In this episode, we tackle a critical issue facing humanitarian and development leaders today: burnout. Discover why traditional ways of working are causing you more harm than good and how you can break free from this cycle.

In this 11 minute episode you'll learn:

1. The real reasons behind burnout that you might not be aware of and how to address them.
2. Gain insights on how to become a modern leader who maximizes impact while reducing stress and overwhelm.
3. Learn how to acquire practical skills to empower your team, enhancing productivity and fostering a high-performing, inclusive work environment.

Don't let overwork and overwhelm hold you back—listen to this episode now and start your journey towards more effective and sustainable leadership! -----------------

In less time than it takes you to drink your powdered milk Nescafe, you will learn how to empower a diverse team to perform their best despite cultural and personality differences, what's keeping you from greater productivity and how to overcome it and how to meet the leadership needs of the modern humanitarian and development sector while making a greater impact and avoiding burnout.

I'm your host, Torrey Peace, and after 12 years working in humanitarian and development, As well as coaching hundreds of leaders across the UN, INGOs, and civil society globally, I have observed first hand the overwork and overwhelm that is so common and leads to burnout. The good news is that I've also discovered how you can lead differently in order to step out of overwhelm and start making a bigger impact than you thought possible.

And I want to share it with you. Join me every Monday to learn practical insights and tips to help you become a modern humanitarian and development leader. And on Wednesdays for inspirational quotes to get you through the week. Check out "The Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader " podcast on any platform you listen to your podcasts.

I recommend you start with episode one, "Say No to Burnout in the Humanitarian and Development Sector: how to do less and make a bigger impact". See you there!

In this podcast you will learn:

• Why I have decided to end this podcast after 300 episodes!!
• 3 things that most humanitarian and dev’t leaders are not aware of that prevent them from leading better
• Next steps you can take to make a bigger impact without the overwhelm and burnout

To learn more about the launch of "The Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader" podcast visit:  www.aidforaidworkers.com/email 

He has a lot of great advice for all you leaders who interact with donors whether during visits, or during stakeholder meetings or when leading a project. I think this will be extremely useful for you and give you some insight on what donors want from INGO leadership.

In this interview you will learn among other things:

• What a donor may expect out of an INGO leader
• How to create a positive relationship with your donor
• How to set up your team for success in donor interactions
• The most surprising thing for him about working with INGO leaders
• The best way to seek information on new opportunities

 For more episodes on how to broaden your impact, please visit www.aidforaidworkers.com!

Well you’re in luck, because in this episode I share three proven ways to conduct a presentation that will leave your stakeholders thinking “wow that organization is amazing! I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!” Through these three ways you’ll wow your audience and make them curious for more - so that you can be seen as a leader in your sector, and not just another presentation they feel obligated to attend.

In this episode, we dive into the essential strategies leaders need to consider for enhancing equity, resilience, and accountability in global development organizations. With insights from Christine Sow, CEO of Humentum, listeners will learn practical approaches to overcoming bureaucratic bottlenecks and fostering a healthy organizational ecosystem. This discussion is particularly relevant for those struggling with operational inefficiencies and seeking to become better leaders for their teams.

In this episode you will:

1. Gain actionable strategies for building an agile and resilient organization that can swiftly adapt to external and internal shocks without compromising core values.
2. Learn how to cultivate a values-driven organizational culture, where principles guide everyday decisions and interactions.
3. Discover effective ways to shift power dynamics within your organization, empowering teams and promoting equity at every level.

Tune in now to unlock the secrets of operational excellence and transformative leadership in the humanitarian and development sectors— and start revolutionizing your organization today!

Resources mentioned:

• Humentum Website
• Report: Cultivating a Healthy Global Development Ecosystem

- Originally published June 2019

Just as the way humanitarian and development work has evolved over the last 50 to 60 years, so has the need to lead differently.  

In this episode you'll learn:

• How leadership has evolved in the humanitarian and development sector and current requirements of the Modern Humanitarian and Development Leader 2.0 (today's leaders)
• When to use different leadership styles effectively to get the most from your team
• How to know if your leadership style is adding to your workload, or lessening it

Stop creating more work for yourself and learn how to become the Modern Humanitarian Leader by listening now!

In this episode, we uncover three often-overlooked strategies for time management specifically tailored for humanitarian and development supervisors.

Here's what you'll learn:

1. Gain insight into setting effective boundaries on your time and your team's time, empowering you to prioritize tasks strategically.
2. Understand the importance of respecting scheduled work time, avoiding the trap of overcommitment and burnout.
3. Identify and overcome "High Performance Syndrome" thoughts that may be sabotaging your productivity and learn how to coach yourself towards greater effectiveness.

Listen now to unlock the secrets of effective time management and maximize your impact in your leadership role!

Just like navigating unfamiliar territory, defining and achieving impactful goals in humanitarian and development work can feel like wandering without direction.

Without a clear vision, leaders risk inefficiency, aimlessness, and missed opportunities for positive change.

Discovering the roadmap to impactful leadership is crucial in today's complex world, where every decision can make a difference in the lives of many.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. Insight into the importance of defining personal impact goals as leaders in humanitarian and development work.
2. Strategies for identifying strengths, values, and areas of excitement to fuel impactful leadership.
3. Techniques for setting clear and measurable goals to track progress and ensure meaningful outcomes.

 Ready to chart your course towards impactful leadership?

Tune in now to learn how defining your vision can be the first step in navigating the wilderness of humanitarian and development work.

Whether you're a humanitarian and develoment leader in the field or managing a team remotely, the pressure to always be available might be hurting your productivity more than you realize.

In today's fast-paced work environment, the expectation of constant availability can lead to burnout and decreased effectiveness. This episode dives deep into the myth of the "open door policy" and explores how prioritizing uninterrupted, focused work time is crucial for both individual productivity and team development. Learn how rethinking your approach to availability can lead to better outcomes and a healthier work-life balance.

Here's what you'll learn:

1. Discover the damaging effects of High Performance Syndrome and the myth of always being available.
2. Learn practical strategies for setting boundaries and reclaiming focused work time without sacrificing your role as a supportive leader.
3. Understand how fostering independence within your team can lead to greater productivity and proactive problem-solving, ultimately driving more impactful results in your humanitarian and development work.

Ready to break free from the cycle of busyness and reclaim your productivity? Tune in to this episode of the Aid for Aid Workers podcast to uncover practical strategies for balancing availability with focused work time. Don't miss out – your effectiveness as a leader depends on it!

Many of us "hope" we will.

But hoping alone will not get you to that promotion or to achieve that certification.

There are two things that you need to do in order to successfully achieve your goals.

And it comes down to how you use your time.

Find out more in this episode.

NEW!!!!  Episodes are now accompanied by full transcript!!! 

Please find full transcript below, or you can visit the link here and when you push "play" the corresponding text will be highlighted.

Unfortuntely, it doesn't work that way.

While time management tools can be helpful, there is something else you need to address before you can use them effectively.

Something that will have a much greater impact on your time management.

It has to do with the way you THINK about your time.

After coaching hundreds of humanitarian and development supervisors, I have found there are common ways of thinking which prevent them from taking control of their time and making the impact they want.

Listen to this episode to find out more.

NEW: For a full written transcript of this episode, please visit the link here.

Previous Episodes Mentioned:

How Respecting Your Own Time Leads You to Having More of It

The fear of losing respect.

Losing respect because their team sees them as needing to have all the answers.

So if they start asking their teams what they think, then the team will question their authority.

I understand the reasoning behind this concern, especially in certain cultures where leadership is more directive.

But how true is it?

And is it really true we need to provide our teams with answers all the time?

In this episode I share how this way of thinking can limit your growth as a leader - and how to use a more balanced approach which will motivate your team and take pressure off of yourself to need to know it all.

NEW:  For a full written transcript of this episode, please visit the link here.

Previous Epsiodes Mentioned:

How a Coach Approach Increased the Impact of Her Work - with Inonge Wina-Chinyama

Three Main Leadership Styles: Advantage of Each and When to Use Them

There is always a deadline - whether a proposal, a project need or a government request.

And yet there are consequences for being in a hurry and just trying to get things done.

In this episode I share the importance of slowing down to understand and listen, and my own experience with what happens when we do not.

For a full written transcript of this episode, please visit the link here.

And yet, your team says they want feedback.

So what is it they REALLY want?

Most likely they want to grow, or become a better version of themselves in some way.

The problem is if we don't know how to have that conversation, we can actually create the opposite effect - that is, a team member resistant to change.

In this episode I present how to see feedback the way your team wants to receive it, and how to make it a regular conversation that is productive and helpful for all involved.

I like to think of the saying "wearing different hats" where one hat (way of leading) may be appropriate for one environment but not another.

Similarly, we shouldn't always be leading one way.

Sometimes you need to manage, sometimes you need to teach and sometimes you need to coach.

Knowing the differences, the advantages and disadvantages of each and when to use them can help you understand how to create a stronger, more motivated team.

Learn how to know which you are using the most and how it may be impacting those around you in this episode.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Coach Approach Leadership Style digital course - registration now open!

There is a time for each - either your team member needs information to take action (training) versus needing self-reflection (coaching).

I see many frustrated leaders who think they need to teach something - yet again - for someone to take action when in reality what's blocking them is something deeper, such as lack of confidence or motivation.

Understanding when to use coaching versus teaching can save you a lot of frustration and help your team become stronger faster.  This is what we discuss in today's episode.

If you're like many of the supervisors I know, you are probably delaying having them.

Performance planning conversations!

These conversations are one of the most important discussions of the year, but many of us see them as a "have to do" and not a "want to do".

Why is that?

From my experience, it's not that performance planning conversations are bad.

It's that we are not doing them effectively.

An effective performance planning discussion should leave you and your team motivated and excited.

In this episode I share simple things you can do to have more productive and motivating performance planning discussions.

Conversations that you look forward to having - and your team too.

Allowing greater diversity results in your team contributing ideas and more innovation.

And greater contribution/ideas = greater impact.

In this episode we explore the story of Little Richard, an African American performer who despite many obstacles was able to be himself, resulting in him becoming one of the most influential people on rock and roll.

So what allowed Little Richard to do so well, and what can you do as a leader to encourage diversity on your team?  

Listen to find out.

Resources mentioned:

Little Richard: I Am Everything documentary

Whether it's by using a coach approach leadership style or by mentoring others, there are many ways to demonstrate leadership that benefit those around us.

In this episode guest Fiona Macaulay (Founder of the Women Innovators and Leaders Development Network or WILD Network) shares how this year's WILD Forum will fulfill the theme "Lead at Every Level, Everywhere."

We discuss how all of us can be better leaders, what to expect from this year's WILD Forum and how to get involved.

Resources mentioned:

WILD 2024: Women's Global Leadership Forum

If we spend our time on what I call "empty calorie tasks" we will probably not change or grow much.

But if we prioritize high quality tasks related to our goals, we will more likely achieve them.

Understanding how to prioritize our time so we achieve our goals is one of my 2023 Lessons Learned.

In this episode I share a helpful way to make decisions so you are on the path to achieving your 2024 goals.

A scarcity mentality leads to fear, stress and worry.

An abundance mentality leads to calm, motivation and inspiration.

Over the past year I have learned that approaching things from an abundance mentality not only benefits me but others as well.

And it is a lot more enjoyable way to work.

Listen to this episode to learn more.

These lessons can help you achieve your goals for 2024 - faster and better.

I am sharing them in a three part episode - starting with how I have learned to not rely only on one or two ways of reaching a goal.

If you want to grow more as a leader, this lesson will help you greatly increase your chances of doing so.

But knowing when to ask this question can make it more helpful to your team member - and ultimately to you as a leader too.

In this episode I explore the best way to ask "how can I help you?" as a supervisor in order to empower your team and not keep them from growing.

Many research studies confirm the same: empathetic leaders create higher performing and more motivated teams.

Chances are if you're listening to this you are already a caring leader, but there is an opportunity that many leaders overlook which is so simple and yet goes a long way when you want to demonstrate caring for your team. 

In this episode I share this simple thing you can start doing immediately, and how it may reveal things you did not even know which can create a happier, more motivated team that creates more impact.

So many humanitarian and development leaders I work with think they are the "exception to the rule".  That is that their team does not follow their unhealthy work style.  

But how true is that really?

From my experience, it's not.

In this episode I show you how you are influencing your team's behavior more than you think, and what may motivate you to change it.

And yet, one of our most important priorities as supervisors can be one of the ones we delay doing the most - that is developing our team.

