Allegiance Insurance Agency-Ashley Bartosiewicz’s Post

🌟 Building Strong Foundations for a Brighter Future! 🌟 The formation of a new board is a pivotal moment for any nonprofit organization. Celebrate the start of a new board year with an engaging team-building exercise designed to unite your board members and strengthen your collaborative spirit. 🤝 The Importance of Team Building Effective teamwork is the cornerstone of a successful nonprofit. These exercises build trust, understand strengths, and align on the shared mission and goals. 🏅 Ideas for Team Building Day: Ice Breakers: Begin with fun and interactive activities that allow everyone to get to know each other better and build rapport. Vision Workshop: Brainstorm and align on the vision and strategic goals for the coming year, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Problem-Solving Challenge: Work together to tackle hypothetical scenarios, fostering innovative thinking and collaboration. Reflection and Feedback: An open session for sharing insights and feedback, promoting a culture of continuous improvement. 💡 Key Takeaways: Deepen understanding of individual and collective strengths. Strengthen communication and trust among team members. A unified vision and clear objectives for our organization’s future. A strong, cohesive board is essential for the success of any nonprofit. Together, you are poised to make a significant impact and drive meaningful change in our community. #TeamBuilding #NonprofitLeadership #BoardDevelopment #CommunityImpact #StrongFoundation #CouncilforMSC

I would like to share with you interesting good practice examples on #CommunityPhilantrophy, for example 1. Talk about community philantrophy inside your organization; 2. Facilitate the co-creation of organizational game changers and then step aside; 3. Cultivate power sharing partnerships: https://lnkd.in/efsBfdqx #ShiftThePower #developmentcooperation

Building Success Through Genuine Care We believe that kindness and compassion aren't just nice-to-haves—they're game-changers. We're committed to showing that companies can be both caring and outstanding at what they do. By fostering environments where people feel genuinely valued, we help organizations reach new heights. Success feels so much better when it's built on a foundation of genuine care. If creating a workplace where everyone can shine sounds good to you, we're here to help make it happen. #LearningAndDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #NonProfitLeadership #OrganizationalDevelopment #LeadershipExcellence #ImpactfulLearning #WorkforceDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #LearningCulture #MissionDriven #TransformativeLeadership #EmployeeEngagement #SocialImpact #FutureOfLearning #NonProfitInnovation #LeadershipDevelopment #LearningStrategy #PurposeAtWork

I had a conversation this morning about the power of collaboration and how funders are increasingly looking for organizations to work together instead of competing. Honestly, there’s really no reason why 10 organizations doing the same or similar work in the same state aren’t collaborating in some way. In the nonprofit space, when we shift our mindset to focus on the long-term game rather than short-term wins, we can increase capacity, amplify our impact, and change more lives. Collaboration opens the door to so many more funding opportunities and ultimately helps us all do better for the communities we serve. It's time to start thinking beyond competition and towards collective impact! What are your thoughts? How have you seen collaboration work in your sector? I’d love to hear from you!

I came across the quote, “If you’re not changing, you’re choosing,” and it really struck a chord with me. It reminded me of how often we, as a community, can fall into the habit of complaining about what’s wrong without taking the necessary steps to create change. This quote challenges that mindset—it reminds us that inaction is also a choice. In Topeka, we have so much potential, but realizing it requires us to actively choose change. Whether it’s supporting local businesses, addressing challenges, or contributing to community initiatives, every action matters. Let’s stop choosing to stay the same and start choosing to be the difference we want to see. #bethechange #leadtheway

Where do you sit on the power distance scale? High power distance: Hierarchical — “What the boss says goes.” Low power distance: Flat team — “Everyone is free to have ideas and question the direction.” Understanding where your organization and individuals in it fall on this spectrum can shape how decisions are made and how conflicts are resolved. --- If you work or serve in a church, faith-based non-profit, or Christian higher ed, one of my clients specializes in helping organizations like yours grow in cultural intelligence. By understanding dynamics like power distance, we help minimize conflict and enhance collaboration in diverse environments. Let’s talk about how we can support your team!

Making Collaboration Sustainable True collaboration isn’t just about today; it’s about creating a structure that can endure over time. Sustainability requires ongoing evaluation and learning. Partnerships need regular check-ins to assess what’s working and what’s not, so that everyone can pivot as needed. At Cultivating Futures, we believe that collaboration is a journey, not a destination. As we continue working with other non-profits in Grand Rapids, we’re committed to ensuring that our collaborations extend beyond paperwork and into lasting community impact. We want our efforts to shape the future, empowering individuals, families, and neighborhoods for years to come. Looking Ahead: Collaborating for the Future The conversations we had at that meeting left us inspired and motivated. We know that meaningful collaboration requires patience, intentionality, and humility—but the rewards are immense. When non-profits work together in a way that honors each other’s strengths and centers the needs of the community, we unlock new possibilities for growth and progress. At the end of the day, it’s not just about working alongside other organizations. It’s about building something greater than the sum of its parts—a network of support, trust, and opportunity that ripples through generations. That’s what meaningful collaboration looks like to us, and that’s what we aim to cultivate. Together, we’re not just serving the community—we’re creating the future. Let’s connect, share ideas, and grow together. What does meaningful collaboration look like to you? #CultivateChange #CultivateCollaboration #CultivateImpact #CultivatingFutures

🌟 Understanding High Conflict Personalities in Nonprofit Teams 🌟 In nonprofit settings, recognizing and understanding high conflict personalities is crucial for maintaining a harmonious work environment. These individuals may exhibit intense emotional responses, persistent blaming, or all-or-nothing thinking, which can significantly challenge team dynamics and collaboration. Explore with us how to identify these behaviors and strategies to effectively manage and integrate high conflict personalities into your teams, enhancing overall productivity and workplace atmosphere. Join our group: https://lnkd.in/gyzZJjdg #NonprofitLeadership #TeamDynamics #WorkplaceHarmony

I am a little delayed in sharing my learning. Last week I had the pleasure to attend a spotlight webinar as part of my volunteering work at Neurodiversity in Business (NiB) - the Neurodiversity Charity on the topic of creating a successful ERG. The presentation was beautifully put together and delivered by Sally Owen who skilfully walked us through the amazing work that PurpleSpace is doing in the field of disabilities. Sally, walked us through pitfalls and successes as to how to get started, maintain and be successful running an ERG. Here is what I took way from that wonderful webinar. To create a successful ERG an organisation needs to:  - Be clear on strategy and purpose of the ERG  - Have clear objectives   - Be able to share objectives, learning points, what has worked or hasn’t worked with the business.   - Elevate people and manage ERG volunteers as true leaders in the community.  - Be strategic on the events, tasks and activities run by the ERG members in order to prevent “interest fatigue” and overschedule individuals at a cost of disengagement.   - Work with other departments on promoting activities (piggybacking on their activities).   - Have a variety of ways to engage individuals attention that is not always meetings i.e polls, quizzes, leaders talking about their challenges in short videos.  - Rotate leadership to avoid burnout and keep the ERG going.   - Determine what measure you will benchmark the ERG against to show that it is successful.  Thank you so much Sally for sharing your wisdom and your knowledge with us all. It was an incredibly helpful and informative webinar. #SuccessfulERG #EmployeeSupport #NeuroInclusionMatter Image ID: An image of Olga wearing a blue shirt and Sally wearing a white shirt on a Webinar.