Dec. 22, 2025
A Totally Different Take on the Year-End Review
As we're coming right up on the close of 2025, I think it's always important to do a review and take stock of the year that's just gone by. And it might be more important than ever in this particular year, given what a wild ride it's been. There's a lot of different ways you can come at a year-end review, and you probably already have a process in place in your organization. But I'd like to call out something specific that I think is especially important at the close of 2025. And that'...
As we're coming right up on the close of 2025, I think it's always important to do a review and take stock of the year that's just gone by. And it might be more important than ever in this particular year, given what a wild ride it's been.
There's a lot of different ways you can come at a year-end review, and you probably already have a process in place in your organization. But I'd like to call out something specific that I think is especially important at the close of 2025. And that's to take stock of your wins. Particularly the kinds of wins that would easily be overlooked otherwise.
For some Nonprofit leaders, that feels like a stretch right there. How do you clock a win in completely chaotic and abnormal times? Our normal definition of wins may or may not apply. For some they will. For others, it's going to look a little different this year.
It would be pretty easy to just sort of heave a sigh of relief and say, thank God we survived this year. But that would be selling yourself massively short.
Here's the thing. No matter how you're feeling about the year and how happy you may be that it is almost over, there were wins. If you had some ginormous obvious wins, of course you are celebrating them. I celebrate with you.
But I also hope you'll use the questions I’m posing to dig into some of the wins that maybe aren't as obvious, but that are every bit as important as the great big showy ones.
In this episode, we share:
- The five categories of wins we might otherwise overlook, that matter more than we know
- Questions to help you investigate what allowed you to see opportunity in the midst of crisis and chaos
- How to uncover the organizational culture factors that caused some of your wins
- Key questions to help you recognize your team members for their roles in the wins
- The two hardest questions for most Nonprofit leaders to answer, that are a key to a successful 2026
Ready to take your messaging and engagement skills to the next level and start getting next-level results? The wait list for my new coaching program is now open. Only 10 Founding Member spots will be available. Claim yours by sending me a message here:
Through the podcast website
On LinkedIn
WEBVTT
00:00:00.050 --> 00:00:02.600
You're listening to the Nonprofit Power Podcast.
00:00:02.750 --> 00:00:08.070
In today's episode, we share a totally different take on the year end review.
00:00:08.550 --> 00:00:09.839
So stay tuned.
00:00:16.193 --> 00:00:25.103
If you wanna have real and powerful influence over the money and policy decisions that impact your organization and the people you serve, then you're in the right place.
00:00:25.704 --> 00:00:38.723
I'm Kath Patrick, and I've helped dozens of progressive Nonprofit leaders take their organizations to new and higher levels of impact and success by building powerful influence with the decision makers that matter.
00:00:39.353 --> 00:00:51.893
It is possible to get a critical mass of the money and policy decision makers in your world to be as invested in your success as you are, to have them seeking you out as an equal partner and to have them.
00:00:51.954 --> 00:00:54.743
Bringing opportunities and resources to you.
00:00:55.344 --> 00:00:57.473
This podcast will help you do just that.
00:00:57.923 --> 00:01:00.954
Welcome to the Nonprofit Power Podcast.
00:01:06.441 --> 00:01:07.102
Hey there, folks.
00:01:07.152 --> 00:01:09.191
Welcome to the Nonprofit Power Podcast.
00:01:09.522 --> 00:01:10.662
I'm your host, Kath Patrick.
00:01:11.141 --> 00:01:22.212
I'm so glad you're here for today's episode because as we're coming right up on the close of 2025, I think it's always important to do a review and take stock of the year that's just gone by.
00:01:22.876 --> 00:01:28.147
And it might be more important than ever in this particular year, given what a wild ride it's been.
00:01:29.058 --> 00:01:36.347
There's a lot of different ways you can come at a year end review, and you probably already have a process in place in your organization.
00:01:36.347 --> 00:01:38.087
So yay, you should do that.
00:01:38.685 --> 00:01:44.766
But I'd like to call out something specific that I think is especially important at the close of 2025.
00:01:45.665 --> 00:01:48.365
And that's to take stock of your wins.
00:01:49.149 --> 00:01:54.275
And that, you know, for some Nonprofit leaders, that feels like a stretch right there.
00:01:54.775 --> 00:02:00.474
How do you clock a win in completely chaotic and abnormal times?
00:02:00.974 --> 00:02:04.394
Our normal definition of wins may or may not apply.
00:02:05.144 --> 00:02:06.105
For some they will.
00:02:06.284 --> 00:02:09.004
For others it's gonna look a little different this year.
