Partners in Thought® Support for
Nonprofit Organizations & Public Agencies
A national study of nonprofit executives has assessed coaching as the most effective, but underused, professional development strategy. At Partners in Thought, we prioritize serving the nonprofit and public sectors because we multiply our results by helping those who help others. We therefore offer substantial discounts to organizations and agencies serving the public interest.
Partners in Thought® nonprofit and public agency services help nonprofit and governmental boards and executives develop the most effective and sustainable organizations and leaders. For nonprofits, we work with both boards and executives. Nonprofit boards benefit not only from continual education as to their roles, responsibilities, and nonprofit governance, but also from independent support and guidance in developing board members’ individual skills and effectiveness. Boards generally require particular attention to methods and motivation for strategic design, fundraising, and effective communication with and service to their Executive Director.
““Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.””
Governmental agencies have the same needs as other organizations, but with additional pressures and constraints, such as the tension between efficiency and bureaucratic rules or norms, balancing the public’s perceived desires with the public’s genuine interests, balancing interests of today with interests of tomorrow, working with difficult constituents, superiors, peers, and subordinates, maintaining the highest ethical standards in the face of countervailing pressure, and managing and leading subordinates of varying levels of competence and motivation. Changing the public’s views or behavior may be challenging, but recent developments in behavioral economics offer effective tools for overcoming these challenges.
Nonprofits, public agencies, and political candidates all can greatly benefit from garnering support from the public, particularly those from different parties or otherwise inclined to oppose a particular endeavor or candidate. Recent research in social/moral psychology has led to insights that generate practical approaches for overcoming the political divide and improving cross-party communication. Surprisingly few organizations or candidates are leveraging these approaches.
In addition to particular nonprofit and public sector issues and goals, Partners in Thought® services support domains that affect organizations in general, including organizational development; organizational and individual transitions; people skills, leadership and management; meeting and retreat planning and facilitation; making tough decisions and managing crises; managing stress and time; and development of individual happiness and fulfillment. Because board members, politicians, and senior executives tend to be high achievers, they can particularly benefit from Partners in Thought® coaching for high achievers and from many of the Partners in Thought® interactive workshops.
Partners in Thought® head coach, Jeff Schneider, carries particular expertise, experience, and insights as to public service organizations. He has served as chief executive of a nonprofit developer of housing for the mentally ill homeless, as chair and president of an independent nonprofit pre-K through 8 school, and as chair of other public service Boards and committees.