[Printer Friendly Version]

Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining, and Enjoying the Journey

I wrote a short piece about collaboration in the April 2005 issue of Nonprofit Online News Magazine. If you enjoyed that article, I want to encourage you to read the Wilder Foundation's excellent Collaboration Handbook: Creating, Sustaining, and Enjoying the Journey, by Michael Winer and Karen Ray. There is a tension between their approach and mine, but I think theirs is equally practical. It's a four stage process, starting with connecting individuals, working its way up to the connection between organizations, and finally connecting the organizations to the community. It's very smart work. Posted: 4/8/05; 10:52:22 AM #

Resolving Conflict in Nonprofit Organizations

I've taught a few workshops recently for nonprofit executives who are dealing with technological changes and one of the sessions focuses on creating synergy between communication and technology staff. The topic of conflict resolution is a key theme in that I see healthy approaches to the natural tension between certain staff roles as a potential gold mine of creative energy for an organization. But often times, we don't have the luxury to lay the groundwork for synergy, which is where classic conflict resolution techniques come in handy. Marion Peters Angelica's book Resolving Conflict in Nonprofit Organizations is a fabulous resource. It covers both practical steps to apply in most conflicts as well as specific approaches to use in uniquely sensitive situations. Posted: 4/8/05; 10:50:41 AM #

Mind Hacks: Tips and Tools for Using Your Brain

I had a hard time with this being part of O'Reilly's great Hacks series, since I envision a 'hack' as something immediately practical and most of the ideas in this book, while utterly fascinating, would only bear fruit after much work. Nevertheless, if you want your eyes opened to how the human mind works, I can heartily recommend Mind Hacks: Tips and Tools for Using Your Brain, by Tom Stafford and Matt Webb. To me, this book is a wake up call for anyone who doesn't think they need to verify their intuitions about how people work, whether it's in designing a user interface or a social program. Posted: 4/8/05; 10:49:57 AM #