00:02:09.555 --> 00:02:10.995
But here's the thing.
00:02:11.495 --> 00:02:18.615
I promise you that no matter how you're feeling about the year and how happy you may be that it is almost over.
00:02:19.288 --> 00:02:20.457
There were wins.
00:02:22.514 --> 00:02:26.413
If you're still standing and you're listening to this episode, there were some wins.
00:02:27.484 --> 00:02:33.424
And it would be a disservice to ourselves and to our teams to overlook those.
00:02:33.980 --> 00:02:37.355
To allow all the challenges overshadow that.
00:02:38.252 --> 00:02:44.415
It would be pretty easy to just sort of heave a sigh of relief and say, thank God we survived this year.
00:02:45.286 --> 00:02:48.346
But that would be selling yourself massively short.
00:02:49.006 --> 00:02:50.895
So let's not do that to ourselves.
00:02:51.616 --> 00:02:57.165
Instead, let's do a deep dive on what those wins looked like this year.
00:02:57.908 --> 00:03:06.628
I'd like to invite you to take a look at five categories of wins and ask yourself a series of questions around those.
00:03:07.442 --> 00:03:11.852
And the first category of wins is just straight up survival.
00:03:12.352 --> 00:03:15.711
We kind of have to start here because it's no small thing.
00:03:16.211 --> 00:03:32.072
It is worth reflecting on how you did that, on how you survived 2025 when not only were nonprofits under attack, but for a lot of nonprofits, your very mission and the people you serve were specifically under attack.
00:03:32.746 --> 00:03:33.781
So survival alone.
00:03:34.441 --> 00:03:35.131
That's a win.
00:03:35.431 --> 00:03:43.610
The fact that you're still here, the fact that you're still providing services, that you're showing up and doing the work and serving the people that you're meant to serve.
00:03:44.031 --> 00:03:48.311
That in itself is a win, and it's worth celebrating.
00:03:49.181 --> 00:03:52.230
But it's also worth reflecting on how you did that.
00:03:53.330 --> 00:03:58.681
Some questions to ask yourself and your team: What was the shared vision that guided you?
00:03:59.181 --> 00:04:01.550
What were the values that guided you?
00:04:02.343 --> 00:04:12.652
What were some of the above and beyond things that each member of your team did that made a difference and that contributed to the organization's survival?
00:04:13.437 --> 00:04:15.537
And then here's a really powerful question.
00:04:16.137 --> 00:04:17.396
What did you not do?
00:04:17.896 --> 00:04:20.922
What traps or pitfalls did you avoid?
00:04:21.721 --> 00:04:23.132
And what guided you in that?
00:04:24.408 --> 00:04:33.622
Another really important category where I've seen a lot of wins this year across a wide array of nonprofits is the category of finding new directions.
00:04:34.668 --> 00:04:36.497
And that could be a lot of different things.
00:04:36.747 --> 00:04:43.216
I don't wanna limit it because I saw so many nonprofits find additional directions to pursue.
00:04:43.755 --> 00:04:47.596
If they found one avenue blocked, they went around it, they found a new direction.
00:04:47.846 --> 00:04:53.956
If they saw an opportunity and went after it,when maybe they wouldn't have under different circumstances.
00:04:54.754 --> 00:04:58.946
So the first question is, what new directions did you explore?
00:04:59.423 --> 00:05:03.757
Either out of necessity or out of a chance to pursue opportunity.
00:05:04.687 --> 00:05:05.677
What were those?
00:05:06.177 --> 00:05:08.607
And in what way did they become a win for you?
00:05:09.427 --> 00:05:14.586
What allowed you to see opportunity even in the middle of crisis and chaos?
00:05:15.038 --> 00:05:15.428
That's huge.
00:05:16.488 --> 00:05:22.702
I think that's something that's super valuable to reflect on and to take lessons from that forward.
00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:29.625
And what made the team feel both empowered and excited to pursue those new directions?
00:05:30.752 --> 00:05:38.151
Another wonderful category of wins that is partly related to finding new directions, but it's bigger than that, is creativity.
00:05:38.651 --> 00:05:45.990
Could be in terms of finding entirely new sources of funding, finding a new way to sell what you are already doing.
00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:47.160
Innovation.
00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:49.850
New ways of doing things, new approaches.
00:05:50.290 --> 00:05:55.646
Maybe you started experimenting with your messaging and added some new techniques that you hadn't used before.
00:05:56.569 --> 00:06:08.427
So a really valuable question is, what were some of the most creative ideas, approaches, solutions that your team came up with this year, and how did those create a win?
00:06:09.264 --> 00:06:13.853
And, what did you do to foster creativity and to make space for it?