How can you find time to develop your team while also keeping your other priorities?

Listen to this episode to find out!

Resources mentioned:

- How to do a Time Audit (from previous episode How Will You be Remembered as a Leader Part One)

Sometimes it feels like there's some magic formula that we are missing which will allow us to achieve our goals.

Thankfully, that's not true.

Achieving our goals comes down to one thing.

And that is: how we have prioritized our time.

The way we use our time compounded leads us to the results we have today.

The good news is that means you can make a change.

If you choose to use your time on the things that will result in a stronger team or you as a stronger leader, you can achieve it.

One obstacle that I see humanitarian and development leaders create for themselves is the idea that later will be better.

After I finish this proposal, or donor visit, or final report, or whatever... THEN I will have the time.

But that is just not true.

There will always be things to do.

Things that make you "busy".

So knowing this, how can you prioritize what you know will make the most impact?

Learn more in this episode.

Resources mentioned:

Not Enough Time and Later Is Better

One way to do that is to be aware of your mindset.

Having the right mindset, or perspective, can motivate us to grow and improve.

But having the "wrong" mindset can lead to the opposite of growth.

One limited mindset I see in humanitarian and development supervisors is when they tell themselves "they already know" something.

"They already know" about this person.

Or "they already know" about this skill.

Or "they already know" about this experience.

And guess what?

Saying "you already know" shuts you down to looking for anything new.

The opposite of growth.

How might you be limiting yourself with what "you already know"?

Listen to this episode to find out.

They are used to you doing things a certain way.

So if you suddenly change that without saying anything...

It could be very disruptive, and unproductive.

In this episode I share what I've learned about how to introduce a new way of leading to make it successful, in part by making the transition more comfortable and inclusive.

Resources Mentioned:

The Coach Approach Leadership Style

Sometimes we may be a victim - and not even realize it.

And when we are a victim - we become helpless and hopeless.

This means we don't act, we don't grow and we don't help ourselves or others.

Because we see our situation as "reality" - rather than seeing it as a story that can change.

In this episode I share how to recognize when you are in victim mode and what you can do to get out of it.

Resources mentioned:

The Coach Approach Leadership Style course - enrollment is now until December 1st for the February cohort

We can have good intentions, but a question which is leading or directive can shut down a conversation and limit the creativity and resourcefulness of those you work with.

In this episode you'll learn how to know if you are asking leading questions, and what to do about it, so you can communicate more effectively and develop your team at the same time.

A more proactive team means greater diversity of thought, higher team motivation and more time for you to work on the important things on your to do list.

Sometimes just asking your team what they think is not enough to make them more proactive and independent.

There are reasons why some team members may be hesitant to offer their ideas or make decisions on their own.

In this episode we explain these reasons, and then address what you can do so your team will start thinking for themselves, offering solutions and providing ideas that you never even considered.

But all coaching IS NOT created equal.

Sports coaching and leadership coaching are actually very different, and in order to know which we are doing, it's important to know the differences.

So we don't end up "sports coaching" our team.

This is a common misunderstanding I see people make, and one worth clarifying.

Join me in this short episode as I explain the differences between sports and leadership coaching, so you can know which you are doing, and what changes you might want to make.

You have a meeting with your team, or community, or implementing partner, and you think you've agreed on what to do next.

You come back a week later, and find out... nothing has been done!

Why is that?

The more responsibility we take for our team, the community, government, implementing partner (or even your kids!) not taking action on something, the more likely we can fix it.  

Because chances are, there's something we have done that ended up with them not taking action.

If you want to learn the most common reasons things don't get done (after your team has agreed to do them) and how to overcome them, listen to this episode!

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.

I'm showing you how these might impact the quality of your coaching, and how to increase your effectiveness with a few small changes.  

To check out enrollment for the coaching course visit here.

It's more than just saying "nice job!" or "you're amazing!"

In this episode I share tips on how to acknowledge (hint, it's different from a complement) and how you can use it to motivate your team's performance and productivity.

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?

Not the "have to do" but the "WANT to do".

Something that if you accomplished it, you would be so proud - and would make lasting impact on your team and beyond.

Many of the leaders I work with have not thought about this.

At least not intentionally.

In this episode, I give you some ideas of what it looks like to go beyond your job description, and achieve something great. 

Your own leadership legacy.

And it doesn't take extra work.

It's more about making the way you work more focused, and intentional.

So when you leave your current role, you can do so with pride at what you've accomplished - your own legacy.

If so, how was the reasoning behind it communicated to you?

Or maybe you made the decision for your team.

I have been hearing more and more of organizations going back to the five days in the office work week.

There is nothing wrong with that, but it seems that also the majority of people I've talked to don't fully understand what the rationale behind this decision is.

And when we don't understand the reasoning - we tend to create our own in the form of gossip.

In this episode I explore the idea of five days in the office versus a hybrid office-remote approach, and the reasons I could see to justify each one.

Unfortunately I believe many of these decisions are being made more out of fear and scarcity than trust and motivation for staff.

What do you think?

You can let me know here and I will share it on a future episode.

These include working long hours, sacrificing relationships and even sacrificing our own health.

Part of this problem is that the leaders that are named "successful" by society (especially in the western world) are actually following these same toxic behaviors.

In this episode I share why it is so important we stop naming toxic examples of leadership as successful and what you can do to help make this change.

And that may be partially true.

But training alone does not guarantee action.

Have you ever wondered why your team member attends a training on how to be an amazing presenter, and then still does not want to present?

Or maybe they learn how to have a difficult conversation, but they still avoid having it.

Many times the real reason we don't take action does not have to do with training or knowledge.

It has to do with our perspective.

How we are seeing a situation, and how we feel about it.

That's why when we send someone to a training and then nothing happens, it could be that they still don't feel confident.  Or they have some kind of fear about it.

Until that is addressed, it is likely your team member will remain the same.  

In this episode I share examples of this inaction and what can be done to overcome it.

True leadership is not about using our power to make others follow our commands.

True leadership is about inspiring and motivating others to WANT to follow us.

How do we do that?

In this episode, we review what it means to lead, and how to know when we are leading versus doing something else, and the best way to motivate others to want to follow us.

I see this with my students when they first start learning how to coach.

They know they need to ask a series of questions to help their team think through their own problem.

And so they want to know which is the RIGHT question to ask?

What questions are the right questions?

In this episode I explore how there are no right questions (sorry to disappoint), but there are questions you can ask that will lead to deeper conversations and greater reflection.

I also test your ability to pick up on emotion from someone's tone of voice, which can help you help your direct report to name their own feelings in a situation.

Looking back on this time period, I am curious how I would have handled managing a country program of over 400 staff during this time, and how to keep everyone united despite all the chaos.  In order to explore what she experienced and what she was thinking during this time, I asked Lorraine Bramwell, the Country Representative at the time, to share her lessons learned.  In the interview Lorraine is very honest about her thoughts and feelings, as well as what she learned which made an impact and that which maybe could have been done differently.  It is always easy to reflect back and think what we could have done or would have if we were in the leadership position, but in a situation like this you will really not know unless you are in the middle of it.  That said, it is to our advantage as leaders to learn from others who have been in difficult situations that we may never experience but heaven forbid if we should, we at least have some ideas on how to handle them.

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 Mentioned:

Love and Work by Marcus Buckingham

Based on hundreds of hours of observation, I have come up with three components.

I call them the Trust Triangle.

The first is trust in your own ability (self-confidence), the second is trust in your team and the third is trust in your organization.

In this episode we discuss why trust in your organization may prevent you from leading differently.

That is, if you believe your organization does not give you permission to prioritize building your team or empowering them, you will be less likely to do it.

That is true sometimes, but many times we are making assumptions based on how those around us are behaving.

How can you be a true leader and set an example?

By finding out for yourself if your organization will support you or not.

Learn how in this week's episode.

This week as part of the Trust Triangle I am introducing the importance of trusting your team.

If you don't trust your team, how can you empower them?

You won't.

So how do you know if you trust your team?

There are a few ways to know - and they may not be what you think.

They may be things you think are legitimate reasons to not delegate or assign responsibility.

In this episode I discuss how to know if you trust your team, and if you don't how you can build your trust.

Sounds great, right?

So why don't more humanitarian and development leaders do it?

It has to do with our trust levels.

In order to lead in an empowering way and create a more inclusive environment, we need three essential components.

It's what I call the Trust Triangle.

We need to trust in ourselves (self-confidence), trust in our team and trust in our organization.

Without one of these, we will not be able to fully empower others.

In this episode I discuss the first component, or self-trust, how to know if you don't have it, and how you can build it.

Resources mentioned:

Coach Approach Leadership Style

So how can you grow continuously and become a better leader?

This is what I share in this week's episode - the kinds of questions you can ask yourself that will help you keep growing and improving, so you can make the impact you want.

Resources Mentioned:

The Coach Approach Leadership Style

Registration open now until July 7th!

Today I am celebrating episode 250 with a special guest, Mark Peter Notaras.  We discuss some recent achievements we have both accomplished, and the importance of recognizing how far we have come.

Mark Peter Notaras was on episode 7 and now is back to share the handover of the Timor-Leste Food Lab and its flagship restaurant Agora Food Studio to a local team.  

In this episode Mark and I discuss why celebrating is not arrogance but part of maintaining wellbeing, and the type of leader he has had to be in order to step back and allow his team to do things their own way which has resulted in a stronger, more independent team.

On 1st April 2023, after a seven year journey since 2016, Mark and his co-founder Alva K. Lim handed over their social enterprise to five young Timorese entrepreneurs. Cesaltina Tilman, Paula Torres, Kelo Araujo, Ana Da Costa and Eulalia Araujo will open their first enterprise in a new location in Timor-Leste's capital Dili in the coming months. 

As mentioned if you'd like to support Agora Timor Leste Team during their transition period, please donate here.

Additional Resources and Links Mentioned:

• Mark Notaras Linkedin 
• Recruiting High Performers that Fit Your Organizational Culture (Episode 7!!)
• Timor-Leste Food Lab (Agora) website
• Video on Agora Food Studio mission

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.

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 how to know if you are aligned with your values and what to do about it in this week's episode.

Resources mentioned:

What Are Your Values Exercise

The Coach Approach Leadership Style Course

We start out really motivated.

We envision ourselves mastering the skill - dancing, budgeting, whatever it is.

And then we start applying it...

And we realize we have a long way to go to master this skill.

We see how far off we are - how it seems almost impossible to become a great singer or delegator or whatever.

And so we give up.

Of course we give up!

We are looking at how far we have to go.

Rather than how far we have already come.

A simple reframing, and yet focusing on how far we have already come will be way more motivating, and fun.

And that means you are more likely to continue.

Learn more about how to measure progress in a way that helps you achieve, rather than burnout and give up, in this episode.

Resources mentioned:

The Gap and The Gain, by Dan Sullivan and Dr Benjamin Hardy

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 weekends, the doing becomes obvious: we don't work on weekends.

But it requires a true BEING shift.

Learn more about how to shift your BEING so that you can DOING becomes easier and longer lasting in this episode.

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 ourselves) are in burnout, and we look for some external change to make it all better.

A change that might not happen - or take a long time to happen.

So why not BE that change yourself?

In this episode I share how you can be the change - how you can be an example of a true humanitarian leader - and inspire those around you to do the same.

For example, social media tells us what we should be doing, how we should be thinking.

Advertisements tell us what cars we need or food to be fulfilled.

Society also tells us what we should want - children, a house, a college degree, etc.

And many of us follow this without questioning it.

And yet - have you ever reflected on what YOU want?

Not by looking externally - but by seeking internally?

And what about as a leader - what do you want to achieve?

In this episode I reflect on the power of understanding what YOU want, and how much purpose, motivation and direction it can give to your everyday work.

Have you ever thought about why?

At a simple level it has to do with avoiding a feeling we are having.

For example, we feel overwhelm, or anxious or afraid when we think about doing something, and so we choose to do something else.

Recently I found a simple thing you can do when planning your week that will reduce the chances you procrastinate.  

In this episode you'll learn what it is and how you can immediately start using to reduce the likelihood you will procrastinate and even feel more motivated to get things done.

Hard skills are important when it comes to tasks where we do not rely on others.

But in team environments and as leaders, soft skills may even prove more important.

You can do all the budgeting you want or data analysis, but if you do not have the communication skills to relay that information so others can understand and accept it, then it becomes almost pointless.

In this episode I share why soft skills are so powerful and the importance on focusing on them if you are going to succeed as a leader.

