In honor of National Nonprofit Executive Director Appreciation Day, we’re pleased to share some ideas about the important role that organizational leaders play in effective communications, particularly during times of change. Since change is just about the only constant that nonprofits can count on these days, the topic seems an especially relevant one as supporting change becomes an ever more important part of every nonprofit leader’s job.
Our colleague Laura Peck at Claros Group has put together a brief article illuminating the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of communicating change and how leaders can support people through change. She also includes some hard-won lessons about communicating change to your internal team and external stakeholders:
- Have a clear strategy for communicating up front about the change.
- Recognize that resistance (certainly “theirs”, maybe your own) is a normal part of implementing change.
- Create involvement and opportunities for input whenever possible.
- Be creative in how you solicit feedback and engage people.
- Model the behaviors you are asking for in others. As Gandhi reminds us, “We must be the change we wish to make in this world.”
Share the article with your favorite change leader or your team and take a moment today to show your appreciation for the nonprofit leaders who have dedicated their careers to a cause.
(Image courtesy Flickr user chintermeyer, Creative Commons)
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Holly Minch is LightBox Collaborative’s chief engineer and founder.