Sep 9, 2019
Hello and welcome to year three of the Virtual Executive
Director podcast! Same music, same host (me), and yes, the
same dogs possibly interrupting our recording sessions (though they
are blessedly asleep right now).
Philosopher and author Alain de Botton said “Anyone who
isn't embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn't
learning enough.”
This is a great springboard for us to talk about the end of
the year. Think back to this time last year. Were you launching a
performing arts season? Getting back to work in schools? How about
personally? What were you like as a person?
12 months ago, I was very happy with my job, but I wasn't
completely happy with myself as a person. I was impatient and
easily stressed out, and my health was on the verge of some bad
preventable disease. I knew I didn't want to be in the same place
by the next year, so I took steps to make a change.
As Summer is winding down, let's not forget that the fourth
quarter of this year will be here before we know it. Most of us in
nonprofit associate year-end with fundraising, and that is still
important. But what if you expanded your vision of what could
happen over the next few months? What would your organization look
like by the first of next year?
I can already hear those of you who are Questioners in the
"Four Tendencies" framework (created by Gretchen Rubin) asking me
why it's important to even be thinking about these things right
now. After all January 1st is just another day on the calendar. The
thing is, in our society and culture, the end of one year and the
beginning of the next carries a wave of transition energy with it.
The closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. We fight
for so much in nonprofit--for funding, for our cause, for new
laws--why not take a season and ride the prevailing wave to our
advantage?
What does that look like?
-Making time to work on organizational culture
-Taking a look at the goals you set 9 months ago
-And yes, fundraising
So how do you want to roll into 2020?
Resources
Learn more about executive coaching here:
https://virtualexecutivedirector.com/index.php/yes-year-end-success-executive-coaching/
Support the podcast with a Patreon gift here: https://www.patreon.com/virtualexecutivedirector
Take the Four Tendencies quiz here: https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/