00:06:14.353 --> 00:06:17.338
Because creativity doesn't always get rewarded.
00:06:17.338 --> 00:06:19.168
It doesn't always even get allowed.
00:06:20.158 --> 00:06:25.036
So if you found that you had wins that were a result of creativity.
00:06:25.581 --> 00:06:31.252
Those are doubly worth celebrating because it's not just about the win that you got'cause you were creative.
00:06:31.942 --> 00:06:40.502
Part of the win is that you had space to be creative and that you fostered that, you created a climate in which that was possible.
00:06:41.209 --> 00:06:45.588
That is a win all by itself and will pay dividends far down the road.
00:06:46.728 --> 00:06:54.841
Another very important category of wins to reflect on is the whole part about taking care of the people you serve.
00:06:55.379 --> 00:06:58.749
And this isn't just about the services you provided to them.
00:06:59.348 --> 00:07:07.290
It's also about all the other ways you cared for, stood up for, and perhaps helped protect the people you serve.
00:07:08.346 --> 00:07:10.206
So some questions to reflect on here.
00:07:10.706 --> 00:07:14.846
What were some of the biggest impacts you made on your clients' lives this year?
00:07:15.346 --> 00:07:16.786
What really stands out to you?
00:07:17.206 --> 00:07:19.096
What would they say stood out for them?
00:07:19.937 --> 00:07:21.682
What were those huge impacts?
00:07:22.182 --> 00:07:27.810
And, how many of those were beyond the scope of your routine services?
00:07:28.310 --> 00:07:32.170
And, what values were you honoring when you did that?
00:07:32.949 --> 00:07:34.509
That group of questions.
00:07:35.009 --> 00:07:38.795
Each may surface individual wins in answer to the question.
00:07:39.545 --> 00:07:48.622
But taken as a whole, it also represents massive wins in terms of the impact that you had and how much it mattered.
00:07:49.689 --> 00:07:56.478
And finally, the category we often don't give enough attention to, and that's taking care of one another.
00:07:56.954 --> 00:07:59.084
That includes self-care, by the way.
00:07:59.829 --> 00:08:01.298
Some questions to consider here.
00:08:01.798 --> 00:08:17.872
What additional things beyond the routine did you do to support team members as they dealt with uncertainty, chaos, loss, and all the other emotionally laden experiences they went through this year as a result of being dedicated to this work.
00:08:18.685 --> 00:08:25.557
In a lot of ways, this past year had some echoes of 2020 in terms of the emotional toll it took on folks.
00:08:26.187 --> 00:08:27.648
The reasons were very different.
00:08:28.026 --> 00:08:34.922
But the stress levels and the pressure on everybody working in direct service nonprofits was enormous.
00:08:35.552 --> 00:08:42.517
And so I think it's super valuable to take a look and ask the question, how did we support one another in that process?
00:08:42.802 --> 00:08:46.611
How did we help each other at a minimum be okay?
00:08:47.111 --> 00:08:48.822
And ideally to thrive?
00:08:49.759 --> 00:09:00.198
Another question that's related to that, but is quite specific is, how will you recognize and lift up everyone's extraordinary efforts in this past year?
00:09:00.899 --> 00:09:02.820
What will that look like in your organization?
00:09:03.509 --> 00:09:19.716
I've been talking with a lot of Nonprofit leaders at the end of the year, and I've heard some really cool creative out of the box ways that nonprofit leaders have gone out of their way to really lift up the extraordinary efforts of all of the team over this year.
00:09:19.716 --> 00:09:23.096
And it has been deeply appreciated by everyone on the team.
00:09:23.830 --> 00:09:27.309
Most of us in Nonprofit do this work because we feel called to it.
00:09:27.639 --> 00:09:32.929
We are driven by the vision and the values, and so we show up in a big way.
00:09:33.350 --> 00:09:37.220
But it doesn't mean it doesn't take a lot out of us in the process.
00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:44.190
Realizing that that's known, that that's noticed and appreciated and valued, helps a lot.
00:09:44.690 --> 00:09:49.432
And helps keep folks coming back to keep doing the hard things.
00:09:50.341 --> 00:09:54.322
Now, these last two questions are gonna be probably the hardest ones.
00:09:55.274 --> 00:09:59.640
What were the self-care strategies that were successful for you?
00:10:00.140 --> 00:10:08.561
How did you help yourself stay sane, stay grounded, stay healthy emotionally and physically?
00:10:09.475 --> 00:10:13.535
And to keep your energy where you want it, so that you can show up the way you want to.
