Sharpening Your Skills

Framing The Debate

This piece comes to us from the work of George Lakoff, who has been making a lot of waves recently with his book "Don't Think of an Elephant" -- a discussion on the importance of articulating our values as progressives.

Nonviolent Communication

This article is drawn from the work of Marshall Rosenberg, creator of Nonviolent Communication, a powerful language-based process that, once learned, helps to facilitate mutually open and trusting relationships.

Mastering Email so it Doesn’t Master You

 

Skilled Listening Habits

Many of us don't often stop to think about listening habits -- after all, listening is a skill we learned as children, right? But there are ways of listening that foster clearer communication, and ensure that people feel heard, and there are ways of listening that discourage constructive dialogue between people.

Top Ten Tips for Skilled Facilitation

 

Tools for Building Vision

This article is drawn from the work of Robert Gass, faculty for The Art of Leadership.

Harnessing the 80/20 Rule

This article is drawn from the work of Robert Gass, faculty for The Art of Leadership.

Quick Tips for Better Board Meetings

This article is drawn from the BoardCafe newsletter

Coalitions: Solving the Riddel

This report summarizes the results of preliminary research undertaken by Dovetail Consulting Inc. in association with the Hollyhock Leadership Institute (HLI) to examine the dynamics of coalitions with the environmental movement in British Columbia and the Western United States.

Are you giving away your power?

This is a very challenging exercise, one with huge potential benefit for your work, your leadership, and your life. Be aware of each time in your work and personal life that you give away or deny your power.

Feeling Overwhelmed? A Practice for Making Conscious Choices

How often do you feel overwhelmed by things you simply “have to do”? You feel that there is no choice and everything has somehow just piled up to become utterly unmanageable. If you know what we’re talking about, then here is a practice adapted from the teachings of Robert Gass just for you:

10 Tips: The Fundraising Letter

Being able to write a compelling fundraising letter is imperative to being a good development director, but it’s not as simple as it seems. The function of the fundraising letter is to catch the reader’s attention and hold it just long enough for them to make a decision about whether or not to give. Here are 10 tips for preparing direct mail. (these ‘tips’ are excerpts from “The Fundraising Letter” written by Kim Klein which was published in the September/October 2004 edition of the Grassroots Fundraising Journal)

The Power of Professional Development

By Darcy Riddell

Spectrum of Allies - A Tool to Facilitate the Discussion

Here's a cool tool brought to us last month by George Lakey to help facilitate the conversation of 'who's with us' and who's against'. This exercise is inherently democratic and a great way to engage volunteers and staff in strategic planning.

Team Types

Looking to bring your work group closer together? Try this straight forward tool at your next meeting - it may help you work better as you come to understand each other more deeply. Your staff and volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about themselves as they identify within four different categories or “Team Types” showing how they may be operating in group settings. Which type ar you? Here’s how it’s done…

Agenda Ideas for the Self-Facilitated Meeting

The following material prepared by Hollyhock Leadership Institute trainer, Julian Griggs, provides a grab-bag of ideas for structuring the agenda for a self-facilitated meeting. The various agenda items listed need not—in fact probably should not—all be used in any single meeting. Remember that process should support good discussion, not get in the way!

10 Tips When Speaking out for Change

Gail Larsen held an inspiring workshop in Vancouver, where participants leaned to build their speaking skills in order to catalyze personal and planetary change. Ten key ideas emerged to support you when you are faced with an audience whose worldview and values are markedly different from your own.

Coalition Management: A Checklist

In 2003 Dovetail Consulting in association with the Hollyhock Leadership Institute completed a research study to examine the dynamics of coalitions within the environmental movement within British Columbia. Their objectives were to identify challenges commonly experienced within coalitions and alliances. From that research came the following checklist intended as a quick reference guide for the successful management of coalitions.

7 Simple Steps to See What People are Saying About You in Cyber Space

Some organizations will spend thousands of dollars to create media monitoring sites, but with some of the tips below you can do this for little or no budget.

Resources to Revive, Replenish & Revitalize!

As a means to encourage ongoing learning, we have updated our website to make it even easier to access the articles, exercises and video casts from our programs & conferences.

But I Can’t Ask My Friends! - Getting Over The Fundraising Barrier

Most of us have been raised to solve our own problems and not trouble anyone else. Let’s be honest – when we’re raising money, we are asking for help. Here are a few ways of asking that might ease your mind.

The Power of Purpose

A daily meditation in empowerment from Robert Gass

Communicate Your Vision & Ignite Collaborative Change

Changing of the world is an issue of communication, and if we are communicating clearly, then changing the world is the least of what we can accomplish. Using a collective communication model, here are 5 steps to ignite collaborative change.

Charitable Activities & Advocacy

When it is appropriate to engage around an election, and when is it prohibited? Created by IMPACS, this is a great map to help you determine your best strategies.

Charitable Activities & Advocacy