Resources mentioned:

Doing It Right to Do It Wrong

The Coach Approach Leadership Style 

But if we allow them the ability to think things through, sometimes the original problem is not the REAL problem.

In other words, what they say they want is not what they REALLY want.

This is a powerful realization, and can mean the difference between having a conversation which results in no action because the root problem has not been addressed, versus one that allows forward movement.

This is a common occurence in coaching, and an important thing to catch.

If when you are coaching you detect what your coachee or team member said in the beginning is not what they really want, you can ask to change the focus of the session, and make it a lot more productive.

In this episode I provide some examples of what this looks like, how to detect it and what to do when you do.

Resources mentioned:

The Coach Approach Leadership Style 

The Power and Impact of Coaching in the Humanitarian and Development Sector - Humanitarian Networks and Partnership Weeks

And if you say you're humble---does that make you not humble?

We may think we are being humble with our teams.

But many aid worker leaders (myself included) have come to define our validity as leaders with the ability to tell our teams what to do.  

Our ego is tied to our ability to provide the answers.

We are not being humble enough to admit our way is not the only way.

And that although telling others what to do makes us feel important, it doesn't help our team in the long run.

This doesn't make you a bad person or a bad leader.

But you can be an even more effective leader - if your goal is to strengthen your team and have them less reliant on you for answers.

In this episode I explore how to know if you are truly a humble leader - and the impact being humble can have for you and your team.

Resources mentioned:

Humility in Service to Life - "The Way Out Is In" podcast

Probably not... at least if it's a skill like learning a language, riding a bike or delegating to your team.

Even though it is almost impossible to do something perfectly the first time, many of us still think we can do so.

I see it in my coaching students - the desire to do coaching perfectly the first time they try it.

To skip the hard steps of learning.

To simply "know how" without any practice.

The thing is, when we skip the hard part, the part where we get it wrong, then we are skipping the part that benefits us the most ---- the part where we grow.

Getting it wrong allows us to grow and build resiliency.

It builds our self-confidence.

It is the key to achieving more goals in our life.

So it's actually quite important.

Maybe even more so than achieving the goal itself.

In this episode I share how embracing the difficult parts of learning allows us to benefit most from it, and how you can start doing so even today.

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 the answers to these questions will allow you to make decisions that allow you to be in control over your time and where it is leading you, instead of being a victim of it.  

This quote captures the topic of today perfectly.  That is, if you compound your actions on a daily or weekly basis, where will they lead you in a year, or even three?  

Are you going in the direction you hope to go, or are you going in a direction someone else wants you to go?

Will you achieve your goals as a leader, or even the impact you hope to make?

Part of being able to answer this question is first becoming aware of how we are currently spending our time.  We can go through our day and by the end of it not recall how we used our time.

This is why building awareness is the first step to gaining control over our time.  In this episode I review how you can build awareness through a Time Audit 2.0, which also includes how your energy levels are impacted by the tasks you do.  After you become aware of how you spend your time, then next week we will look at how you WANT to use it.  

It's the difference between achieving your goals - or someone else's.

The better we are at solving problems, the more we advance.  The more we are able to learn and overcome.  And through the failure along the way, we also grow stronger.

So it's not hard to imagine why learning how to solve problems better is a very valuable skill.  Today I am sharing with you my four step process to solving problems better.  And it is probably not what you think.  

Link to the episode:

https://www.aidforaidworkers.com/blog/problem-solving-236

In this episode I share four powerful questions you can ask during a Development Plan Coaching conversation to help your direct reports determine what skills to learn, how to learn them, how to plan for unforeseen challenges and also prepare them to take action.    

Resources

The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101 - Start date October 4th

It may not seem like a big thing - but depending on how you are phrasing things in your calendar or to do list, you can end up procrastinating or not wanting to take action.

I see many leaders - including myself - sometimes delay doing things because how they are listed in our calendar is not helpful.

In this episode I share simple tips to help you plan your week so you are ready to take action and be more productive during your week!

And yet, there are times when it is actually our responsibility to ask for help.

I am talking about when to ask your supervisor for help.

Many of the leaders I work with are reluctant to ask for help, when it is obvious they need it and that doing so would alleviate a lot of worry and anxiety.

In this episode I discuss when is it appropriate for you to ask for help from your supervisor, and how can you feel more comfortable doing it?  I also share how to make it more comfortable for your team to ask you for help.

Related episodes:

How Saying No Makes You More of a Team Player

For example, perhaps you travel to a different country and use your finger to point at someone, which is seen in that country as very offensive.

Of course once you become aware of this, you will likely stop doing it (I hope at least).

That is why the more we understand about our blindspots - the way we perceive things - and how they might be hurting us, the more ability we have to decide if we want to keep them or change.

In this episode I discuss three very common blindspots I encounter when coaching aid worker leaders:

• Our identity as fixed (This is just the way I am...)
• Our time as out of our control (I have to respond to other's agendas)
• Our overtime (If I don't finish it now, I will do it on the weekend)

Learn how these different areas may be impacting your decisions as well as keeping you from growing into the leader you hope to become, and what you can do about it.

Resources mentioned:

Dr Quantum in Flatland - 5 minute video

James Clear Atomic Habits website (great weekly newsletter!)

You can learn a lot.

And as a humanitarian leader, that can be very valuable.

Allowing space for our teams to express themselves, especially when working across cultures and differing linguistic backgrounds, is essential.

So how do we allow for silence, and why don't we do it more often? 

Find out in this episode.

This week we focus on how to achieve what we want for the next year (our "one thing") and how you can create weekly actions to do so.

Your resulting "one thing" and the weekly actions you can take should leave you feeling inspired and motivated to get started on becoming your next version of yourself as a leader.

Here are the reflection questions:

1. State the "one thing" you want to achieve this year that will make you proud as a supervisor and your team proud and define how you know you will have achieved it by the end of the year - what evidence will you have?

2. In order to achieve this "one thing" who will you have to become as a leader?  (for example, how will you think, feel and act differently?)

3. Based on last episode's reflection part of the exercise, what can you used that worked well to achieve what you have accomplished this year in order to achieve your "one thing" this coming year?

4. What are three things that if you do on a weekly basis will lead to you achieving your "one thing" this year?

Have fun with this and feel free to share your resulting plan with me!

And more importantly, what led you to achieve what you have - and what may have prevented you from achieving more?

Taking the time to reflect on questions such as these can set us up for greater growth and success in the coming year.

Just like we do project relfections, we should reflect on our own learning too.

But learning what we have achieved should not be restricted to just the "how" we did it.  We also need to look at who we had to become to achieve it.

The exercise I walk you through in this episode will help you understand the type of leader you have become to achieve what you have, and also what challenges prevented you from achieving more.

Here are the reflection questions:

1. How have you changed as a leader and supervisor over the past year?  (How do you think differently?  How do you feel different?  How do you act different?)

2. As a result of the leader you are today, what have you been able to achieve over the past year?

3. For each thing you have achieved, what is it that allowed you to achieve it?

4. Think of the ways you would have liked to have grown as a leader and supervisor over the last year but you did not - what prevented you from doing so?  How could you have overcome those challenges?

5. What is ONE thing if achieved next year that you and your team would feel very proud to have accomplished?  (When you think about it you feel motivated and excited)

Next week we will build on this exercise in order to create a Year of Inspiration.  Talk then!

It also relates to the level of overwhelm and burnout we experience.

Based on some common misconceptions, I am sharing how you can make the most impact as a humanitarian or development leader.

You'll learn two shifts in perspective that will help you focus your time and prioritize what will make the most impact for you and your team.

Maybe it's not the entire team that needs your help.

Maybe it's one or two people.

You have shown them how to do something again and again...

And still they don't do it on their own.

If you recognize this situation, it is likely you are partly responsible for it.

You may think you are being helpful, but your actions as a leader are creating a team that's dependent on you.

How can you make your team become not rely on you?

Find out in this week's episode.

And better yet, what have I accomplished?

Depending on how much you respect your own time, you may find yourself either doing urgent work for others, or doing important work for yourself.

What's interesting is many of us don't even realize when we are not respecting our time.

We think we are being productive, or being helpful.

But when you take a step back and think about it, this is a habit that gets so many of us in trouble.

The habit of scheduling over our own time.

It means we start to plan according to other people's agendas.

And that sounds nice, but it rarely leads us where we want to go, or to do what we want to accomplish.

In this episode I share how to know if you respect your time, and if you don't (which is super common) what to do to change that, so you can accomplish more and feel more confident about your work.

You may be surprised by the answer.

I see many aid worker supervisors saying "yes" to take on more work, so they can be a team player.

But ironically, many times by doing this they are doing the opposite.

They are not being a team player - they are actually letting their team down.

There is a small difference between REALLY being a team player and not being one.

Small but significant.

And knowing if you really are a team player can help you make better decisions.  For yourself, and for your team.

Find out more about when we think we're being a team player, but we really aren't in this week's episode.

Once we understand the "why" behind our team's behavior, we can ask ourselves what role we have in contributing to it, and whether we want it to continue or change.

Today we are going to focus on the reasons why our team asks us for advice.

Why do they ask us what to do?

It can be very interesting to understand why our teams ask us what to do, rather than just making decisions themselves.  Sometimes they genuinely need our help and it is best we give it, but most of the time, it's a sign of something else.

I have come up with five main reasons why your team asks for your advice, and what each means about how you are doing as a leader.  

Find out how your leadership may be helping or hindering your team, and ways to change it.

If you'd like to learn how to lead in a more empowering way in line with your values while also creating more time in your schedule for doing what you love, sign up for the waiting list for "The Coach Approach Leadership Style" here.  

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 mindframe, 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 ourselves, and suffer the consequences.

Consequences like getting typhoid, or feeling demotivated, or being anxious all the time.

So why do we keep pushing ourselves even when we know we are not prioritizing the most important thing - our health and wellbeing?

In this episode I share how much better things are when we do prioritize ourselves, and how you can make the choice to start doing so even this week.

The first interview is Helen Henderson, an Australian who works as a Program Manager for Marie Stopes.  The second is Paulina da Torres, who is Timorese and works for a social enterprise in Timor called Agora Food Studio.  And the final interview is Caroline Lunani, who is the Office Manager for Misereor Kenya and South Sudan.  Their positions, backgrounds and they way they use coaching are all unique, and I think you'll be interested in their differing perspectives.

To find out more about my coaching course, please visit the link here.  The next course will be January 2023. 

You know - the voice in your head which says you're not enough, or that your work is not good enough.

It is SO common - I have several of them and see them show up in many humanitarian supervisors I coach.

And yet, sometimes we forget that this inner critic is NOT US - it is just a voice we have a habit of listening to.

It can become such a part of us that we are not aware we are judging ourselves (and others) everyday.

What would it be like to overcome these voices driving perfectionism, imposter syndrome and so on?

What are those voices preventing you from accomplishing or becoming?

Find out how to uncover your inner critics and steps to overcome them in this episode.

Resources mentioned:

The Danger of Judging Others

"Once we hire the new person, I will take that course."

"After the year end close, I can visit the community."

See a pattern here?

The pattern is thinking that later is better- and that we don't have enough time right now.

And the thing is - once "later" comes (after the annual report, year end close or new staff hire) we STILL say "I don't have enough time."

And then we use another excuse to delay the important.

Our brain likes us to think we don't have enough time.

It keeps us safe with doing the same thing, and little risk of failure.

But if you're listening to this podcast, you have an interest to become better at what you do.

And I want to help you.

One way you can become better at what you do is by recognizing unhelpful ways of thinking like this one...

"I don't have enough time."

But what is enough time?

We say it as if it's a fact.

I know I have been guilty of thinking I didn't have enough.

And yet when I started thinking in a more abundant, helpful way, my ability to get things done changed for the better.

And now I want to show you how "not enough" and "I will get to it later" is not helping you get to where you want to go.

Find out more in this episode.

When I was in South Sudan, these included:

- Delayed procurements

- Last minute government meetings

- Late liquidations submitted by partners

I knew these things were going to happen, and yet, I planned my time as if they were not.

Looking back on this, I find it so fascinating how we often resist reality.

Rather than planning based on knowing what will likely happen, we plan as if everything will go the way we want it to.

And it causes so much stress.

When we resist reality (and believe me, you're probably doing this in some way), when we want things to be different, it causes us to suffer.

Just to be clear, it's not the broken system causing your stress.... it's not accepting the broken system, and planning around it.