00:10:14.035 --> 00:10:16.436
In this work, but also in life in general.
00:10:16.936 --> 00:10:20.745
What were the self-care strategies that allowed for that to happen?
00:10:21.442 --> 00:10:35.461
And if it's your sense that that area was lacking, I would ask you this: is there really anything more important to pay attention to than that It's so easy for us to think that we've gotta show up for everybody else.
00:10:35.461 --> 00:10:39.660
We gotta do the thing, we got to sacrifice, do it all.
00:10:40.160 --> 00:10:43.821
But we have to be careful because there is a potential enormous cost to that.
00:10:44.438 --> 00:10:46.568
We can wind up taking ourselves outta the game.
00:10:47.265 --> 00:10:49.054
And none of us wants that.
00:10:49.701 --> 00:10:53.577
The self-care is essential, but it's way easier said than done.
00:10:54.488 --> 00:10:56.177
So take an honest look.
00:10:56.956 --> 00:11:00.187
Ask yourself what self-care strategies worked well for you.
00:11:01.086 --> 00:11:08.162
And where were some of the places where it just didn't happen and there were some costs, and you felt the impact of that.
00:11:08.991 --> 00:11:11.682
But mostly focus on what worked.
00:11:12.268 --> 00:11:18.581
And think about what strategies for self-care do you wanna carry forward into 2026.
00:11:19.335 --> 00:11:26.822
And what additional strategies would you like to explore that would more fully round out your your self-care toolkit?
00:11:27.241 --> 00:11:36.356
So that you can go into 2026 with the energy and motivation and excitement that you wanna bring to this work and that I know you feel.
00:11:36.356 --> 00:11:43.702
Because you're in this work for the passion that you have for the work, for the people you serve, for the issues you work on, all of it.
00:11:44.708 --> 00:11:50.548
The most important thing you can do for yourself and the organization is to keep feeding that energy.
00:11:51.438 --> 00:11:55.668
To find practices that feel good and that continuously feed that energy.
00:11:56.168 --> 00:12:00.788
And there's no such thing as too many wins in the self-care category.
00:12:01.288 --> 00:12:11.219
'Cause every time we do that well, we increase our effectiveness, we increase our ability to show up for the people we care about and for the things that matter to us.
00:12:11.705 --> 00:12:14.235
Not just at work but throughout our life.
00:12:14.735 --> 00:12:18.634
And more than anything, that's what I want for you in the new year.
00:12:19.134 --> 00:12:21.445
So I hope these questions are helpful.
00:12:21.745 --> 00:12:33.318
I wanted to offer a little bit different way of doing a yearend review that focuses on the kinds of wins that would easily be overlooked otherwise.
00:12:33.869 --> 00:12:38.903
I already know that if you had some ginormous obvious wins, of course you are celebrating them.
00:12:39.620 --> 00:12:40.279
Awesome.
00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:42.789
And I send up the Dr.
00:12:42.789 --> 00:12:45.970
Seuss pantoozles and things to celebrate with you.
00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:59.322
But I also hope that you'll take a look at these questions for reflection and dig into some of the wins that maybe aren't as obvious, but that are every bit as important as the great big showy ones.
00:13:00.282 --> 00:13:01.241
Thanks for listening.
00:13:01.647 --> 00:13:06.846
And I'll see you in the next episode in the new year, right here on the Nonprofit Power Podcast.
00:13:07.750 --> 00:13:11.229
Before you go, I have some news I think you're gonna want to hear.
00:13:11.969 --> 00:13:18.948
To kick off the new year, i'm gonna be offering a brand new program designed to help you take your advocacy results to the next level.
00:13:20.144 --> 00:13:32.264
I've designed this program to focus on a handful of the most powerful and effective strategies for engaging your money and policy decision makers in a way that gets you the results you want.
00:13:33.006 --> 00:13:43.537
We cover lots of different strategies and techniques here on the podcast, and I've heard so much wonderful feedback about the value folks are getting from that, which is awesome.
00:13:44.458 --> 00:13:46.024
But I also hear that it's a lot.
00:13:46.918 --> 00:13:52.948
And what I hear more and more is just gimme the things I absolutely have to have.
00:13:53.428 --> 00:13:59.068
Tell me what's gonna be the most effective, the most powerful, and let me focus on that.
00:13:59.938 --> 00:14:01.844
So that's what I've decided to do with this new program.
00:14:02.714 --> 00:14:09.823
It's laser focused on a set of core strategies that are incredibly powerful and universally effective.
00:14:10.244 --> 00:14:13.964
It doesn't matter where you live, it doesn't matter what service niche you're in.
