Strategy: Moving Beyond the Proactive and the Opportunistic
The word “strategic” is a fraught term. You can put it in front of any noun and it makes it sound more important. Sometimes people use the word “strategic” when, in reality, they are just talking about being proactive: anticipating future events and planning ahead. That is fine, but it is not quite the same […]
The Role of Early Adopters in Driving Internal Change
I’ve been thinking a lot about how change happens in organizations. Sure, there are entire books and studies on change management processes, and consulting firms devoted to guiding you every step of the way. Often, these processes speak to executives who already want change and have the authority to impose it across the company. But […]
In Praise of Complexity: Rethinking Cultural Adaptability in the Global Workplace
As an intercultural trainer, consultant, and anthropologist, I have spent my career helping people navigate human differences, particularly in multicultural teams and global organizations. Over the years, I’ve become increasingly skeptical of books and speakers who promise quick and easy methods for adapting to any culture. The idea of a one-size-fits-all solution is seductive, but […]
Putting Theory into Practice for Donor-Client Engagements
The cornerstone of my life’s work has been to understand what helps people communicate and collaborate more effectively across human differences. When I first started Philanthropy without Borders, my intention was to was to dismantle the exploitative elements often inherent in donor-client interactions by making the very best research in the social sciences readily applicable […]
We See What We Already Believe: Guiding Donor Assumptions in Client Interactions
I’ve written quite a bit about how to prepare donors for their client experiences and what should be included in their guidebooks, but there’s one very important thing we need to address: assumptions and expectations. Although these words are often used interchangeably, in my work, I draw some critical distinctions between the two: Assumptions are […]