Blab # 6 — The Worthy Organization — The Non-Profit Startup

So, you want to startup a non-profit (or social profit) organization!

On Wednesday, January 27, 2016, Sherry S Jennings & Robert J Ballantyne, talk about how to start up a new organization.


Click the play icon to start the video

Our plan is to have a series of these discussions. We will schedule these for Wednesdays at 9:00 am Pacific Time (Vancouver – Seattle in North America).

Note: no Blab on February 3. Both Sherry and Robert will be travelling. Check back to see when we will schedule our next Blab session.

 

Episode #5 – The Worthy Organization on Blab — Statements of Mission, Vision, Purpose, Goals, Values

Why do we need Mission Statements?

On Wednesday, January 13, 2016, Sherry S Jennings & Robert J Ballantyne, with Guest: John Bruce, explore statements of mission and purpose.


Click the play icon to start the video

Our plan is to have a series of these discussions. We will schedule these for Wednesdays at 9:00 am Pacific Time (Vancouver – Seattle in North America). Note: no Blab on January 20.

Topic for our next Blab on Wednesday January 27, 2016, at 9am PST
Here is where you will find us on Jan 27 (subscribe now) Worthy Org on Blab Ep #6. Join us — you are invited to participate with us with Chat or even in person on-camera. Subscribe here so you won’t forget.

Our topic:
So, you want to startup a non-profit organization!

 

Executive Directors & Board Chairs: Create a More Powerful, Effective Relationship

Sherry Jennings & Robert Ballantyne, with Wallace Wilkins, lead this 2-day event for 501 Commons in Seattle

Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at 8:30 AM – Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 3:00 PM (PST)
Seattle, WA

This highly interactive, two-day workshop will help executives and board chairs identify how you can develop a more cohesive relationship. The success of your relationship sets the tone for a high-performing board that leads and inspires the executive staff to succeed. Working with other executives and board chairs, you will delve into case studies and scenarios that will help you learn practical methods for managing group dynamics. The tools and techniques learned during this workshop can be applied to any management or leadership role.

For details and registration, click this link:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/executive-directors-board-chairs-create-a-more-powerful-effective-relationship-tickets-17942870609

Episode #4 – The Worthy Organization on Blab

How to hold productive meetings

On Wednesday, January 6, 2016, Sherry S Jennings & Robert J Ballantyne explored how to make meetings more productive.


Click the play icon to start the video

Our plan is to have a series of these discussions. We will schedule these for Wednesdays at 9:00 am Pacific Time (Vancouver – Seattle in North America).

Topic for our next Blab on Wednesday January 13, 2016, at 9am PST
Here is where you will find us on Jan 13 (subscribe now) Worthy Org on Blab Ep #5. Join us — you are invited to participate with us with Chat or even in person on-camera. Subscribe here so you won’t forget.

Our topic:
Mission Statements, Purpose, Ends, Vision Statements
Why have them and what should they say?

 

Episode #3 – The Worthy Organization on Blab

On Wednesday, December 9, 2015, Sherry S Jennings & Robert J Ballantyne talked about what is it that makes an organization a worthy member of the community, and worthy of your time and support.


Click the play icon to start the video
The online version, showing the live chat is here: Worthy Org on Blab Ep #3.

If you’d prefer to hear only the audio of this episode, you may download the mp3 podcast here: Worthy Org Ep #3.

Our plan is to have a series of these discussions. We will schedule these for Wednesdays at 9:00 am Pacific Time (Vancouver – Seattle in North America).

Topic for our next Blab on Wednesday January 6, 2016, at 9am PST
Here is where you will find us on Dec 16 (subscribe now) Worthy Org on Blab Ep #4. Join us — you are invited to participate with us with Chat or even in person on-camera. We are suspending this series during the holiday season. So, no Blabs on December 16, 23, and 30. We will return on Wednesday, January 6. Subscribe here so you won’t forget.

The topic will be announced here.

 

Episode #2 – The Worthy Organization on Blab

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015, Sherry S Jennings & Robert J Ballantyne Discussed what happens when someone is invited to sit on a non-profit board.


Click the play icon to start the video
The online version, showing the live chat is here: Worthy Org on Blab Ep #2.

If you’d prefer to hear only the audio of this episode, you may download the mp3 podcast here: Worthy Org Ep #2.

Our plan is to have a series of these discussions. We will schedule these for Wednesdays at 9:00 am Pacific Time (Vancouver – Seattle in North America).

Topic for the next Blab, on Wednesday Dec 9

The topic for Episode #3:
What is it that makes an organization “worthy” — worthy of your support and maybe worthy of your time as a volunteer?