00:14:14.323 --> 00:14:16.994
This is the shortest path to success.
00:14:17.850 --> 00:14:27.485
I'll be teaching those core strategies and supporting you with lots of coaching and weekly conversations, all designed to equip you to get the results you want.
00:14:28.688 --> 00:14:31.869
I am limiting this to the first 10 founding members who step up.
00:14:32.469 --> 00:14:39.308
I'm limiting it because I wanna make sure that you get exactly what you need from the teaching and the coaching.
00:14:39.999 --> 00:14:45.339
And as a founding member, you'll have the opportunity to direct the focus of the coaching as we go.
00:14:46.460 --> 00:14:56.570
Think about how many times you've been frustrated with a decision maker not getting it, not getting the true value of your work and its impact.
00:14:57.139 --> 00:14:59.210
This is where we fix that.
00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:00.940
So come on in.
00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:04.450
Shoot me a message on either LinkedIn or the podcast website.
00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:06.190
I'll put those links in the show notes.
00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:12.184
And let's make a plan to work together in the new year and start getting you those next level results.
00:00:00.050 --> 00:00:02.600
You're listening to the Nonprofit Power Podcast.
00:00:02.750 --> 00:00:08.070
In today's episode, we share a totally different take on the year end review.
00:00:08.550 --> 00:00:09.839
So stay tuned.
00:00:16.193 --> 00:00:25.103
If you wanna have real and powerful influence over the money and policy decisions that impact your organization and the people you serve, then you're in the right place.
00:00:25.704 --> 00:00:38.723
I'm Kath Patrick, and I've helped dozens of progressive Nonprofit leaders take their organizations to new and higher levels of impact and success by building powerful influence with the decision makers that matter.
00:00:39.353 --> 00:00:51.893
It is possible to get a critical mass of the money and policy decision makers in your world to be as invested in your success as you are, to have them seeking you out as an equal partner and to have them.
00:00:51.954 --> 00:00:54.743
Bringing opportunities and resources to you.
00:00:55.344 --> 00:00:57.473
This podcast will help you do just that.
00:00:57.923 --> 00:01:00.954
Welcome to the Nonprofit Power Podcast.
00:01:06.441 --> 00:01:07.102
Hey there, folks.
00:01:07.152 --> 00:01:09.191
Welcome to the Nonprofit Power Podcast.
00:01:09.522 --> 00:01:10.662
I'm your host, Kath Patrick.
00:01:11.141 --> 00:01:22.212
I'm so glad you're here for today's episode because as we're coming right up on the close of 2025, I think it's always important to do a review and take stock of the year that's just gone by.
00:01:22.876 --> 00:01:28.147
And it might be more important than ever in this particular year, given what a wild ride it's been.
00:01:29.058 --> 00:01:36.347
There's a lot of different ways you can come at a year end review, and you probably already have a process in place in your organization.
00:01:36.347 --> 00:01:38.087
So yay, you should do that.
00:01:38.685 --> 00:01:44.766
But I'd like to call out something specific that I think is especially important at the close of 2025.
00:01:45.665 --> 00:01:48.365
And that's to take stock of your wins.
00:01:49.149 --> 00:01:54.275
And that, you know, for some Nonprofit leaders, that feels like a stretch right there.
00:01:54.775 --> 00:02:00.474
How do you clock a win in completely chaotic and abnormal times?
00:02:00.974 --> 00:02:04.394
Our normal definition of wins may or may not apply.
00:02:05.144 --> 00:02:06.105
For some they will.
00:02:06.284 --> 00:02:09.004
For others it's gonna look a little different this year.
00:02:09.555 --> 00:02:10.995
But here's the thing.
00:02:11.495 --> 00:02:18.615
I promise you that no matter how you're feeling about the year and how happy you may be that it is almost over.
00:02:19.288 --> 00:02:20.457
There were wins.
00:02:22.514 --> 00:02:26.413
If you're still standing and you're listening to this episode, there were some wins.
00:02:27.484 --> 00:02:33.424
And it would be a disservice to ourselves and to our teams to overlook those.
00:02:33.980 --> 00:02:37.355
To allow all the challenges overshadow that.
00:02:38.252 --> 00:02:44.415
It would be pretty easy to just sort of heave a sigh of relief and say, thank God we survived this year.
00:02:45.286 --> 00:02:48.346
But that would be selling yourself massively short.
00:02:49.006 --> 00:02:50.895
So let's not do that to ourselves.
00:02:51.616 --> 00:02:57.165
Instead, let's do a deep dive on what those wins looked like this year.
00:02:57.908 --> 00:03:06.628
I'd like to invite you to take a look at five categories of wins and ask yourself a series of questions around those.
