Things don’t always go according to plan. That’s life, right?
A grant application is rejected, a key team member decides to move on, an important new initiative isn’t ready to launch on time ― or one of a million other things. I’ve certainly faced my own setbacks at work too.
To get through tough times, I’ve learned to accept the idea of beginning again. You can do this every year, every month, every week, or even every hour.
Remember that there are always better times ahead. The good things that are meant for us will find us, no matter what. We’ve got to practice patience and fortitude while we wait for those things to come our way.
As leaders, we must deal with these moments of changed plans ― both because we need to get through them and because we need to model resilience for our teams.
You have to believe that you can begin again and not have any shame around it. Just because something didn’t happen as planned the first time doesn’t mean it won’t work out later with different folks involved or with some time in between or with a new plan in place.
Try this — Building your resilience toolkit
How can leaders practice flexibility and resilience in times of change of uncertainty? Here are three of my favorite strategies:
Keep a gratitude journal: Note 3 things every day that are beautiful or make you happy. This grounds you in things that are real, not just worries about what may or may not come to pass. It also helps you remember that there is good in every day.
Say affirmations: I like to say a mantra to myself when things get hard. My current favorite is: “I can and I will ― you’ve got this.”
Figure out the timeline: Ask yourself whether this problem will matter in 5 hours? 5 months? 5 years? That really helps me put my stress in perspective and avoid sweating the small stuff.
Join us — November Talent Roundtable
AI is changing the world of work, but what does that mean for mission-driven organizations?
While headlines focus on corporate use cases, nonprofits face their own unique opportunities and challenges when it comes to AI and the workforce.
Join our upcoming Talent Roundtable to explore how AI is reshaping how nonprofits recruit, retain, and develop talent — and the ethical, equity, and capacity considerations that must guide the way forward.
In this Roundtable session, we’ll:
- Dig into practical use cases, challenges, and innovations
- Examine how AI is being deployed (and restrained) in nonprofit talent work
- Brainstorm pilots or next steps your organization could take
Join us on Wednesday, November 12 from 12 to 1pm Eastern to discuss how AI is shaping nonprofit workforces.
In case you missed it — Recent LinkedIn headlines!
“Conscious unbossing” and what it might mean for the future
Some ethical questions coming up as nonprofits explore AI
Why one client brought on TalentED Advisors BEFORE hiring a Director of Talent
Work with us — Organizational health
The idea that you can begin again (and again and again) applies to organizations too!
If your organization’s culture isn’t healthy, all is not lost. But you need to take action as soon as possible before the culture turns toxic. Once that happens, you risk losing your best team members, which will make it almost impossible to achieve your mission. So you owe it to your team and the communities you serve to address culture issues quickly and directly.
First of all, you’ve got to understand what’s going on ― and why. There’s a methodology for doing this. It typically takes 8-12 weeks to assess the organizational culture and put together a strategy to address the issues.
It can often feel easier for you and your colleagues to talk about hard things with people who aren’t working with you day in and day out. In organizational health projects, TalentED Advisors steps in like a therapist to help uncover what is going on and determine how to fix it.
TalentED Advisors will assess your organization’s culture, explore the challenges you’re facing, facilitate a process to create and implement a plan, and coach leaders to sustain the culture moving forward.
Book a free, no-obligation call so we can explore your organization’s challenges and see whether TalentED Advisors is a good fit to help.
