Why Open Door Policies Are Overrated as a Humanitarian and Development Leader and Why Protecting Your Time Makes You More Available

Have you ever found yourself lost in the wilderness, not sure where to go or how to get there, surrounded by the unknown and potential danger? 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: Insight into the importance of defining personal impact goals as leaders in humanitarian and development work. Strategies for identifying strengths, values, and areas of excitement to fuel impactful leadership. 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.        

Are you constantly overwhelmed with a never-ending stream of interruptions at 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: Discover the damaging effects of High Performance Syndrome and the myth of always being available. Learn practical strategies for setting boundaries and reclaiming focused work time without sacrificing your role as a supportive leader. 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!

Will you achieve your goals within a year? 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.      

Wouldn't it be nice if a time management tool could solve all our problems as humanitarian and development leaders? 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

What is a common fear of leaders in humanitarian and international development when it comes to coaching their teams? 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    

When I was a leader in the international development and the humanitarian sector, I had many reasons to rush. 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.

The word "feedback" in the humanitarian and development context can create feelings of anxiety, fear and anger. 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.

The best leaders adapt their leadership style based on their team's needs. 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!

As a leader who wants to strengthen your team, sometimes you need to teach them, and sometimes you need to coach them. 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.

It's that time of the year!   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.