 

Episode #1 • The Worthy Organization on Blab

On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, Sherry S Jennings & Robert J Ballantyne experimented with using Blab.im for discussing topics related to the Worthy Organization.


Click the play icon to start the video
The online version, showing the live chat is here: Worthy Org on Blab Ep #1.

If you’d prefer to hear only the audio of this episode, you may download the mp3 podcast here: Worthy Org Ep #1.

Our plan is to have a series of these discussions. We will schedule these for Wednesdays at 8:30am Pacific Time (Vancouver – Seattle in North America).

Topic for Wednesday Dec 2
Here is where you will find us on Dec 2 (subscribe now) Worthy Org on Blab Ep #2. Join us — you are invited to participate with us with Chat or even in person on-camera.

We will explore how to behave when you have been invited to become a board member of a non-profit organization.

 

Build a powerful and successful ED/Board-Chair Team

Sherry S. Jennings, MSc, Wallace Wilkins, PhD, and Robert J Ballantyne lead a program for non-profit executive directors and board chairs
September 24 & 25, 2015

Pacific Tower Panoramic Center, Seattle
Register: 501Commons-Online

501Commons logo

Click image for 501Commons

This 2-day, highly collaborative and interactive workshop with a small group of participants will help you explore how to develop a strong relationship between the executive and board chair. The success of this relationship sets the tone and culture for a high performance board that inspires and empowers the executive and staff. Working with other executives and board chairs, you will work through case studies and scenarios that will help you learn practical methods for managing board dynamics.
Who should attend?
This is a program designed for the two-person team. The CEO/ED should register with your current board chair or with a board member who will be assuming the board chair or presidency in the future.
Key benefits
As a result of this workshop executives and board chairs will be better able to:

  • Determine your dominant leadership style and learn how to adapt your style to situations
  • Distinguish between the board and management role
  • Resolve and prevent conflicts
  • Create a positive & supportive board culture
  • Develop tools & skills for listening to your community so you can identify the need addressed by your organization
  • Focus the whole organization on what it must achieve
  • Develop tools for the board to monitor organizational performance

What will be covered?
Over the two day workshop you will be able to forge a powerful, effective, and accountable relationship between the executive and the board chair. You will learn to evaluate your leadership and communication styles and establish mechanisms for communication between the executive and chair. The workshop with also help you distinguish board and management roles, determine who is responsible for vision and strategy, prepare efficiently for meetings, and plan an annual board agenda.

This workshop combines a clear governance theory with practices that organizations of all sizes can implement, including an annual board agenda that creates a forward-thinking board, rather than one focused on reacting to the current situation. You will also learn how to make the executive’s evaluation a fair, objective and rigorous ongoing process rather
than an annual “event.”

Recommended practices will include effective group techniques and ways to create an environment for open dialogue and learning. These approaches can engage the board’s creativity and capacity for innovation.

Other topics covered during the workshop are:

  • Creating a positive, supportive board team culture
  • Focusing the whole organization on what it must achieve
  • Tools for the board to monitor organizational performance
  • Developing resilience in stressful times
  • Evaluating leadership and communication styles – your personal style and the style of others
  • Resolving and preventing conflicts

Program Leaders
Robert J. Ballantyne, Sherry S. Jennings, MSc, and Wallace Wilkins, PhD lead this program. Robert and Sherry are governance and management professionals with extensive experience as nonprofit executives and board leaders. Wallace Wilkins serves as leadership coach, conflict mediator and organizational advisor. Wally speaks and writes about powerful strategies for individuals and organizations to create low-stress, low-conflict, high achievement relationships.

Trying to use the new video streaming service: BLAB.im

By Robert Ballantyne.

As someone who uses teleconferencing several times each week, talking to other people with audio and video is not new to me. These days most of us, certainly including Sherry and myself, are using Fuze.com. We’ve also experimented with video narrowcasts using Google Hangouts, Ustream, Youtube live streaming, Skype (with recording software), and others. While these work, they are sufficiently complicated that they present major barriers to both to technical production, and to easy participant involvement. There is a new player this season called Blab. It works very well for anyone with a Twitter account + a webcam + microphone. Here I am joined by my friend and video producer, Deepak Sahasrabudhe of somatv.ca in an experiment to see how easy this can be to use.

This is a live-stream event using Blab.im. The site provides the embed code to show the videocast on my own website, like this:

…or watch the event at Blab, the advance of this link is that is shows all of the related chat:
https://blab.im/robert-j-ballantyne-first-look-at-blab