Listen to this episode for ways this may be showing up for you (hint: look for where you feel pressured and stressed in your work) and how to accept what is, and plan in a way that will help relieve your stress, not create more of it.

Resources mentioned:

Zen Story: Flow Like a River

We practice PowerPoint presentations.

We review our agendas.

But a few months from now, what will be remembered - what you said, or how your attendees felt afterwards?

It is rare we remember everything someone said - but we will remember how we FELT during an event or presentation.

And yet, we rarely spend time thinking about how we want others to feel at our events, and how we can influence that.

Not in a strange way, but in a positive way.

A way that makes us memorable.

Want to make your events and presentations more memorable?

Listen to this episode to find out how.

This is the last week to enroll in my digital coaching course for 2022!

If you'd like to learn how to empower your team to become more motivated and proactive, check out the coaching course here!

Doors close October 6th.

Do you tell them what to do?

Do you do work for them?

How often do you feel frustrated by another mistake, or something that's gone wrong for the sixth time?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be in a parent-child managerial trap.

We may not even be aware of how we can become parents sometimes when managing our teams.

But the result of this type of dynamic can be a team reliant on its leader, and not able to think for themselves, or make decisions.

So what's the alternative?

An adult-adult relationship.

Find out how to recognize the signs you are doing one over the other, and how to shift from parent-child to the more empowering adult-adult style in this episode.

Many of us never learned an adult-adult leadership approach.

I know I didn't - until I went to a professional coaching school.

And now I teach others this adult-adult leadership style, or coach approach to leadership.  One that's been adapted to the humanitarian and development context.

Let me share with you how you can use this empowering approach - and by doing so create a more motivated, proactive team.

Doors are open now for my October 10th coaching course - find out more here:  https://www.aidforaidworkers.com/coaching-course

You'll hear about my own leadership legacy, and why I am so grateful for having spent the time to envision it and then create it.

If you're feeling demotivated or lost as a leader in the humanitarian and development sectors these days, this episode is for you.

And if you'd like to create your own unique Leadership Legacy, join me this Thursday, September 22nd in my free workshop "Discover Your Leadership Legacy."  I will help you create your own legacy statement and then we'll discuss how you can start the journey to achieving it.  You can register here.

This week we will now look at how you WANT to be using your time so you can make the impact you're seeking.

This means looking at how can we use our time more effectively?

There are many ways to do this, and in this episode I share some of the ones that I find aid worker leaders struggle with the most:

1. Blocking time for high value activities and how to guard that time
2. Deciding in advance what is your ideal work week
3. Batching activities that are alike
4. Scheduling time when you are NOT available and how to do it
5. Deciding in advance how much time you want to spend on something
6. Having a clear WHY to stick to your ideal schedule
7. Reviewing at the end of the week what went well and what didn't
8. Being strategic about saying yes and no to extra work

Next week we'll be looking more at our end destination - our Leadership Legacy!!  We'll talk about why it's important and how you'll know when you've created the right one. 

AND stay tuned because I will be doing a free one hour Leadership Legacy Workshop soon which will guide you to coming up with your own so you can start now on the track to making the most impact and becoming the leader you wish to be.

What will be your Leadership Legacy?  

Something that you will look back upon and think "wow I am so proud I achieved that."

Over the next three episodes, I am going to discuss how to achieve a Leadership Legacy - how to be intentional about the impact we want to make and how you can achieve that impact as a leader.

Understanding the impact you want to make once you move on is an important step to actually achieving it - and we begin with awareness.

In part one, we explore becoming more aware of the number one way you will either achieve your legacy or not - that is by understanding how you are spending your time.

We'll discuss a simple acitvity you can do to know what you're currently prioritizing (through your actions) and whether your actions are in line with what you wish to achieve.  Once you know this, we can look next week in Part Two at how you WANT to spend your time.  And then in Part Three we will discuss what you want your legacy to become - and how you want to be remembered.

There is an upcoming Workshop I will be leading on "Creating Your Leadership Legacy" in which you can craft your own personal Leadership Legacy Statement - so stay tuned for more!!

What if I were to tell you that you can get more done NOW without having to add more hours?

That you can step closer to "work-life balance" and not working on weekends?

It all has to do with HOW you manage your current time - not the amount of time you have.

After coaching many aid worker supervisors, I can tell you there are certain behaviors and mindsets that keep leaders from being more efficient with their time.

Today I share what I am calling "Toxic Time Management" - four trends that are very common in the aid world, and that lead you to feeling overworked, and under productive.  

And then I will share how you can overcome them.  Starting today.

Doors are open until Thursday, September 1st to enroll in my digital coaching course!  Use coaching to empower your team to become more proactive and higher performing.  Visit this link to find out more.

Not all questions....

The powerful questions.

I collect them actually.  :)

And so it's not easy for me to pick out three favorites. 

But I have chosen three that really helped me as a leader, and I know can help you too.

In this episode I share three of my favorite questions that have inspired others to take action and also helped me understand them better.

You'll learn what types of situations to use them, and how they work.

I challenge you to try at least one over the next week---and see the difference.

And if you'd like to take a deeper dive into what makes a question powerful, as well as more examples of powerful questions and how you can use them, you'll want to join my free one hour Master Class:

"Simple Ways to Empower Your Team: How to Use Powerful Questions to Create a More Proactive, Confident Team." It's this THURSDAY August 25th - so register now! You can register here.

You're probably already familiar with some of the wish list: localization, decentralization, greater equity and inclusiveness.

This sounds great, but how likely is it to happen?

And what role can we as leaders play to help make it happen?

In this episode I take the findings in a recently published report on the changing role of INGO's now and into the future, and applied an individual leadership lense to answer this question:

In line with the change we wish to see, what can we as individuals do to become the Humanitarian and Development Leader 2.0?

Resources mentioned:

"INGOs and the Long Humanitarian Century: Leadership Survey Report"

Register Now for this FREE One Hour Master Class:

If you would like to become the future of humanitarian and development leadership, register for this free one hour Master Class on how to use Powerful Questions to create an empowered team:

"Simple Ways to Empower Your Team - How to Use Powerful Questions to Create a More Proactive, Confident Team". 

But I haven't really explained the differences between formal coaching and informal.

Today I've invited a guest to discuss the differences, benefits for your team and some practical ways to start.

Elena Sancho has 20 years experience in the aid sector and is now a certified professional coach.  She shares her journey in finding coaching, and how she has since integrated it into her work and life to help others benefit also.

Resources mentioned:

Elena's email:  esancoaching@gmail.com

Elena's Linkedin page

For my guest today, it's hard to choose.

Birgit Hermann has run marathons with penguins, biked through Africa and traveled all over the world.

Her love of nature as well as her adventures has shaped the way she leads and how she's now inspiring others to follow their dreams and get out of their comfort zone.

One tool that has helped Birgit become the leader she is today is coaching - both being coached as well as learning how to do it herself.

In today's episode Birgit shares about her travels, what she's learned that has helped her go after her dreams and how she hopes others will be inspired to do the same.

Follow Birgit or contact her through one of the following:

• Linkedin: Birgit Hermann
• Instagram: Inspired by Timor-Leste
• Facebook: Inspired by Timor-Leste
• Youtube: Inspired by Nature

And we ALL have opportunities to speak up for those who have less power than we do - whether it's someone of another gender or race or a beneficiary.  

But how do we speak up in a way that is productive and more likely to have a positive impact?

In this episode Chen Kandungure and I discuss when to speak up, when to not speak up, best practices in speaking up on behalf of others, what to do when we speak up and nothing happens and more.

Resources mentioned:

• Becoming a Better Leader Through Greater Self-Awareness
• Lizzo changing song lyrics based on fans' comments

How much your everyday language - and the WAY you talk about situations, impacts the way you lead yourself and others around you.

Language that makes things seem extreme.

And in the humanitarian and development world, there is PLENTY to exaggerate.

"The donor always delivers proposals late."

"The community is never on time."

"My team doesn't communicate with me."

These sound like factual statements, but when we look closer, they are actually not true.

They are exaggerated statements that make us feel strong emotions.  And strong emotions lead us to poor decision making.

So how can we "fact check" ourselves and our teams to eliminate drama and make decisions from a calmer, more rational place?

Find out in this podcast episode.

Leaders who are not aware how their behavior impacts their team.

They have no idea that they frequently put the team down or start yelling for no apparent reason.

The kind of leader we all want to avoid and avoid becoming.

One of the best ways to become the leader you admire is by being aware of how your behavior is being perceived by others.

In other words, becoming more self-aware.

It is possible to grow your self-awareness.

And studies have linked it closely to increased performance.

And increased salary (greater self-awareness = higher salary).

So what are some ways you can immediately improve your self-awareness?

Find out in this episode in which Chen Kadungure and I discuss what self-awareness is, ways to know how self-aware you are and what to do to increase it.

Resources mentioned:

• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (book)
• How to Use Difficult Feedback for Positive Personal Growth (podcast)
• Understanding the Johari Window Model (article)
• 360 Degree Feedback: The Powerful New Model for Employee Assessment and Performance (book)

In response I interviewed Maureen Murigi, my Admin Support Manager for the course.  Maureen shares what the course looks like from her perspective - and the challenges she faces while making sure students have what they need to finish successfully.

If you'd like to enroll in the coaching course, doors are open until Wednesday, July 6th!  You can visit the link here for more information and to register.

What I tell aid workers is that this way of leading is the future for the aid world, or at least the future we envision - a more inclusive, localized approach.  

But you don't have to take my word for it.  Today's guest Leah Marie Lucas is one of my former students and she shares how her leadership style changed after learning this different approach.

I challenge you to listen to this episode and answer this question: "how might a coaching leadership style help achieve my vision of the leader I wish to become and how I can help change aid for the better?"

Resources Mentioned:

• Humanitarian Women's Network
• Digital Coaching Course - open enrollment until July 6th 2022

I asked a panel of four (Olive D'Mello, Florence Ayo, Dismus Arineitwe and Emmanuel Obuko) to answer some questions about what changed for them since taking the course.  You'd be surprised!

Here are a few things they mention:

• Using coaching as a way to learn with their team (reflection)
• Creating an empowering culture where people come to them with solutions not just questions
• Using coaching as a leadership style and not just during performance planning
• As a way to have government and local partners take full ownership over activities and projects

I hope this inspires you with all the ways you can use coaching with your team, colleagues and family!

If you'd like to learn how your leadership style is impacting your team and their performance, sign up now for my free one hour master class here!

In short, Salif Kanoute, President of DECLIC NGO in Senegal, has gotten out of his own way.

This is not easy as a leader - we often think our teams need us too much for us to step back.

But Salif is a great example of what can happen when a leader trusts their team to come up with their own solutions... and the wonderful things that can result.

Listen to find out more!

FREE Masterclass: "Is Your Leadership Style EMPOWERING your team or SLOWING them down?" One of the greatest things we can do as leaders is become aware of how we impact others.  In my upcoming free Masterclass, you'll find out exactly that ---what is your default leadership style, how you may unknowingly prevent them from doing their best and how to change to help your team increase their performance.  Register now by going to this link! Resources mentioned in this episode:

• How a Local NGO is Changing Leadership in Senegal, with Salif Kanoute, DECLIC President
• DECLIC on Facebook

It is simply amazing that a field in which we care for others there still exist leaders who harm more than help... whether they are aware of it or not.

Resources mentioned:

- MSF Mentoring and Coaching Hub - How to Maintain Your Health, Survive Long Distance Relationships and Our Most Significant Habits in 2018 - Stress management tips for aid workers - Why are there so many Bad Bosses? Freakonomic Podcast - Peter Principle

It can show up in different ways.

Maybe you're feeling more tired than usual.

Or you just don't feel like checking your email.  

Or getting to that task---whatever it is.

Today I am going to walk you through four simple steps to overcome feelings of demotivation so you can start becoming your more energized self.

They are steps I have taken as a Country Manager and follow even now---and whether you're feeling demotivated right now or not, they are good to know so you can take action when needed.

This is the danger of feedback or external validation - if we find ourselves asking for it for the wrong reasons, it can actually be more harmful than helpful.  Why?  Because we are never satisfied when we are looking for other people's beliefs to make us believe more in ourselves.  It just doesn't happen that way.

So what kind of validation are you seeking, and is it helping or hurting you?  You may not even be aware you're doing it.

Find out how to become aware and when to stop yourself in this week's episode.

