Issue #32

Not really weekly evaluation inspiration for...

Non-profits who DARE

Hello out there! As an evaluator and a generally-curious person, I'm almost constantly reflecting on my experiences and those of others around me. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how I show up in my work (or not), and when it has to be me, versus when I might be able to share the load with others.

It reminded me of one of the approaches I advocated for a lot early in my career. I've always loved working as part of a team, but often found myself frustrated when those teams weren't working as effectively as I knew they could. This became really clear when I worked for the Government of Ontario.

The team I was on often had similar tasks, but we each had our own flavour to carrying them out. I thought it would be really helpful to map out our strengths, so that each member could 'lead' processes that they had strengths and interests in. One team member, who worked in an administrative capacity, was newer to our team and I could just tell that their current database-lead role didn't match their skillset. This all came became very clear when I was in charge of organizing a big event.

During the event, we identified that there was an issue with an allergen in the lunch we ordered, and it affected some of our most senior leaders. My team member overheard what was going on, and jumped into action. They immediately called the caterer and had the issue resolved long before the lunch break was over. The affected people were grateful and satisfied, and the rest of the event went off without a hitch.

So often we shy away from playing to people's strengths - sometimes under the guise of equity or fairness, other times out of perceived necessity. Even though we may not be able to align our work with people's strengths 100% of the time, there is still value to knowing what each of us brings to the table - and wants to develop.

By asking people what skills they have, and which they want to grow, we may be able to carve some things out of our own work that aren't directly in our wheelhouse or bringing us joy. That frees us up to do more of what is meaningful for us; at the same time, it can make our teams feel seen, heard, and valued, leading to greater retention and higher quality work.

A big part of what's brought this up for me is that I've been asked more and more recently for tools and supports that are repeatable and more financially accessible, which means I'd have to be less hands-on in the work. I've been trying out a few options. One of them, a guided learning reflection for organizations and programs, I've included in Katherine Lacefield's Packed with Impact Bundle. At $111CAD, you get access to over 20 tools that can help you & your team with fundraising, community engagement, incorporating AI tools, refreshing your website, and even photography. Check it out and let me know if you have any questions!

I have a few discount codes available for the bundle as well - reply to this email for 15% off!

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