To stay or leave: Job satisfaction and turnover

Should I stay or should I go? "People don't quit companies. They quit managers." While certainly not the exhaustive reason for turnover, presently this opinion is widely held by leadership authors and management consultants. Turnover is not about pure statistics;...

Building an arsenal against stress and burnout

The week of May 5 to 11, 2003 is Mental Health Week - a time to educate Canadians about the nature of mental illness and the importance of mental health. The national office of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)...

Managing anxiety in the workplace

In light of current world events, including the health alert related to SARS - and the abundance of media attention it is receiving, it's not surprising that some people are feeling uncertain, anxious, and worried. Knowing how to respond to...

Attracting talent: Living your values

In a world of talent wars, where it is virtually impossible to compete with the public and private sector in terms of pay scales, training dollars, benefits and perks; where funding pressure to spend as little as possible on administration...

Everyday solutions for training and development

It's Friday afternoon and the fires are burning at the office. Mary, your new Caseworker, tearfully resigns after only 10 months on the job. Ivan, recently promoted to Manager, Program Development is making unexplainable mistakes. Your new funder insists on...

An orientation plan in three phases

Is your workplace orientation plan a whirlwind one-day affair of meet and greet, look at the manual, sign some forms, go for lunch, here's your desk, and away we go? Or, is it a focused week of pouring over manuals...

A human resources strategy

Why do I need a human resources strategy? Most organizations are facing significant challenges, which require additional skills and competencies to meet their business objectives. How many nonprofits are not faced with funding shortages, high turnover, absenteeism, grievances, skill gaps...

Coping with change

As human beings, we all have a certain amount of neophobia - the fear of something new. Changes can be frightening, confusing, as well as rewarding and valuable. Change can bring out the best and worst in people, depending on...

Team-building exercises

Team-building exercises are simply tools used to create solidarity in a group - to allow group members to know each other better, and to have a fun experience as a team. These exercises can be used in a variety of...

Strengthening nonprofit organizations from within

It is no secret that many nonprofit organizations struggle to stay afloat, using all available resources to fulfill their mandate, with the majority of funds usually going toward services and programs. These groups may feel it is neither feasible nor...