Resources mentioned:

- WILD Forum 2022

- The Success Factor: What Do High Achievers Have in Common?  by Dr Ruth Gotian

If we knew what the community wanted, we could skip all the design meetings, all the planning and just get started with implementation.

It would be great.  But it's not reality.

Although we may want to rush, when we fix things quickly now we can make them harder in the long run.

The same goes for supervising our teams.

We may think we are fixing things when we quickly tell our teams what to do, but the reality is we may be making things worse.

Learn the alternative to the Quick Fix which is better for you and your team in this episode.

My guest today Saraounia Mboka-Boyer has 13 years' experience in international development and lived in Africa 16 years.  She calls herself an "Inclusion Engineer" and in this episode shares how diversity is often used narrowly, and how we as leaders can use the diversity already in our teams to create better performance and innovation.

To learn more about Saraounia and her work:

Saraounia Mboka-Boyer Linkedin Scrum Inc Ubuntu Inc Business website Email:  saraounia@scruminc.com 

"I don't know how to do a donor presentation."

"I don't know how to write a strategic plan."

"I don't know how to manage my time."

It sounds like a reasonable thing.

To not know how.

But often times, we use it as an excuse.

An excuse to not take action.

And so we are stuck and stay the same.

And nothing happens.

It's important to know when we are using the "I Don't Know" excuse, and how we can overcome it.

So you can move forward and achieve the impact you're seeking.

And become the leader you admire.

Find out more in this episode.

How do we best address conflict so that it is a win-win for us and the other person(s) involved?

My guest today, Jo Rodrigues, has 16 years' experience working with the UN, INGO's and various other organizations on how to overcome conflict in a way that everyone feels understood and valued.

You may be surprised by some of the steps to resolve conflict Jo shares, which we sometimes ignore or skip - resulting in creating more conflict than we resolve!  

In this episode Jo shares steps on how you can handle conflict to create trust and build unity.

Resources mentioned:

• Jo Rodrigues Contact Information and website
• Reflection Questions
• Six Active Listening Steps

Examples of this include——writing or reviewing a donor report, proposal writing, strategic planning, or creating a new way of doing something.

So that’s all well and good, but how do we actually CREATE time for focused work??

What I see happen to my coachees is they have the focused work on their calendar but then they struggle with protecting that time and following through with their plan.

In this episode, Chen Kadungure and I will share ways you can overcome these challenges which if you follow you will be able to create and protect time for more focused, important work.

Noisy generators.  Crowing roosters.  Loud music.

Working in the aid world can be very distracting!

Not to mention all the email, texts and other notifications.

Sometimes it's hard to create an environment for focus.

So you can do the IMPORTANT work.... concentrated work.

The work that will make the most impact.

But sometimes given all the challenges, creating a way to focus seems almost impossible!

In this episode Chen Kadungure and myself discuss how you can create more focus in your work week--- whether you're working from home, or in an open plan office.  

Resources mentioned:

• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• Lowfi Beats
• Dehydration and Lack of Focus
• Mark Huberman podcast on focus
• Ragdoll stretching pose

After publishing "The Power of Silence",which discusses how we can use silence for more meaningful communication, I received a question from a longtime listener.

She asked "how do we use silence (or should we) during a difficult conversation?"

This is a great question, and so I decided to do a follow up episode to answer it!

How DO we use silence in a powerful conversation ---when should we and when is it not appropriate?

Listen to find out.

And if you have a question you'd like to ask, feel free to email me Torrey@aidforaidworkers.com and ask!

A special thank you to Caroline Khalai Lunani for your question today!

In this episode my guest and fellow coach Asel Ormonova provides ways you can make smoother and better transitions, even as a humanitarian leader.

Resources and links:

Asel's website and blog

Complaint Free Life podcast

You go through a hiring process -- and think you've found the perfect candidate.

They have tons of great experience.  And they have a great network.

You can't wait for them to start working on your team!

Until... their true character is shown.  Perhaps they are late to work repeatedly.  Or maybe they don't trust anyone on the team.  Or maybe they cause a lot of conflicts.

Whatever the case, it can be said there's a lot of value in hiring people based on BEHAVIOR and not just experience.  

In this episode Chenai Kadungure and I discuss some ways you can go beyond the traditional hiring process and ensure you find someone who will be a great fit for your team and organizational culture.

It's where a senior manager for a large company disguises themselves and then works alongside their staff on the ground.

What usually happens is they find out all the things going right, but also those going wrong.

And what's interesting is the people on the ground know what's going wrong and know how to solve it - but don't have the power to change it.

It makes me wonder how these senior managers could empower their teams more so they are able to resolve problems in the best way they see fit.

After all - they are closest to the problem and understand it best!

But what about in our work as humanitarian leaders?

How can we do better at empowering our teams to solve problems and come up with innovative ways to do things?

Find out in this episode.

Mehmet Gunes has not had it easy.

After the conflict broke out in Syria, he lost everything.

And so he had to look for a new livelihood in a new country.

Fortunately he had his poetry to help him persevere.

After facing failure after failure, he found his calling:  mixing music with learning.

In this episode he shares his journey and how music and poetry can help unite us across cultures and bring hope for the future.

For resources mentioned please visit here.

But with working remotely comes a sense of distance - not just phsyically but mentally too.

So how do we close the gap and unite our teams given the challenges of remote work?

In this episode Chenai Kadungure and myself provide some ways you can unite your team despite the technical and distance challenges that come with working at a distance.

Working behind a computer or a mask may make us think that "it doesn't matter" how we look.

But the thing is - it's not just about how you appear to others. It's also how you appear to yourself that matters.

In today's episode Chenai Kadungure and myself discuss aid worker fashion statements and how we look impacts not only how we lead but the ability to get where we want to go professionally.

And if you'd like to receive the coaching question for this episode by email. make sure you sign up for my weekly email list!

Whatever the disaster, as humanitarian leaders it is essential we know how to quickly adapt and do the best we can.

And that means being productive while also maintaining our sanity.

My guest today Jenelle Eli is an expert in adapting to extreme environments.  This in part is because her success in her role as the Senior Director of Media Relations and International Communications for the American Red Cross depends on it.

In this episode, Jenelle and I explore her recent work on a boat rescuing refugees, her tactics for coping in high stress environments, and how she is able to get people who have experienced traumatic situations to share their stories with the world.

For photos and links to Jenelle's stories, visit the website here.

If so you're not alone.

Especially for women, it is common to feel what is called "imposter syndrome" or that you don't really belong in your current role.

So how can you overcome it?

The key is awareness and knowing how to recognize it.  

In today's episode Chenai Kadungure and myself discuss what imposter syndrome is, why women sometimes feel it more than men and steps you can take to overcome it.

And if you'd like to receive the coaching question for this episode by email. make sure you sign up for my weekly email list!

Great leaders can motivate others toward achieving a shared vision.

Not so great leaders can cause team members to work long hours, lose motivation and quit their roles.

So how do we become great leaders, the kind that we admire?

One way is by going WILD.

The Women Innovators and Leaders Network, that is.

The WILD Network is specifically for aid worker leaders (women and men) to strengthen their leadership development and by doing so double their impact.

And today I have the perfect guest to introduce WILD - the founder Fiona Macaulay! 

In this episode Fiona shares with us about WILD and how it started, the amazing impact it's had for  leaders in our sector and the upcoming flagship event, the Women in Global Development Leadership Forum.

Resources mentioned:

WILD Leadership Forum

Today I am sharing an unconventional way of achieving your goals more easily and quickly.

I had not considered this part of goal setting before, but now that I am it has made a BIG difference in how I achieve my goals.

A few simple questions and reflection can put you on track to end your year on track and becoming the person you hope to be.  The type of leader you want to be.

And if you'd like to receive the coaching question for this episode by email. make sure you sign up for my weekly email list!

The best way to achieve a future you're excited about is to define what you want.

Goal setting is how we define the future we want.

Setting goals is motivating and exciting, but many of us overlook a best practice in setting goals.

In this episode you'll learn what to do BEFORE setting next year's goals as a humanitarian leader.

This is an important step that if you do will make your goal setting for the coming year even MORE effective!

And if you'd like to receive the coaching question for this episode by email. make sure you sign up for my weekly email list!

My guest today has figured out quite a few - with a ninja twist.  Lauren Pelascini's role as Sub Regional Head of Programs makes time management to balance the needs of three countries essential, and today she shares some tips from her favorite resource, Graham Allcott's book The Productivity Ninja.  

In this episode you will learn ways to do the following:

• Planning your day based on your energy level
• How to know your energy levels throughout the day
• How to best manage email 
• How to make meetings shorter and more efficient
• Why protecting your time is important and how to do it
• The best way to end your day

So how can we more meaningfully engage with communities?  Lucky for us, Deb Cummins of Bridging Peoples has significant experience in this area and provides some practical advice you can start using next week to better influence the communities in which we work.

Some of the areas we cover in this episode include:

• Difference between community development and engagement
• At what point in project life cycle to start thinking about community engagement
• Why engaging with local leaders is not enough
• Why community engagement is so important
• How your staff fearing failure may prevent community engagement
• The impact of being process focused versus outcome focused
• How what we measure for success is what will influence the level of community engagement
• Practical ways leaders can start encouraging teams to engage communities better (starting next week!)
• How to influence community engagement if you work through local partners
• Why stakeholder mapping is so critical at the beginning of a project

Just when you think you've established a healthy eating routine as an aid worker... you have to travel to the field. 

Whether it's the community or a field office, eating healthy can be challenging when traveling outside of our home base.  I have struggled with eating healthily in some very rural areas, but it is possible. 

In this episode I share with you six tips that will help you to maintain your diet when in the field, and by so doing maintain your health and wellbeing. 

• Best thing you can do for your health when living in a difficult environment
• Our best advice for surviving long distance relationships (we have five years experience)
• Daily habits that made the most impact in our lives in 2018
• Habits we hope to maintain in 2019
• Books that have made a significant impact in our lives and work
• One of our favorite vacation spots

If you want links to the many things mentioned in the episode, you can go to www.aidforaidworkers.com/blog/51 or find them in the weekly newsletter if you're subscribed.  Enjoy!

You know, the areas in which you feel come naturally to you. Maybe you even enjoy working on them.

It could be managing budgets, or helping local partners, or writing proposals.

Whatever it is, when you spend more time in that area, you are more productive.

And when you work in areas in which you're not as strong, well... things.... slow.... down...

So why not find ways to focus more on your strengths?

In this episode I provide a great way to focus on your strengths, but also help out your team.  A win-win for everyone!

As part of a way organizations can address the burnout of national and international staff, Dr. Gemma has also published a book (see resources section below) which provides practical ways we as leaders can help address it.

In this episode we cover:

• How we are all responsible for creating culture of wellbeing
• The importance of brave spaces over safe spaces
• How to Bring our human-ness back into the workplace
• The importance of bringing rituals to the workplace and how you can do so as a leader
• The importance as a leader of having a support section (like an accountability partner)
• And more!

Resources:

• The Vulnerable Humanitarian:  Ending Burnout in the Aid Sector by Dr Gemma Houldey
• For a 20% discount on the book enter the promo code for the above link FLY21
• Contact Dr. Gemma here

Given that we spend the majority of our time working or with colleagues, they can make life difficult.  And we hope we will never be like them.

That's right, I am talking about difficult supervisors.

The kind that make you go "ugh".

I know I have had my own moments where I behaved in a way my team probably didn't agree with.

And that of course impacts team performance and morale.  And so our results.

So how can we NOT be a difficult supervisor, and show up as our best selves?

The key is self-awareness.

Find out how to become more self-aware and in-control of your behavior and results.  

Allowing them space to talk about things that are important to them, and asking questions to help them move forward.

In other words, having a coaching conversation.

In this episode I discuss the many ways coaching can increase the wellbeing of your team, and some powerful questions to use for just such a conversation.

And if you'd like to learn how to coach your team, enrollment is now open for my digital course:

Find out more here.

So since we are working remotely, how can we build trust and an organizational culture?  My guest today Hawa Kombian is an Organizational Specialist who provides some practical ways leaders can do just that - unify remote teams.  

In this episode you'll learn:

• What the humanitarian world should consider before going to the field
• How to show up and communicate with colleagues to build relationships
• How to build trust with a new team
• The importance of values mirroring
• Why it's important to be intentional with hiring in these times
• Considerations to make when practicing your values
• And more!

Resources:

• Hawa's Social Media and Other Resources
• BRAVING Acronym by Brene Brown
• Your Emotional Bank Account by Steven Covey

None of us need added stress in our lives, and we all want to get things in on time, so how can we overcome the need for "perfect"? 

