If you are wrestling with how to understand the difference you make to the people you support, do join our free webinar on the 11th May. We've had lots of signups already, but room for everyone. Please do pass onto others who might be interested. matter-of-focus.com/evaluating-per…

These are good folk who know their stuff…

Excited to share news of this gig on 28th June in Haddington with Karine Polwart! Raising funds for a great cause - Keep The Heid Mental Health Cafes. Tickets here - you can pay more if you like and less if you need to: brownpapertickets.com/event/6012638 #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness

Often as leaders, we get valued for taking action, rather than for thinking about things. It leads to short-term perspectives rather than the strategic, big-picture, long-term thinking we need for complex problems. Making time for magical thinking, especially collective thinking,

🌍💪 Don't be driven by short-termism! Here we highlight the importance of long-term thinking in social impact & philanthropy. Building on successful models & avoiding wasted resources, advocating for patience, reflection, & sustainable strategies. #SocialImpact #LongTermThinking

And do hope at *some* point we twig that GDP is an extremely poor way of measuring success…

Last night I went to a talk from Tim Marshall about the politics of space. Between that, and trying to process where we are going with AI, my brain is slightly melting.

I had a really good chat yesterday with the impressive Lucinda Godfrey of ACOSVO. We were tussling with the challenge of how we can support voluntary sector leaders to re-energise and cut-though on the ever increasing need we face in Scotland, in the cont…lnkd.in/eQ8mT8K5

Developing some thinking from my contribution to a recent MacKay Hannah: Conferences and Webinars event, I've written a piece about procurement and its failings. I was initially going to entitle it 'The Emperor's New Clothes', except I realise that there'…lnkd.in/eb6H_ER7

If you are a women-led business in Scotland attracting funding or investment whether it's grants, angel investment, equity finance or lending, enter WES Awards 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 category and get the recognition you deserve: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WESAwards2023

📢 Evaluation and Learning Support Vacancy📢 Passionate about data and creative ways to measure change? An active listener, have strong analytical skills, and enjoy challenging the status quo? If so, we'd love to hear from you! 🗓️Closing: 21/08/23 Apply: tinyurl.com/yckejk4f

I think this is important to reflect on, especially currently with high levels of pressure and overwhelm from external sources. And it's not the blocking risk of the perfectionism but the corrosive nature of it...

'What is philanthropy for?" On 11 Sept I'm contributing to an online The Royal Society of Arts event where Rhodri Davies speaks about his new book. Should be a good discussion.. Register today! 👉bit.ly/3YaFbEM #philanthropy #Scotland #Socialimpact

It was a great day with you all @acosvo! Some really dynamic and strong ideas coming through. Onward!

We are hugely excited to have secured an incredible line-up of speakers for 2023 @ACOSVO Annual Conference. Early bird tickets are selling fast! Get in early and save £30 off your ticket: bit.ly/3Z5EtJm #ACOSVOconf23 #leadership #voluntarysector

Always useful to see, Thank you Fraser of Allander Institute. Perhaps rather marginal this time...

In case anyone was wondering... no I haven't pivoted to truck maintenance....🤣

There's an increasing need to collaborate across teams & systems. Yet many leaders report "collaboration drag": too many meetings & collaborative processes that are messy, political & frustrating. Research shows that trying to reduce "collaboration drag" through senior leadership

This is crucial to consider. We can't do what we need to without collaboration, but we need all to have the skill to make it work - and the nerve to call it out (kindly) when it doesn't..

Useful thought prompt on how to make values real an drive day-to-day actions.