Do you have fun at work?  If so, how often?

I think most of us can use more fun in our work and personal lives, but rarely do we stop to think about how to INTENTIONALLY create it.

Having fun at work has been linked to greater productivity, staff morale, and creativity.  And it doesn't require a big budget or extra time during the week.  

You can have fun while still working!  How can you?  Listen to this episode to find out.

Do you spend late nights thinking about all the things you have to do?

Are you distracted worrying about future funding?

Do you worry about bigger issues not within your control such as climate change or the economy?

If so, this episode is for you.

I share two practical and easy tips to help you overcome stress and overwhlem.

So you can feel calm and focused.

And focus on what truly matters - the present moment.

Resources mentioned:

What's Your Story?

It amazes me how common it is to have a toxic boss in the humanitarian sector.  Unfortunately these toxic supervisors drive talented people out of the organization and do more harm than good.  If you are one of those suffering with a toxic boss, this episode is for you.  I share how to survive in this situation based on what's worked for me in the past and for others I've coached.  

Burnout is an ongoing topic of discussion in the humanitarian and development sectors.

Like others I am always seeking ways to help aid workers avoid burnout.

Recently I came across a webinar by Marcus Buckingham in which he spoke of how certain people effectively avoid burnout.

And I wanted to share the takeaways with you.

With a humanitarian lense, of course.

You can start avoiding burnout, and make work more enjoyable... starting even today.

Learn more in this episode.

Resources...

Successful leaders have strong relationships with their teams.

When your team feels you value them and trust them, they will want to help you succeed.

When they win, you win.

So how can you build a strong relationship?

It starts with strong communication.

Learn more in this week's episode on how certain communication skills (especially listening) can make the difference between building connection or fueling disconnection.

Many of us underestimate how much our values influence how we feel and show up as leaders.

How can you tell if you are not aligned with your values?

You may feel stressed, frustrated or demotivated.

When you understand your values and make decisions to prioritize them, you can become motivated, inspired and excited.

I have seen it many times working with leaders - how simply understanding what motivates them (personal values) can change the way they work and lead.

Find out more about...

If knowledge was the only thing preventing us from taking action, we would all be a lot healthier and manage our time better.

But that's not the way it works.

We know many things - like that we need to get more sleep.

But knowing doesn't mean we will get more sleep.

Before we are able to take action, we need to better understand the being part.

That is, how is my identity helping me or hindering me from sustainable behavior change?

Once we identify ourselves as someone who does not work on...

We say we are humanitarians.  That we help people.

But would a true humanitarian prioritize results over their team?

This is unfortunately what many of us do.

We say we are too busy to coach or work with developing our teams.

Too busy on proposals or attending meetings that lead nowhere.

We have lost sight of our priorities, and rather than being rewarded for prioritizing our teams and their development, we are focused on growth and reaching more, doing more.

The result?

Our teams (and...

Last week we looked at how to become aware of how we are using our time through conducting a Time Audit 2.0 (looking at both activities and energy level). 

Now that you know how you currently use your time, we can start to decide if that is how we want to use our time.  The series of questions in this episode will help you decide how much control you have over your time, where your current actions are leading you and then how you want to intentionally use your time.

Understanding...

What is your most important priority as a humanitarian or development leader?

Something that if you don't prioritize, your work will suffer, as well as those around you?

It's not a donor proposal.

Or a community visit.

If you said your own health and wellbeing, you're right!

If we are not healthy and in a positive mind-frame, then the quality of our work will not be our best.

And so we will not make the impact we're seeking.

This seems like commonsense, but so many of us fail to prioritize...