In this episode you'll learn:

• Common traits of perfectionism 
• Where perfectionism comes from
• The consequences of perfectionism
• Perfectionism and your identity 
• Five steps to overcome perfectionism
• How perfectionism leads to lower quality work 
• And more!

From my experience, it is very rare to have a team that tells you everything.  There's always something left unsaid, that can potentially build and escalate into an issue that if unresolved can lead to staff turnover, low morale and more.

But how do we find a way to give our teams a voice that they feel comfortable with?  This is a question we asked ourselves when I worked in Timor-Leste several years ago, and the feedback mechanism we came up with became known as the SMT Plus.

The SMT Plus is a simple and yet VERY effective way to give your team a voice, and to show them you care and want to know about their concerns and challenges.  It allows staff a way for staff to speak up in a way they feel comfortable, and for you as leaders to build trust and engagement.  

In this interview with the current CRS Timor-Leste Country Manager Yane Pinto, as well as SMT member Alberto Freitas, and two staff members Helena de Jesus and Agus Ximenes, we discuss how the SMT Plus works, how it can be created and the numerous benefits that have resulted from it.

Here is a summary of some of the steps to consider as covered in this episode:

• Four SMT Plus members - two are selected by the staff (through confidential voting) and two by the SMT 
• Members must represent the staff - two female and two male, and balance of admin and programming, as well as a balance between more senior staff and drivers, cleaners
• SMT Plus members once selected approach each staff and ask what concerns they want them to bring to the SMT Meeting
• SMT Plus members rotate, and attend a quarterly SMT meeting and observe as well as provide insight to the SMT meeting around the topics brought forth
• The issues brought forward by the SMT Plus members must represent the concerns of the broader team/staff
• The SMT needs to show they have taken action and communicate how the issues raised by the SMT Plus members have been addressed after the meeting
• Not only does it increase trust and engagement, but also those selected as SMT Plus members feel honored and take the responsibility seriously
• Non-SMT members participating in the meeting can see how a SMT meeting runs and how decisions are made at the senior level
• Keep in mind to have a translator present as needed for staff that struggle with language used by SMT
• For more information, please contact Yane Pinto - Yane.Pinto@crs.org

My guest today, Melissa Pitotti, has some answers.  And they may not all be what you think.  Melissa works for the CHS Alliance.  She recently helped conduct a research study called "Leading Well" which brought together 15 CEO's of humanitarian organizations to ask this question - what is preventing aid organizations from creating cultures of wellbeing and better work-life balance?  In this episode she shares the results from the study, and some practical tips you can apply to help your team and your own organization move closer to a healthy work culture.

Resources:

• CHS Alliance
• Core Humanitarian Competency Framework
• Working Well Research paper
• Leading Well Research paper
• Embodying Change podcast
• Stop Being Inconsistent and Start Aligning Your Values to Your Actions in Aid Work - Aid for Aid Workers podcast episode
• Melissa's email: mpitotti@chsalliance.org
• Oxfam Building Trust in Diverse Teams

In this episode you'll learn:

- What makes learning helpful versus unhelpful - Why we sometimes fall into unhelpful learning - Two questions you can ask yourself to make sure your learning is helpful - How to get out of the "unhelpful learning" rut

And more!

These up's and down's are normal in humanitarian work.  But sometimes you need that extra boost to get you out of that funk and back to your productive, motivated self.  In this episode I share eight ways you can feel better about your work again, and get into a more positive frame of mind.

Resource mentioned:

Molecules of Emotion: The Science of Mind-Body Medicine by Candace Pert

Since then, email has become more of a source of anxiety than excitement, as many can probably relate.  And when people misuse email, it becomes even worse.  Not only does the misuse of email cause delays, conflicts and lower productivity, it also comes across as being unprofessional and can impact how you're seen in your organization.  So it's worth understanding how to use it properly!

In this episode you'll learn:

• What email is really supposed to be used for
• When to use email and when to NOT use it
• What to consider when sending an email
• How to make it easier for the person receiving your email
• Some simple ways you can use email professionally and effectively

This is great, but I have also found there's a lot of confusion around what self-confidence is and where it comes from.  And knowing these things is the key to developing greater self-confidence.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What is self-confidence, and what are common misconceptions about it
• What self-confidence is not, and how you may be seeking it in the wrong places
• How to grow greater self-confidence that is long lasting

This is something I hear frequently from aid workers. But my guest today, Jenny House, will tell you it's not true.  Although she wasn't quite sure how she would use coaching once she learned it, since taking my digital course Jenny has totally changed the way she worked with her colleagues.  And making an impact in their lives and work doesn't involve being a supervisor.   

You can find out more about Jenny at her website here.

I encourage you to notice the types of questions you are asking to yourself and your team.  How can you make your questions helpful, and create a more productive and motivated environment?  You'll learn how in this episode.

If you'd like to learn more about how to use powerful questions, check out my digital coaching course here, enrollment is open until July 21st!

Call me ignorant, but I had never looked at it this way before:  that what is making people "disabled" 80% of the time is the environment they are working and living in.  In other words, change the environment, and the person suddenly becomes "enabled."

This is one of the many things Samantha Sibanda pointed out in her talk at the WILD Forum 2021.  I was so impressed by her perspective that I asked she share on the podcast- and she accepted!  Samantha has 8 years' experience advocating for those with disabilities and is the Founder of Signs of Hope Trust Zimbabwe.  

In this interview Samantha shares:

• How we as leaders can empower those with disabilities
• How to be aware of common biases against people with disabilities
• How to be more inclusive with hiring and policy making
• The importance of being intentional about engaging with people with disabilities

And more!

Resources:

WILD Forum Haben Girma's TED talk "Why I Work to Remove Access Barriers to Students with Disabilities"

Samantha's Contact Information:

• samanthajnsibanda@gmail.com
• Twitter @signsofhopezim
• @sam_signsofhope on Twitter

Our thinking is very powerful, as it creates our emotions, our thinking and our behavior.  And so if you have thinking or beliefs that limit you, then it will be difficult for you to advance and achieve your goals.

In this episode I discuss the most common types of limiting beliefs of humanitarian leaders, how to identify them in yourself and how you can overcome them and replace them with beliefs that will help you get where you want to go.

This is only one relatively harmless example of how working in different cultures can be confusing and at times, frustrating.  Ordering the wrong food is unfortunate, but there are a lot of other unfortunate ways we can misunderstand a new culture and create discomfort for ourselves and those around us.  

In this episode my guest Chenai Kadungure shares her experience working in multiple countries and how she's learned to quickly adapt to new environments... and also some of the funny things that have happened while learning along the way.  

One of the most dreaded tasks from my perspective as a leader was a funding cut.  A sudden cut in funding not only impacts the communities where we work but also the ability to keep our staff - and this of course means livelihoods are affected.

My guest today, Shamnaz Ahmed, shares the difficulty she faced in navigating such a change - when her supervisor asked her to cut the programming budget by $5 million USD.  And to make things even more challenging, Shamnaz did not manage any of the staff with whom she would be announcing and making those changes with.  Despite these challenges, Shamnaz did an amazing job of handling a difficult situation - and in this episode you can learn how to do the same.

When you judge your direct report, you are assuming what you are saying about them is a fact, when it isn't.  It is also not a useful place to be when you decide to have a performance based conversation.

So how do we move from judging to something more productive?

In this episode I share what helps me to stop judging and start moving myself and my team (or others) forward.  It's simple, but probably something you've never thought of before, and it's amazing how well it works!

After experiencing these two lessons my students' most common reaction is:

"Wow, I thought this whole time I was practicing coaching, but I wasn't!"

What about you?  

These lessons will teach you the differences between coaching, counseling and consulting, and when you should and should not use coaching.

Enjoy!

Resources mentioned:

The Puzzle of Motivation by Dan Pink TED Talk

A study presented by Bioforce on "The State of Humanitarian Professions 2020" focused on just that - how is the way Human Resources structured preventing localization?  And what role can we as leaders take in helping to nationalize leadership and empower our teams?  Based on this report I provide three ways that coaching can help you to empower your team and prepare them for taking more responsibility and leadership.

Resources mentioned:

Humanitarian Leadership Conference

The State of the Humanitarian Professions 2020

The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101

In this episode my guest Hiba Al-Mhammad shares her experience as a former field staff and what she wishes leaders around her would have known.  These simple tips and reminders can help motivate your team working at the community level and save you a lot of time and problems in the long run.  

In this episode I provide a quick tip you can use that will change these types of conversations from unproductive to solution driven.  

We all want to become more caring and understanding leaders.  The thing is, we are also only human, and our emotions can sometimes cloud our judgement and decision making.  

I see it all the time - the way we make decisions around time management and performance management - our emotions lead the way, and we end up making decisions that do not serve us or our team.

In this episode I present a simple way you can make clearer decisions that are driven by your values and not your feelings.  

Probably more than you think.

Many of us tend to give control over to others or our circumstances rather than take responsibility for our decisions.  You may not even realize that you're doing it. But taking responsibility for where we are in life can be very empowering.  

In this episode I discuss how you can take more responsibility for your decisions and how to reflect on whether you like those decisions or not, so you can choose to change them.

As we get wrapped up in our stories, we paint a picture of the world around us and those in it and call it "reality".  Sometimes it is good - and many times it is bad.  These bad stories can negatively impact our relationships and even how we want to be perceived - even when those stories are not true!  It can also make us feel negatively about others and their intentions. 

In this episode I share three steps you can take to create more positive stories in your life, and by doing so also create more positive feelings.  After all, if we're making most of our reality up in our minds, why not create something that serves us in a helpful way?

I know how it goes.  I've seen it not only with my own team in the past but also with my students and coachees.  The good news is I also know how you can overcome this and make your meetings and coaching sessions super efficient, and replace disappointment with motivation.

In this episode I share three unconventional likely-you've-never-heard-them-before tips on how to do Action Planning for amazing results.  I bet there's at least one of these you're not currently doing, and can benefit from.  Try them out during your next meeting and let me know the difference!

In this episode you will learn three common mistakes coaches make, how they may impact the quality of your coaching and how to overcome those mistakes with a few simple techniques.

In this episode I share what checklist coaching is and four ways it differs from real coaching, which may help you to determine: are you a checklist coach, and if so, how can you move toward "real coaching?"

Today I share some ways to think about success that maybe you haven't considered and how you can start being successful right now.

I have put in place operating values for my own team and those of others over the years and found it very effective to increase team performance.  In this episode I share how you can create operating values for your team, and ensure that they are followed in order to achieve your goals and make working together an amazing experience.

In this episode I provide five ways you and your organization can truly move toward creating independent local partners, and evolve the role of the INGO toward one more of technical support.

So how do we make a negative story a more positive one?  It helps to have a long-term perspective of your current situation.  In this episode I provide an exercise you can do to create a long-term perspective, and how you may find the story you're telling yourself may not be as true as you thought.

The Resilience Toolkit by Nkem Ndefo - https://theresiliencetoolkit.co/ - there is a fee associated with doing this with Nkem. This is an adaptation Nkem Ndefo’s Resilience Toolkit 

• • First, ask yourself “How stressed am I?” – this gets at how strong the stress response is 
    • You can rank this on a scale of 1-10 or low to high (we will come back to ranking) 
    • Then ask yourself, “How do I know?”. How do you know you are a “7 out of 10” or “highly” stressed, for example 
      • This is an important question because this gives us  
        • 1) insight into our experience, and  
        • 2) a better way of understanding our experience 
        
        
      
      
    • Now, ask yourself, “Is this adaptive for me in this moment?” (“Is this useful for me right now?) 
      • If yes – GOOD! Use it and keep going 
      • If no –  
        • Ask yourself this question: “What do I need?” 
        • “What practice(s) can I use?” 
          • Exercise, or taking a walk
          
          
        • Finally, ask yourself: “How do I know that the practice worked?” If the practice works at reducing your feelings of stress, or at helping you to notice how stressed you are, keep practicing it.
        
        
      
      
    
    
  
  

My guest today Kathleen Joseph, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, provides advice based on her experience working with clients who are new to remote work, and feeling even more burdened with the restrictions of the COVID pandemic.

Some of the topics covered include:

• How to identify signs in yourself and others in terms of declining mental health
• How to maintain a reasonable schedule and avoid overworking
• How to model good behaviors in mental health for your team
• As a leader how to normalize discussions around mental health so it is not stigmatized and seen as taboo
• How wellbeing has changed since the pandemic

And more!