00:03:07.442 --> 00:03:11.852
And the first category of wins is just straight up survival.
00:03:12.352 --> 00:03:15.711
We kind of have to start here because it's no small thing.
00:03:16.211 --> 00:03:32.072
It is worth reflecting on how you did that, on how you survived 2025 when not only were nonprofits under attack, but for a lot of nonprofits, your very mission and the people you serve were specifically under attack.
00:03:32.746 --> 00:03:33.781
So survival alone.
00:03:34.441 --> 00:03:35.131
That's a win.
00:03:35.431 --> 00:03:43.610
The fact that you're still here, the fact that you're still providing services, that you're showing up and doing the work and serving the people that you're meant to serve.
00:03:44.031 --> 00:03:48.311
That in itself is a win, and it's worth celebrating.
00:03:49.181 --> 00:03:52.230
But it's also worth reflecting on how you did that.
00:03:53.330 --> 00:03:58.681
Some questions to ask yourself and your team: What was the shared vision that guided you?
00:03:59.181 --> 00:04:01.550
What were the values that guided you?
00:04:02.343 --> 00:04:12.652
What were some of the above and beyond things that each member of your team did that made a difference and that contributed to the organization's survival?
00:04:13.437 --> 00:04:15.537
And then here's a really powerful question.
00:04:16.137 --> 00:04:17.396
What did you not do?
00:04:17.896 --> 00:04:20.922
What traps or pitfalls did you avoid?
00:04:21.721 --> 00:04:23.132
And what guided you in that?
00:04:24.408 --> 00:04:33.622
Another really important category where I've seen a lot of wins this year across a wide array of nonprofits is the category of finding new directions.
00:04:34.668 --> 00:04:36.497
And that could be a lot of different things.
00:04:36.747 --> 00:04:43.216
I don't wanna limit it because I saw so many nonprofits find additional directions to pursue.
00:04:43.755 --> 00:04:47.596
If they found one avenue blocked, they went around it, they found a new direction.
00:04:47.846 --> 00:04:53.956
If they saw an opportunity and went after it,when maybe they wouldn't have under different circumstances.
00:04:54.754 --> 00:04:58.946
So the first question is, what new directions did you explore?
00:04:59.423 --> 00:05:03.757
Either out of necessity or out of a chance to pursue opportunity.
00:05:04.687 --> 00:05:05.677
What were those?
00:05:06.177 --> 00:05:08.607
And in what way did they become a win for you?
00:05:09.427 --> 00:05:14.586
What allowed you to see opportunity even in the middle of crisis and chaos?
00:05:15.038 --> 00:05:15.428
That's huge.
00:05:16.488 --> 00:05:22.702
I think that's something that's super valuable to reflect on and to take lessons from that forward.
00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:29.625
And what made the team feel both empowered and excited to pursue those new directions?
00:05:30.752 --> 00:05:38.151
Another wonderful category of wins that is partly related to finding new directions, but it's bigger than that, is creativity.
00:05:38.651 --> 00:05:45.990
Could be in terms of finding entirely new sources of funding, finding a new way to sell what you are already doing.
00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:47.160
Innovation.
00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:49.850
New ways of doing things, new approaches.
00:05:50.290 --> 00:05:55.646
Maybe you started experimenting with your messaging and added some new techniques that you hadn't used before.
00:05:56.569 --> 00:06:08.427
So a really valuable question is, what were some of the most creative ideas, approaches, solutions that your team came up with this year, and how did those create a win?
00:06:09.264 --> 00:06:13.853
And, what did you do to foster creativity and to make space for it?
00:06:14.353 --> 00:06:17.338
Because creativity doesn't always get rewarded.
00:06:17.338 --> 00:06:19.168
It doesn't always even get allowed.
00:06:20.158 --> 00:06:25.036
So if you found that you had wins that were a result of creativity.
00:06:25.581 --> 00:06:31.252
Those are doubly worth celebrating because it's not just about the win that you got'cause you were creative.
00:06:31.942 --> 00:06:40.502
Part of the win is that you had space to be creative and that you fostered that, you created a climate in which that was possible.
00:06:41.209 --> 00:06:45.588
That is a win all by itself and will pay dividends far down the road.
00:06:46.728 --> 00:06:54.841
Another very important category of wins to reflect on is the whole part about taking care of the people you serve.
00:06:55.379 --> 00:06:58.749
And this isn't just about the services you provided to them.
00:06:59.348 --> 00:07:07.290
It's also about all the other ways you cared for, stood up for, and perhaps helped protect the people you serve.
