Solutions For Good

Your vacation, so relaxing, or at least supposed to be! This is important and timely, since we are getting into vacation season, so I am sharing this again in 2016 with some updates. People are STRESSED!  In many cases folks are not truly relaxing when they are on vacation. Technology is lovely but does not help us relax when we see email, Google Drive and  Linked In notifications on our phone constantly.  And when you are doing the job of two people, there is never a good time to be away!  But alas, we are human and to rejuvenate, enjoy life, and to come back fresh, creative  and energetic, we need a break.   The two articles below have some great pointers.  Below the articles are a few favorite ideas gleaned from these. Take a minute to reflect on what you can do to improve your vacation this year and maybe take a few hints to share with your team. Articles 8 Things You Should Do Before a Vacation to Avoid Feeling Stressed ...

What I love about consulting is getting to interact with so many organizations.  I get to see such dedicated people in action and support important work. The one constant theme is that everyone is at capacity or feeling pushed beyond.  People are working very hard, in multiple roles and for extra hours to get the job done.  This is the case at all levels in the organization. We know it is more cost effective (for mission and dollars) to keep a good employee than have to replace her/him. So, we want our hard-working staff to know they are valued by us (supervisors) and by their peers so they continue to stay motivated to work with us. How do you recognize your staff?   Consider carving out some time to think about how you show appreciation to your team and consider where you can improve.  A good way to think of it is 3 levels: day to day, informal and formal recognition.   One article I read is titled, "Recognition is like exercise... the m...

Spring is that time of year – events galore!  It is a lovely time of year to engage people with the work you do.   Whether you are hosting a small meeting, or a large festival for hundreds, events are challenging and time-consuming.     They can be fun too, especially when you have the right tools and supports.   Below are some free tools, online and otherwise, that save time, generate ideas, and keep you organized as you plan and execute your events.    As a reminder,   KS Solutions   provides consulting services for events. We will come up with the concept for your event to assure you engage the intended audience to reach your goals and we can also manage event planning and event execution for you.  We hope you find these resources helpful, and if more support is needed please reach out to us! If you know of other event tools you’d like to share, please post on the KS Solutions Facebook page to share with others....

I am worried about you.  I hear many colleagues talking about working on their day off, I get emails on Saturday evenings and late on weeknights, and people say they will be checking email daily while on vacation. Or even worse, I hear “I might as well not even go on vacation because when I get back the work has piled up so much!”.  How is that relaxing or healthy? Kale is one thing, but life enjoyment and piece of mind is a serious health need too.   We need you. You make a difference every day in the work you do. We need you fresh and energetic. Take a real break this summer ! These 3 articles have some really great pointers.   The Right Way to Stay Connected on Vacation - NEW! 8 Things You Should Do Before a Vacation to Avoid Feeling Stressed When You Return The Right Way to Unplug When You Are on Vacation I like all of what they have to say, but here are a few favorite ideas from them: Turn off notifications . Disable any work-rel...

While we are still wrapping our heads around the bubbling over of  serious and complex issues of our community and how to help on a small and large scale, I wanted to share a couple of articles having to do with communicating with your audiences that may be helpful to you.    This article,   How to Communicate in the Midst of Tragedy: 9-Step Checklist ,  has a list that may be helpful as you think through your communications currently. This article was written in 2013 for a very different purpose in responding to the Boston Marathon attacks. These are very different situations, of course, we are not under attack by any means, however, we know that the community is in crisis and needs support and direction to begin the long process of building a community we can all be proud of.  Being sensitive and understanding of the community's mindset is needed when doing outreach.   This article addresses that and the steps given can be used...

It is that time! Summer brings bright and energetic interns to your organization.   Interns can be of such great benefit to a nonprofit organization, as you know, and working with you is a fabulous learning experience for them.   So, w hat is the best way to make it a win-win situation?   We've all been the victim of and/or the culprit of a not so well thought out intern experience.  Not the best situation, right?  Even thought you are very busy, prepare for your intern's arrival.  Read the advice and articles below for helpful suggestions.   And know you will need to spend time with your intern  throughout her/his time with you to provide guidance, structure, and learning opportunities.  The goal is two-fold-- good learning experience for the intern and helpful work product for the organization.  Consider what you do well in engaging volunteers or AmeriCorps members at ...

While my brain is on a constant, frenetic overload from all the information on the web, I have to say, I am a glutton for learning more!   I want to sort through the not-so-hot things to get to the  HOT stuff.   Efficiency is key in this process of gathering good information on the web and not wasting time on the less than “hot” items. What's hot ?  Hot is what is up-to-date or the newest trend. In this case free, quality, curent, relevant information for nonprofits. There are some    some great free webinars and online trainings that various organizations offer on nonprofit management topics.   This is an efficient way to continue your professional development.  My biggest frustration is that I miss too many of them!   So, we have to know where to find the hot stuff and get on their email list, follow them on Twitter, or whatever works for you to stay connected. Below I have  shared several of my favorite places ...