To contact Kathleen, please visit her website www.kjanda.org

For a (very) full list of resources, please visit www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast-143

In this episode we discuss why you may want to schedule more failures in your future, and how we can start practicing.  It's not easy, but if you want to REALLY grow personally and professionally, this is the way to do it. 

As language shapes our reality, and in international development and humanitarian work we collaborate with teams from a broad range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, it becomes essential to understand how language influences our human experience.  In this episode I share three common phrases that limit ourselves and our teams and offer alternative phrases that will produce the results you want.

All of these situations have to do with our perception of time.  In this episode I demonstrate some ways in which you may not only perceive time differently for cultural reasons but also due to your mindset.  And questioning yourself around how you plan and spend your time can make the difference between feeling rushed and stressed versus calm and in control.

• How to know if your mindset is holding you back
• Common limiting mindsets amongst humanitarians and how to overcome them
• How to adopt a mindset that will lead to more opportunities and growth
• How your feelings indicate how you are thinking

Our identity is the way we see ourselves, and until we see ourselves as a "runner" or a "project manager" then we are not going to feel confident in those roles.  I share with you some ways to start changing your identity into who you need to become to achieve your goals, and how that can allow you to achieve them faster and more efficiently.

In last week's episode I shared how the systems you set up to reach your annual goals are as important or more important than the goals themselves.  This week I share a simple exercise that can be the difference between fulfilling your goals and abandoning them completely. 

In this three part series on goal setting, I will share some unconventional ways to think about goal setting that will make it way more likely you will achieve them.  In this episode we start by talking about the systems you set up to reach your goals, and how that is just as or more important than the goals themselves.

Resources mentioned:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

In today's episode I have two experienced guests to tell you what made their mentoring successful.  Mansoor Ali, Coordinator of the MSF Mentoring and Coaching Hub, and Anäis Prudent a MSF Emergency Coordinator were mentoring together for a year.  They share what is important to do from the beginning, and tips around how to get the most out of your mentoring experience.

Resources mentioned:

MSF Mentoring and Coaching Hub

I am excited about today's guest, Akasha Saunders, and the over 10 years' experience he brings in uniting people across race, sexual orientation, gender and religion.  In this episode we discuss what we as development workers can do to start dismantling structural racism, beginning by looking at ourselves.

Resources:

• As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda, by Catherine Claire Larson
• Akasha's Blog
• Akasha's contact information

But are you responsible for the way your team thinks?

YES!!!  As a matter of fact, that is probably one of the most important and overlooked areas we as leaders are responsible for.  Because depending on the type of thinking your team has, it will create very different results.

In situations where we are experiencing an emergency or a pandemic or recession it is essential we observe both our own and our team's thinking and make sure it is not too negative, or "helpless".  Negative thinking can spread in a team and can become a way of operating that is NOT helpful.

So, what can you do in this situation?  In this episode I outline what to look for to know if you are suffering from negative thinking and also a useful exercise you can do to replace that negative thinking and move from powerless to powerful.

Resource mentioned:

Boundaries for Leaders, by Dr Henry Cloud

My guest today, Monica Rockstroh, is here to help you avoid those mistakes.  She is a professional Career Pep Talker and in this episode shares advice around how to navigate common salary negotiation scenarios in aid work so you get what you want and deserve.   

Among other topics we cover:

• Why women struggle in this area more than men
• How to prepare to ask for a raise in salary and how to manage the process afterwards
• What to do if you hear a colleague with the same job title and experience as you is making a lot more money
• What to do when an employer asks what your previous salary was in order to estimate the current one
• When to negotiate salary and best practices around how to do it
• Limiting beliefs around salary negotiations and how they may be holding you back

And much more!!

Resources mentioned and how to reach Monica:

This will include tips which answer the following:

- How to manage time zone differences in your work - How to maintain your motivation over time - The importance of checking in with your team regularly - How to be more productive at home - How to minimize some of the Internet distractions

In the interview Marianna shares some best practices that have helped her establish relationships, prepare mentally for a response as well as maintain her wellbeing.  Whether you've never responded to an emergency or do so regularly, I'm sure you can learn something new from Marianna's professional and thoughtful approach.

Resources mentioned:

Packing Cubes

How I Built This podcast

Crime Junkie podcast

Rough Translation podcast

All the Wiser podcast

Resources:

Pema Chodron's Don't Bite the Hook

In this episode I go over some ways you can easily introduce coaching to your team for more effective conversations that produce results and move your team toward achieving their ultimate goals.

Resources mentioned:

What Coaching Sounds Like

I always struggled with questions like: How do we strengthen our local partner's institutional capacity without taking over the process?  Better yet, how do we make it sustainable so they don't stop following the procurement process just because the project ended?  How can we strengthen our local partner in a way they appreciate and feel ownership over?

After learning how to coach, I found that many of the coaching skills I had gained were super effective when helping build and strengthen local partners.  Today I share some of those with you which will result in not only strengthening your local partner, but also your relationship.

If you're interested in learning how to have a formal coaching conversation with your local partners, check out my digital course The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101.  In the course I provide the step-by-step proven process to get your team and partners from needy and unconfident to strong and proactive.  Doors are open now for the October cohort!

I am excited to bring you today's episode in the form of a coaching session with a busy Head of Programs named Karen Janes.  From this coaching session you can better understand what coaching sounds like, what types of questions are asked and the way in which Karen comes up with her own solution to wanting to spend more time on her team's development.

If you want to learn more about how to coach your team, check out my digital course The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101, which you can find here.  Doors are open now until October 4th for enrollment.

I used challenging previously to effectively help my direct reports grow stronger and take risks they may not have otherwise.  In this episode I share three common ways you can challenge your team members which I encourage you to try over the next week.  You may be surprised by the results!

This episode is brought to you by my digital course, The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101.  If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to effectively coach your team to greater performance, this course will teach you how.  My students have reported improved relationships, greater wellbeing, higher team performance and a more motivated team through what they have learned and applied in the course.  If you want to learn more or to enroll, click here.  The next course starts October 4th, and I would love to see you there.

In today's episode I discuss how to know if your team is really following you, and what to do if they aren't.  This can mean the difference between leaving behind a lasting impact versus a trail of unadopted initiatives.  And if things fall apart once we leave, then what's the point of "leading" to begin with?

Today my guest Joachim Schwartz from the Civil Society Academy speaks of his experience on how the INGO Welthungerhlife has made this transition, and what he's learned along the way.  

In this episode you'll discover:

• Trends from the past and into the future regarding staffing structures and development
• Practical ways you as a leader can empower your team
• Advice on what to prioritize when considering nationalization of staff
• Importance of breaking up some of the many layers in development work
• How to mirror what we practice in the community within our teams

Contacts and resources mentioned:

Joachim Schwartz - joachim@civilsocietyacademy.org

https://www.civilsocietyacademy.org

Welthungerhlife

PRADAN

I am not a doctor nor do I have a medical background.  I am not recommending a "cure" or one way to overcome COVID.  I am only sharing my experience and some things I have observed that should be more broadly known and also some things that have helped me cope during this time.

I hope you and your loved ones never have to experience COVID, but if you do, I hope this will help you.

Resource:

COVID-19 Support Group

Filling in gaps with our own assumptions and understanding of the world can lead us into trouble.  Especially in the international development field, where we are not only filtering what someone is saying, but we add a few extra filters based on our cultural background and linguistic as well.

So it goes without saying (or filling in blanks) that the less we make these "guesses", the better!   In this episode I share how you can become more aware of how you fill in the blanks and what to do about it.

It is surprising how little we acknowledge cross cultural differences as a potential barrier in our working relationships, especially in international development!

The good news is in today's episode Henry Zinglersen, who has over 20 years' experience working across cultures in an effort to bridge cultural gaps in multinational organizations and nonprofits, shares some best practices that can help you become more united culturally as a team.  

In this episode Henry shares:

• Different cultural dimensions which leaders should be aware of that may influence our roles
• How to become more cross culturally self-aware
• How you can know the quality of the relationship you have with your team
• Different ways to bridge cultural gaps
• How to bring up culture as an issue in miscommunication to your supervisor
• Why some cultures don't always follow the rules

You can reach Henry here:

Henry Zinglersen, PresidentMindLab Global SolutionsCopenhagen, DenmarkPhone/WhatsApp: +4522113300Email: hz@mlgs.com

Resources Mentioned:

• Successful Global Collaboration Cross Cultural Interaction
• Successful Cross-Cultural Collaboration
• Recommended Reading List 

In this episode you'll learn five easy ways you can stop procrastinating and start holding yourself accountable.  Many of these things I have used in the past with success, and I am sure they will work for you as well.  So say good bye to those stressful last minute late nights and weekend work, and set up a system that works for you.

Resources mentioned:

How a Mastermind Gave Me Valuable Leadership Support

In this episode Farnoosh Brock of Prolific Living shares some effective ways you can immediately improve your communication with others.  Farnoosh is a coach, speaker and author since 2011, and has a solid understanding of how to communicate to build relationships.

Resources mentioned:

Taking Flight!: Master the DISC Styles to Transform Your Career, Your Relationships...Your Life

and

The Chameleon: Life-Changing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has a Personality or Knows Someone Who Does

Farnoosh's email: farnoosh@prolificliving.com 

Farnoosh's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbahram/

In this episode we cover:

• The most important thing you need when managing a remote team
• How often to communicate and what tools to use
• How to build trust with a team you've never met
• Why self-awareness in remote management is important
• His advice to his former self when he first started managing teams remotely

We often think of gender equality and social inclusion within our programming, but have you evaluated your admin, HR and communications team in order to ensure true compliance at all levels?   Inspired by human rights violations during Soharto’s presidency, my guest today Ratna Fitriani has 17 years’ experience in gender equality and social inclusion in Indonesia.   Ratna shares how her current program KOMPAK is ensuring they “walk their talk” by including gender equality and social inclusion not only at the project level but within their organization. 

In this episode you will learn:

• Requirements you need to succeed at achieving true gender equality and social inclusion

• Lessons learned from Ratna’s experience in engaging admin, HR and communications teams in these areas

• How to use the checklists provided in the resources section to evaluate your team’s compliance

• Examples of simple ways to apply gender equality and social inclusion within your team

You can find resources mentioned in the link here.

But I know it's not easy.  That's why I have turned to Brene Brown's advice on how to be vulnerable combined with my own experience to give you step by step guidance on how to have courageous conversations with your team.

My guest today, Lia Hulit, shares some ways to make wellbeing more sustainable, or how to be proactive about maintaining wellbeing so we don't get to the point we are ready to eat that gallon of questionable ice cream.  

Lia Hulit is a life and career coach who helps stuck and frustrated individuals build meaningful careers and align with their purpose. Her blend of encouragement combined with focused strategy and practical tools ensures positive outcomes for people motivated to transform their work lives, get unstuck, and start making a bigger impact in the world.

You can connect with her on:

• Website: www.LiaHulit.com

• Instagram: @puravidaperspective 

• Facebook @liahulitcoaching

In our own teams we can learn a lot about power dynamics and privilege by paying more attention.  The farther up we progress, the more blind we may become to it.  In this episode I provide some particular areas which you may want to pay more attention, so you can build teams based on equality.

This episode is brought to you by my digital coaching course, The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101.  If you're interested in learning to be an effective coach using my proven roadmap and frameworks, sign up now here!! Doors are open until Saturday this week!

https://coaching.aidforaidworkers.com/about

In this episode, you'll learn the following:

• Coaching versus mentoring - the differences between them
• How to decide which is right for your situation and goals
• Important things to know when selecting a coach
• Tips on how to find the right mentor

This episode is brought to you by my digital course, The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101.  Learning how to coach will allow you to create a more confident and independent team. Doors are open for enrollment until May 16th, visit the link here to learn more!

This episode is brought to you by my free one hour Master Class, "Communicate to Build Trust, Increase Morale and Achieve Greater Team Performance" which will give you practical ways to communicate effectively during this period of remote work and unpredictability.   You can register for it here!

This episode is brought to you by my free one hour Master Class "Communicate to Build Trust, Increase Morale and Greater Team Performance During COVID-19."  If you're interested in participating, check out the registration page here.

