“What I Learned at the Nonprofit Tech Conference” - Karen Govern

A special note and key learning points from our long-time client, Karen Govern, Executive Director at STARability Foundation: 
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Thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity to attend the NTEN conference! The learning opportunities were outstanding and each session was useful, interesting and practical. I hope you enjoy just a few of my notes and key learning points below:

• Project Management: Building a solid project management culture works to increase transparency, improve data collection and foster smarter decision-making. NTEN provided access to practical tools for integrating project management practices and I look forward to implementing these tools at STARability!  A great example is the use of Project Charter Templates, an incredibly useful tool that can be adapted for almost any project or initiative.
• Employee Engagement: Leadership effectiveness can be improved with better employee engagement, improving manager/staff communication, and setting SMART goals for employee development.
• Stay Interviews: This was one of my favorite learning moments! Conducting ‘Stay Interviews’ with employees keeps them committed and motivated for the organization. It’s as simple as having a conversation about what motivates them, what they enjoy about working at the organization, and opportunities for improvement.
• Dashboards: Utilizing dashboards can provide real-time information that can help us respond to needs in a timely manner, whether its financial or programmatic.  Operational dashboards can be used to demonstrate program efficiencies, measure fundraising progress or even track personnel expenses.  Dashboards should spark ideas and generate questions; not just answer questions.  They show you what’s happening right now, but also where you should be going and what resources you need to get there.

 
I really cannot say enough about my experience at the NTEN conference. The presenters provided access to valuable resources and tools. Although it was a large conference, there was a lot of small “caring” details, such as the helpful attendee packets and wonderful meals and receptions.  The app and website were also very helpful for daily planning.  And, I truly enjoyed interacting with like-minded leaders to share information, tips, and experiences.  I even connected with someone from an organization in Australia that serves individuals with disabilities.  We compared our countries’ service delivery systems and discovered we faced similar issues and challenges.

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The STARability Foundation’s mission is to, “transform the lives of individuals with disabilities through social, vocational and educational connections to the community, while strengthening awareness and respect for individual abilities.” There is no better person to lead these efforts than our long-time client and friend, Karen Govern. She is a truly kind and caring human who leads with thoughtfulness, strategy and focus. We cannot wait to see her continued success and achievements at STARability!
 
We think of our client relationships as true partnerships. Trust, kindness, patience, and respect are forefront of our service delivery and client communications. That’s why our clients, more often than not, also become our friends. Read more about what makes us tick and our five pillars of service.

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