00:07:08.346 --> 00:07:10.206
So some questions to reflect on here.
00:07:10.706 --> 00:07:14.846
What were some of the biggest impacts you made on your clients' lives this year?
00:07:15.346 --> 00:07:16.786
What really stands out to you?
00:07:17.206 --> 00:07:19.096
What would they say stood out for them?
00:07:19.937 --> 00:07:21.682
What were those huge impacts?
00:07:22.182 --> 00:07:27.810
And, how many of those were beyond the scope of your routine services?
00:07:28.310 --> 00:07:32.170
And, what values were you honoring when you did that?
00:07:32.949 --> 00:07:34.509
That group of questions.
00:07:35.009 --> 00:07:38.795
Each may surface individual wins in answer to the question.
00:07:39.545 --> 00:07:48.622
But taken as a whole, it also represents massive wins in terms of the impact that you had and how much it mattered.
00:07:49.689 --> 00:07:56.478
And finally, the category we often don't give enough attention to, and that's taking care of one another.
00:07:56.954 --> 00:07:59.084
That includes self-care, by the way.
00:07:59.829 --> 00:08:01.298
Some questions to consider here.
00:08:01.798 --> 00:08:17.872
What additional things beyond the routine did you do to support team members as they dealt with uncertainty, chaos, loss, and all the other emotionally laden experiences they went through this year as a result of being dedicated to this work.
00:08:18.685 --> 00:08:25.557
In a lot of ways, this past year had some echoes of 2020 in terms of the emotional toll it took on folks.
00:08:26.187 --> 00:08:27.648
The reasons were very different.
00:08:28.026 --> 00:08:34.922
But the stress levels and the pressure on everybody working in direct service nonprofits was enormous.
00:08:35.552 --> 00:08:42.517
And so I think it's super valuable to take a look and ask the question, how did we support one another in that process?
00:08:42.802 --> 00:08:46.611
How did we help each other at a minimum be okay?
00:08:47.111 --> 00:08:48.822
And ideally to thrive?
00:08:49.759 --> 00:09:00.198
Another question that's related to that, but is quite specific is, how will you recognize and lift up everyone's extraordinary efforts in this past year?
00:09:00.899 --> 00:09:02.820
What will that look like in your organization?
00:09:03.509 --> 00:09:19.716
I've been talking with a lot of Nonprofit leaders at the end of the year, and I've heard some really cool creative out of the box ways that nonprofit leaders have gone out of their way to really lift up the extraordinary efforts of all of the team over this year.
00:09:19.716 --> 00:09:23.096
And it has been deeply appreciated by everyone on the team.
00:09:23.830 --> 00:09:27.309
Most of us in Nonprofit do this work because we feel called to it.
00:09:27.639 --> 00:09:32.929
We are driven by the vision and the values, and so we show up in a big way.
00:09:33.350 --> 00:09:37.220
But it doesn't mean it doesn't take a lot out of us in the process.
00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:44.190
Realizing that that's known, that that's noticed and appreciated and valued, helps a lot.
00:09:44.690 --> 00:09:49.432
And helps keep folks coming back to keep doing the hard things.
00:09:50.341 --> 00:09:54.322
Now, these last two questions are gonna be probably the hardest ones.
00:09:55.274 --> 00:09:59.640
What were the self-care strategies that were successful for you?
00:10:00.140 --> 00:10:08.561
How did you help yourself stay sane, stay grounded, stay healthy emotionally and physically?
00:10:09.475 --> 00:10:13.535
And to keep your energy where you want it, so that you can show up the way you want to.
00:10:14.035 --> 00:10:16.436
In this work, but also in life in general.
00:10:16.936 --> 00:10:20.745
What were the self-care strategies that allowed for that to happen?
00:10:21.442 --> 00:10:35.461
And if it's your sense that that area was lacking, I would ask you this: is there really anything more important to pay attention to than that It's so easy for us to think that we've gotta show up for everybody else.
00:10:35.461 --> 00:10:39.660
We gotta do the thing, we got to sacrifice, do it all.
00:10:40.160 --> 00:10:43.821
But we have to be careful because there is a potential enormous cost to that.
00:10:44.438 --> 00:10:46.568
We can wind up taking ourselves outta the game.
00:10:47.265 --> 00:10:49.054
And none of us wants that.
00:10:49.701 --> 00:10:53.577
The self-care is essential, but it's way easier said than done.
00:10:54.488 --> 00:10:56.177
So take an honest look.
00:10:56.956 --> 00:11:00.187
Ask yourself what self-care strategies worked well for you.