Knowing how to cope with uncertainty in these times is important, and in this episode I have six tips to help you make it through.  These are things that have helped me in the past or that I have started doing at the advice of others which have been very effective in making me feel more grounded, and I think they can do the same for you.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Next phase of the podcast, website and email
• My upcoming digital course (The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101)
• One on one coaching services
• More about the Aid for Aid Workers podcast - how it's made, number of downloads, what's the most difficult part of making a podcast
• What I wouldn't leave home without when traveling
• My craziest moment (or one of them) in aid work
• The quote that is inspiring me these days
• Favorite places that I have visited

For photos of travels to some of the places mentioned, check them out here.

In this episode we discuss her perspective on good leadership and the legacy she hopes to leave, her work with disabled children and her struggle growing up inclusively in a biased society.  

If you want to reach Jane, you can do so at royhemaj at gmail.com.

And if you want to see more photos of Jane playing tennis, check them out here.

Unfortunately during this COVID-19 crisis I have witnessed a lack of communication.  This means people fill in the gaps with their own information or take their own actions that may be against their interest or that of their organization.  In this episode you'll learn how to communicate effectively with your team during this or any future crisis.

Group Support Call:

If you want to connect and share with other aid workers to share experiences and exchange ideas or just share your story during this crazy time, join the free 40 minute Zoom Call this Friday, March 27th at 3pm Nairobi time (GMT +3).  Here is the link to join!

30 Minute Free Coaching Session:

For anyone who needs to sort through their thoughts, put together a communication plan or move forward during this time I am offering a free 30 minute coaching session over the next two weeks.  You can check out availability by emailing me Torrey at aidforaidworkers.com.

Resources:

• unicef coronavirus pages
• Other lessons:  Leadership During an Unexpected Crisis: The Outbreak of Civil War in South Sudan

Keeping the commitments we make to ourselves is very important.  It means we respect ourselves, and we value our own integrity when we say we are going to do something.  It also gives a feeling of joy and pride when we are able to fulfill the things we tell ourselves we are going to do.

Unfortunately many of us value other people's commitments and time more than our own, and the result is more stress, a feeling of unease and not being true to yourself.  

If you want to start honoring yourself and the commitments you make, you'll find four steps to becoming self-committed in this episode.  

Let me know what self-commitments you're going to fulfill this week by emailing me Torrey@aidforaidworkers.com! 

You can download the Five Steps to a Bigger Impact here.

For resources click here.

Related episode:  How to Use Difficult Feedback for Positive Personal Growth

The problem I've seen with myself and others is that we have certain beliefs that prevent us from holding under performing team members accountable.  And those beliefs are impacting our work as well as others around us.  That's why in this episode, I provide you five mindset shifts to get you past your limiting beliefs so you can take action and start to shape the team you've always wanted. 

You know, the tasks that can help us make a bigger impact, and advance our teams and ourselves professionally. But somehow, it always seems like other things get in the way of working on the “important” stuff.

Proposals drop, supervisors invite us to meetings, or local partners show up unannounced. So how to make time for the important tasks so we don’t have to cram them into working extra hours or on weekends? In this episode we face the primary reasons why you may not have boundaries on your time, and how you can overcome these challenges in order to accomplish the things you know matter most.

How you start your day is very important, which is why so many leaders are focused on it like Tony Robbins, Oprah and Tim Ferriss. But aid work makes creating a "routine" all the more challenging, since our lives are rarely constant. If you want to learn how to create an inspiring morning routine that will work for the aid worker lifestyle, then this episode is for you! I have included some bonus tips as well on how you can find more time in your morning, so you can focus on what matters most!!

(This episode covers quite a bit of steps, so to make it easier on you, find the "How to Create a Morning Routine Cheat Sheet" here!

Buzzing sound effect (edited) can be found here.

If you want to know how you can enjoy the benefits of a fun office, in this episode with Renee Lambert we cover:

• The importance of play at work as humanitarians
• How to establish a fun work culture
• Why it is easier for some leaders to encourage having fun over others
• What you can do if you do not feel comfortable being the "fun promoter" in your office
• How you can work AND have fun at the same time—gasp!!!
• Some practical things you can do as a leader to promote fun in your office

If you want to reach Liz, you can do so here: https://liz-griffin.com/. 

For links to the resources mentioned in this episode, please go to www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/80. 

By the way, this episode is sponsored by my coaching course, The Aid Worker's Guide to Successful Coaching 101.  The doors are now open to join, so if you want to learn how to coach your team to become more confident and high performing, sign up for a limited time at coaching.aidforaidworkers.com/course. 

This episode is sponsored by my free Master Class "3 Secrets to Build a Strong and Independent Team in Aid Work."  If you're interested in learning more about how to make your team stronger, sign up for this free class for a limited time here: coaching.aidforaidworkers.com/register 

Our reality is our perspective, and so changing our perspective can mean changing our reality, or what we call truth.  I love challenging my own perspective on many things, and also enjoy helping others do the same. 

Changing your perspective as a leader in aid work can mean taking a different approach to project design, or communicating an organizational change more effectively to staff and partners, or even just bridging a gap between you and others.  In this episode I provide four powerful questions you can ask yourself to help change your perspective and assumptions around others' beliefs which you can use in your life and work.

Thank you to Yane Pinto, Matthew Will and Renee Lambert for sharing your stories.

For more on different types of scenarios that are great for coaching download my free guide www.coaching.aidforaidworkers.com/lead. 

For a free document that will help take your direct report's performance to the next level, find it here: www.coaching.aidforaidworkers.com/lead

In this episode I share four unconventional ways you can make your new team member's first month(s) working with you amazing - so they immediately feel part of your team and aligned with your mission.  Whether you are in HR, finance or programming, you can use this advice to make onboarding a positive experience.

For resources please visit www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/68

On the other hand maybe you have someone on your team who is super ambitious but does not have the right skills or behavior to advance. 

Either way, both situations can be managed in a similar manner so that you can provide this person with the guidance they need to legitimately become a stronger performer.  In this episode I provide five ways you can apply starting tomorrow to shape these two types of staff into your ideal team player. 

Whether it is a change in policy or a cut in funding, we all have to have difficult conversations as aid worker leaders.  But saying or doing the wrong thing could mean diminishing your trust and credibility with your team.

In this episode I use some suggestions from Brene Brown's book Dare to Lead as well as some of my own experience to share four practical steps you can take when having a difficult team conversation that will build confidence and trust with your team and not destroy it.  

For a list of resources mentioned please visit www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/66

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 easier to repair.

In aid work establishing trust can be tricky because of working in different cultures and the tendency for turnover in leadership every three to five years.  In this episode I provide four ways you can build trust with your team, so you can achieve your project goals faster and more efficiently and make working together a fun and amazing experience.

See www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/65 for a full list of resources.

On today's episode I am sharing five things you can do when handling a difficult coworker.  If you find it unbearable to spend time around this person, chances are you are not the only one.  So take action for the voiceless, using some of the tips provided here!

If you want a great article on how to speak with your boss about a difficult coworker, then go to www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/64 and look in the resources section!  

This is part two of a three part mini series on micro management and delegation, and in this episode you can find out the following:

• Four ways to know when your staff is the reason you have to micro manage
• Reasons behind why staff may need to be "micro managed"
• Four actionable things you can do to emerge from micro management, get back your time and get your team on track
• How language and culture can be a factor in micro management in the aid work or international development sector

If you decide to try one of the four tips I provide in the episode, let me know how it turns out!  Also if you would share this episode with someone who needs to hear it, I am grateful.

Regardless of the reason, this three part series will help you determine if you are a micro manager, and even if you are not, how you can prevent being one. In this Part One you can determine if you are a micro manager, and if so whether it is your mentality and/or behavior leading to the micro management. I also provide steps you can take in order to emerge from micro management and relieve yourself and your direct reports from the stress and worry that accompany it.

Tune in next week for Part Two of this series when I provide ways you can determine if you are micro managing because your direct report does not have the capability or attitude to do their work, and what you can do about it.

What is covered in this episode includes:

• The impact of an all carrot diet

• Three things you should make sure to include in your diet

• The difference between good and bad fats

• Why carbs are not all bad

• Best practices when choosing what food to eat

• Tips on how to get the best quality food in developing countries

• How developing countries often have better food quality than the U.S. or western countries

• Simple ways to get in the habit of eating better

• How water can greatly impact your performance

For a list of resources mentioned go to www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/59

Also, if you would like even more information on this topic sign up for the weekly email which will go out the Thursday after this episode is published, which you can do at www.aidforaidworkers.com/weekly-email

My guest today Claire Charamnac thought she had a really positive relationship with her team when in actuality, due to cultural and personality differences, they felt a bit differently. I was working with Claire at the time, and although I had heard from a few of her team members that they did not feel trusted by her, (something we really valued on our team) I also knew she needed to receive this feedback directly from them if it was to really have an impact on her.

So how could we have the team give honest feedback to Claire when the culture is non-confrontational?  Well we used a multi-rater feedback tool.

I have used this tool several times and can be super effective in getting feedback you may not otherwise receive. Through this survey you get anonymous totals ranking different aspects of your leadership and ability to work with others.

In this interview Claire shares how the multi rater feedback tool helped her to understand her team better, and how you can handle difficult feedback so that you grow personally and improve your relationship with your team. And this is exactly what she did.

If you’re interested in a similar version of the multi rater feedback tool we used, I am going to include it with this week’s email which will go out this Thursday. If you’re not subscribed to the email list and you want the tool along with instructions on how to use it so you can also receive honest feedback from your team, then go to aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/58 and you can find it there.

I can understand the reason behind this, I myself experienced it especially in environments like South Sudan, but it is a dangerous slippery slope.  And many times in part because of this complacency, we don’t hold our teams accountable for high performance. And before you know it, the culture within the country program becomes one of not holding individuals accountable for results, and the impact we want to see in our work does not materialize as a result.

In this episode I share four tips to achieve high team performance, even if the expectations for holding people accountable within your country program are not clear. What’s there to lose by trying? Become the example of what is possible within your organization.

if you find this episode helpful, please share it with someone you think can benefit from it!

- How setting implementation intentions can greatly increase your results and how to do so

- How your environment impacts your mindset

- How to make good habits immediately satisfying

- How to face habit implementation obstacles

- How to apply these tips to an ideal habit we should practice as leaders

See links by visiting www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/56

• Some of Johan's hard lessons learned during his first years in aid work
• How to think about communication in different contexts
• The "bottom line" when it comes to adapting to a new culture
• What it is important to know as a leader when adapting to a new culture
• How to learn about a new culture when you first arrive in country
• Three practical tips you can apply next week for adapting better to new cultural contexts
• A bonus tip which I found extremely useful during my time as a Country Manager!

For resources or to sign up for the weekly newsletter please visit: www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/55

For resources for this episode go to www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/54.

Sound effects are from the following sources:

Italian music from: http://www.freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/

Caribbean music Copyright © 2011 Varazuvi™ www.varazuvi.com

Among other things, today we cover:

• Our most rewarding experience in aid work
• Lessons learned from living in war torn countries
• The top three qualities we admire in a leader
• Advice I wish I would have received in my first few years of aid work and
• Advice for staying sane when you live in a place which is not safe to go out at night

If you want to see the variety of helpful resources mentioned in the episode, please visit www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/50. Thanks for all your support!

My guest today Raina learned this the hard way after a career break when she found that the way she was networking before she went on break has not allowed her to jump back into the aid world.  As you probably know, the old saying “it’s not what you know it’s who you know” definitely applies to our field.

For those of you thinking--- I don’t have to worry about that!  I am not looking for a job and I am not taking a break anytime soon!  That is exactly the kind of thinking that got Raina into trouble, and she offers some simple and effective ways you can avoid being in a similar situation by starting NOW. 

In an aid world world full of ups and downs with projects and funding, it is really essential to know how to network properly.  I think the tips Raina shares today will help you to do just that. 

For resource mentioned go to: www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/47

To join the new Facebook Page please go here: https://www.facebook.com/aidforaidworkers

In this episode we focus on how to get the most out of the meetings you do have to attend, and I give you eight tips to do so.  In this episode you will learn:

• How to decide which meetings are worth attending (there's a free checklist you can get to make it super easy!)
• Why it is important to decide what you want out of a meeting before you attend it
• How to not spend your entire day in a meeting you thought would be half day
• How to best use any delayed meeting time
• A great way to organize your week that will keep your meetings to only certain days
• The importance of guarding your time
• How to know when to delegate meeting attendance

For the free "Worthwhile Meeting Checklist" go to www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/45 (unless you are subscribed to the weekly email at the time this episode is released, in which case it's in your inbox!)

For resources mentioned please visit www.aidforaidworkers.com/podcast/44