We have a lot of jargon in our industry, and recently it is becoming more and more common for donors and organizations to talk about "learning cultures" and "adaptive management".  But what does that really mean, and how does it relate to our day to day work?  My guest today, Guy Sharrock, has almost 40 years' experience in development and 17 of those in monitoring and evaluation and most recent...

This interview is a bit different - and that is because it is not from an aid worker perspective on humanitarian leadership, but from the donor perspective!   In this interview an individual working for a large, global donor shares, well, the good, the bad and the what you should never do when working with a donor.

He has a lot of great advice for all you leaders who interact with donors whethe...

In this interview Edna Morris, with forty years' experience in the male dominated restaurant industry, shares some great advice to apply to our field in many of the patriarchal contexts for men and women.  For example when Edna was told by several men that the role she had taken at a new job should be for a man, she shares how she handled this situation in a way which earned her respect. She als...

We’ve all been tortured by the same old “let me show you ALL my results” presentations in international development. They all kind of blend together after a while. So how can you make your public presentation (sharing of Baseline or Endline Results or Strategy) more memorable? Well you’re in luck, because in this episode I share three proven ways to conduct a presentation that will leave your st...

According to the 2016 UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization survey, 40% of adults in low income countries are illiterate. This does not take into consideration the number of innumerate adults, which can be higher in some situations.

It is important to remember that as you are reading this you have an unintended bias toward communicating and interacting with literate people.  Howe...

Today's episode is a little different - it covers three stories, two of my former direct reports and one colleague, who all experienced changes in their work and lives due to coaching.  I hope their stories will inspire you to understand how much coaching can help move you forward in a way that a normal conversation cannot, even in the context of international development.

Thank you to Yane Pin...

I am excited to introduce two of my former students, Brenda Kamboga and Bronwen Moore.  In this episode they share what they learned in my coaching course, The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101, and how it changed their perspective in how they approach their teams and at home.  You might be surprised by what they have to say, and some of the advice they give in starting your own coac...

In aid work, time is precious.  And although we know that spending time on our team's professional development will pay off in the long run, it often seems like competing priorities get in the way.  In today's episode you'll learn about a very efficient way to use your time during professional development, and three reasons why it's so effective.

Every day we have the opportunity to either strengthen or weaken trust with others through our actions and words.  There will be times when we act in a way which breaks down trust, whether intentionally or without knowing it.  However if you have enough deposits in your "trust bank account" from previous efforts, it can go a long way in terms of mending your relationship or at least making it ea...

Discomfort can be a sign that we're stepping outside our normal routine, and trying something new.  As I used to tell my staff, discomfort is a sign that you are growing.  But why do we get so uncomfortable in the first place and how can we manage our discomfort so it does not get in the way of reaching our goals?  In this episode you'll find four ways you can reach beyond your comfort zone in a...