00:11:01.086 --> 00:11:08.162
And where were some of the places where it just didn't happen and there were some costs, and you felt the impact of that.
00:11:08.991 --> 00:11:11.682
But mostly focus on what worked.
00:11:12.268 --> 00:11:18.581
And think about what strategies for self-care do you wanna carry forward into 2026.
00:11:19.335 --> 00:11:26.822
And what additional strategies would you like to explore that would more fully round out your your self-care toolkit?
00:11:27.241 --> 00:11:36.356
So that you can go into 2026 with the energy and motivation and excitement that you wanna bring to this work and that I know you feel.
00:11:36.356 --> 00:11:43.702
Because you're in this work for the passion that you have for the work, for the people you serve, for the issues you work on, all of it.
00:11:44.708 --> 00:11:50.548
The most important thing you can do for yourself and the organization is to keep feeding that energy.
00:11:51.438 --> 00:11:55.668
To find practices that feel good and that continuously feed that energy.
00:11:56.168 --> 00:12:00.788
And there's no such thing as too many wins in the self-care category.
00:12:01.288 --> 00:12:11.219
'Cause every time we do that well, we increase our effectiveness, we increase our ability to show up for the people we care about and for the things that matter to us.
00:12:11.705 --> 00:12:14.235
Not just at work but throughout our life.
00:12:14.735 --> 00:12:18.634
And more than anything, that's what I want for you in the new year.
00:12:19.134 --> 00:12:21.445
So I hope these questions are helpful.
00:12:21.745 --> 00:12:33.318
I wanted to offer a little bit different way of doing a yearend review that focuses on the kinds of wins that would easily be overlooked otherwise.
00:12:33.869 --> 00:12:38.903
I already know that if you had some ginormous obvious wins, of course you are celebrating them.
00:12:39.620 --> 00:12:40.279
Awesome.
00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:42.789
And I send up the Dr.
00:12:42.789 --> 00:12:45.970
Seuss pantoozles and things to celebrate with you.
00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:59.322
But I also hope that you'll take a look at these questions for reflection and dig into some of the wins that maybe aren't as obvious, but that are every bit as important as the great big showy ones.
00:13:00.282 --> 00:13:01.241
Thanks for listening.
00:13:01.647 --> 00:13:06.846
And I'll see you in the next episode in the new year, right here on the Nonprofit Power Podcast.
00:13:07.750 --> 00:13:11.229
Before you go, I have some news I think you're gonna want to hear.
00:13:11.969 --> 00:13:18.948
To kick off the new year, i'm gonna be offering a brand new program designed to help you take your advocacy results to the next level.
00:13:20.144 --> 00:13:32.264
I've designed this program to focus on a handful of the most powerful and effective strategies for engaging your money and policy decision makers in a way that gets you the results you want.
00:13:33.006 --> 00:13:43.537
We cover lots of different strategies and techniques here on the podcast, and I've heard so much wonderful feedback about the value folks are getting from that, which is awesome.
00:13:44.458 --> 00:13:46.024
But I also hear that it's a lot.
00:13:46.918 --> 00:13:52.948
And what I hear more and more is just gimme the things I absolutely have to have.
00:13:53.428 --> 00:13:59.068
Tell me what's gonna be the most effective, the most powerful, and let me focus on that.
00:13:59.938 --> 00:14:01.844
So that's what I've decided to do with this new program.
00:14:02.714 --> 00:14:09.823
It's laser focused on a set of core strategies that are incredibly powerful and universally effective.
00:14:10.244 --> 00:14:13.964
It doesn't matter where you live, it doesn't matter what service niche you're in.
00:14:14.323 --> 00:14:16.994
This is the shortest path to success.
00:14:17.850 --> 00:14:27.485
I'll be teaching those core strategies and supporting you with lots of coaching and weekly conversations, all designed to equip you to get the results you want.
00:14:28.688 --> 00:14:31.869
I am limiting this to the first 10 founding members who step up.
00:14:32.469 --> 00:14:39.308
I'm limiting it because I wanna make sure that you get exactly what you need from the teaching and the coaching.
00:14:39.999 --> 00:14:45.339
And as a founding member, you'll have the opportunity to direct the focus of the coaching as we go.
00:14:46.460 --> 00:14:56.570
Think about how many times you've been frustrated with a decision maker not getting it, not getting the true value of your work and its impact.
00:14:57.139 --> 00:14:59.210
This is where we fix that.
00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:00.940
So come on in.
00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:04.450
Shoot me a message on either LinkedIn or the podcast website.
00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:06.190
I'll put those links in the show notes.
00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:12.184
And let's make a plan to work together in the new year and start getting you those next level results.
