile in their shoes.… Continue reading “Am I thinking what you’re thinking?” – Perspective taking Vs perspective sharing
The choice between insightful and inciteful words
Civil society and civility Non-profit organisations often characterise themselves as being part of ‘civil society’. Civil society has been defined and redefined over many years, but it broadly refers to “a wide array of organisations: community groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), labor unions, indigenous groups, charitable organisations, faith-based organisations, professional associations and foundations” (World Bank). As… Continue reading The choice between insightful and inciteful words
Delegation to volunteers – handle with care
Delegation ‘Power‘ The power to delegate some part of the board’s authority or functions (other than ‘the power to delegate‘*), is one of the legitimate powers enshrined in most non-profit constitutions. Not being able to delegate ‘the power to delegate’ makes sense, as ultimate responsibility must remain with the governing board. In small to medium-sized… Continue reading Delegation to volunteers – handle with care
Stakeholder Engagement and Empowerment Options
Policy advocacy In helping my clients to develop advocacy campaign plans and stakeholder engagement strategies, I often find the assumption we start with is that the client has ‘the message’ and everyone else with an interest is seen as ‘the audience’. Discussion inevitably ensues about the focus on ‘public interest’ versus a possible perception of… Continue reading Stakeholder Engagement and Empowerment Options
Empathy and Mindfulness in leadership (and life)
Empathy is one of the featured qualities of effective leaders in much of the leadership literature. Henry Mintzberg lists the collaborative mindset, requiring empathy and insight into a network of relationships, as one of The Five Minds of a Manager. Managing self: the reflective mind-set Managing organizations: the analytic mind-set Managing context: the worldly mind-set… Continue reading Empathy and Mindfulness in leadership (and life)