Shannon Williams
Re-entry: Like Going Back to Middle School
After 13 months of mostly working from home, shopping online, and infrequent in-person social interactions, stepping back into the world feels a little bit like going back to middle school. It is awkward and kind of uncomfortable. I was in a socially-distanced meeting last week. Some in the…
Read MoreBoard Meetings, Officers, and Committees
Last week I had the privilege to be a part of a discussion on Board meetings, officers, and committees with more than 50 nonprofit leaders through Mission Triangle. Here are some of the highlights that came up in each area. Board Meetings As the name implies, they are Board meeting…
Read MoreHope
Our team had a chance to talk with nonprofit executive, development, and marketing leaders last week. We discussed lessons learned in 2020—especially thinking about what seemingly temporary changes might in fact become permanent such as remote working and virtual meetings. Many execut…
Read MoreAgape Love
Greek has many different words for love. In my professional life, I am blessed to see beautiful examples of phila (brotherly love) every day through our nonprofit partners. But today, I want to talk about agape—unconditional love. This month my parents celebrate 50 years of marriage…
Read MoreA Tale of Two Events
Last week I had the privilege of attending two virtual events, on back-to-back nights, for organizations I care deeply about. Both organizations delivered goodies in advance of the event to make it feel special. That is where the similarities ended. Here is a side-by-side comparison: …
Read MorePeople Are The Hardest Part Right Now
Hard. Difficult. Challenging. Exhausting. Overwhelming. Nope. I am not talking about the pandemic. These are the adjectives I am hearing over and over from nonprofit leaders describing what it is like to manage their teams right now. Managing people through the pandemic, the call for an e…
Read MoreRunners Run…Even in a Pandemic
If you know that our younger son is a collegiate runner, then you probably have heard me say. “Runners run.” Runners run when it is hot, cold, raining, tropical storming, sleeting, or snowing. They run when you are on vacation, Thanksgiving Day, their birthdays. They run. Carso…
Read MoreDoors, Inequities, and Implicit Bias
Last week Staci Barfield and I participated in a webinar from Nonprofit HR about race and diversity practices in nonprofits. The slide below really stood out to me. I am starting to realize that there are many inequities that I never see or think about because they don’t apply to me…
Read MoreSummer of 2020
I suspect a lot will be different this summer. Even the weather in the Triangle this week has not been typical. When I entered the nonprofit sector in 1993, summer was considered a downtime—a slower pace. A time to come in a little later, leave a little earlier. Generally, get ahead. …
Read MoreGraduation During A Pandemic Yields a Strategic Refocus
Our younger son, Carson, graduates high school this Sunday—sort of. He will put on his cap and gown. We will drive to the school. He will jump out of the car and onto a makeshift stage. His name will be called, a photo snapped, and a brief video captured. He will get back into the car…
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