Five Good Ideas Podcast

We can all agree that the world has changed in the last few years – and so have workplaces. Today, managers are facing a workforce shaped by changing demographics, shifting expectations, and growing pressures outside the workplace.

In this Five Good Ideas session, Dave McKechnie, Toronto Office Managing Partner of McMillan LLP and an expert in all areas of employment and labour relations law, offers practical strategies for managers who want to lead effectively in this new environment.

Session handout

1. Introspection. What are your strengths and blind spots as a manager? What are your strengths and blind spots as an organization?

2. Intention. Be deliberate in setting not just your goals or an employee’s goals but the steps to get there.

3. Improvise. Be flexible as not all your employees are coming with the same experiences.

4. Include. Be hyper-conscious of your words, actions, and behaviours. Are there unconscious biases that you have that you need to address?

5. Insulate. Control what you can control. You need to be conscious of the outside world, but you cannot control it.

The text, podcast, and transcript are provided for general information purposes only. They are neither intended as, nor should be considered, legal advice and readers, viewers, and listeners should not make any decisions based on this material alone. Rather, a qualified lawyer should be consulted. © McMillan LLP 2026.

Access more Five Good Ideas sessions at: https://maytree.com/strengthening-communities/five-good-ideas/. 

Collaboration with other organizations can build your organizational capacity, amplify your impact, and help you serve more people – but only if you get it right. Successful collaboration starts at home – with your board and senior leaders building the right internal culture, competencies, and systems before you approach potential partners. 

Liz Weaver, former Co-CEO of the Tamarack Institute, and Linda Mollenhauer, Chair of Ignite NPS, joined Elizabeth McIsaac, president of Maytree, as they shared practical stories and ideas to help you choose the right collaborations, show up as a strong partner, and avoid common pitfalls. They drew from free resources in The Collaborative Organization – tools you can use right away. 

Liz and Linda's five good ideas:

1. Look inward. Culture matters. The values your board and leadership hold shape how others see you as a partner.

2. Understand the why. Get clear on what strategic benefits collaboration will bring to your mission.

3. Be intentional by managing opportunities and mitigating risks. Treat collaborations like investments – assess fit and protect your organization.

4. Get your own shop in order. Make sure you have the internal capacity and systems to deliver on commitments.

5. Put it in writing. Create a board policy that guides how and when you collaborate.

For the resources and a video of the session, visit: https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-on-how-to-become-a-collaborative-organization/.

Jake Hirsch-Allen, head of Partnerships at The Dais, a public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, joined Elizabeth McIsaac, president of Maytree, for the latest Five Good Ideas session to share his five ideas on how to adopt generative AI responsibly and effectively. Drawing from the Responsible AI Adoption for Social Impact (RAISE) program – a national initiative through which Jake has trained over 500 non-profit professionals across Canada – Jake explored when and how to use AI, the risks you need to understand, and why your organization’s data matters more than you think.

Jake’s five good ideas:

1. Experiment using AI

2. Beware of the risks

3. Identify AI use cases

4. Create an AI use policy

5. Value your data

For the resources and a video of the session, visit: https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-on-how-to-think-responsibly-about-generative-ai/

Dr. Megan Conway, President and CEO of Volunteer Canada, joined Elizabeth McIsaac, President of Maytree, for the latest Five Good Ideas session to share her five ideas on how to re-engage your volunteer community and attract new supporters. Megan talked about how to meet the changing needs and motivations of today’s volunteers, remove barriers that keep people from participating, and reconnect with those who have volunteered with you in the past.

Megan’s five good ideas:

1. Design volunteering for belonging, not just help

2. Treat access to volunteering as a design and equity issue

3. Reframe volunteering as contribution, skill building, and participation

4. Invest in volunteer infrastructure as a public good

5. Make volunteering visible in civic leadership and policy

For the resources and a video of the session, visit https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-to-attract-and-keep-volunteers/.

In the face of changing government policies, deepening inequality, and community crises, charities must act forcefully to respond to their clients’ needs. They need to be fearless and use all of their tools to advocate and manage risk.

The Neighbourhood Group Community Services and Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre experienced a trial by fire in 2025 that tested their resolve – they faced both the threat of closure and the actual closure of their supervised consumption services, resulting in a legal charter challenge to protect health care in their community.

Two leaders came through more determined to act boldly to improve conditions for the people in their community.

In conversation with Elizabeth McIsaac, Angela Robertson and Bill Sinclair presented their five ideas on how to be fearless, change how organizations work, and listen to our most vulnerable communities.

- Angela Robertson is Executive Director or Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre

- Bill Sinclair is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Neighbourhood Group Community Services

- Elizabeth McIsaac is President of Maytree

1. Build a fearless board

2. Defend your rights and values

3. Understand the importance of data and evidence

4. Embrace unusual allies and media

5. Take a new approach to risk management

For the resources and a video of the session, visit https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-for-building-fearless-organizations/.

In this Five Good Ideas session, Annie Kidder, co-founder and recently retired executive director of People for Education, shares her personal experience of what it's like to hand off your organization to the next generation.

What really happens during succession – what works, what hurts, what do you need to let go of, and how does a founder-led organization steer into a future where it can continue to thrive?

Her five good ideas: 

1. Get a therapist

2. Identify foundational organizational values and beliefs and then build a new path forward

3. Determine where the founder adds value and where they have to get out of the way

4. Let go

5. Celebrate

For Annie's full bio and resources, visit the session page.

In this Five Good Ideas session, Aleem Punja, Executive Director, Future Ready Initiative, Aga Khan Council for Canada, shared lessons from leading and advising boards across sectors.

How can leading with head, heart, and homework transform governance from functional to exceptional? 

His five good ideas: 

1. Start with purpose, not paper

2. Govern, do not manage

3. Centre equity and pluralism in every decision

4. Build a strong, trust-based relationship with the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer

5. Commit to learning, preparation, and self-reflection

For Aleem's full bio and resources, vist the session page. 

In this Five Good Ideas session, Sherri Torjman shares lessons from her 25 years at the Caledon Institute of Social Policy.

In a field as complex and challenging as social policy, how do we stay the course and make an impact?

Her five good ideas:

1. Find your North Star

2. Do your homework

3. Dream big - and small

4. Create the pathways

5. Tell your story

For Sherri's full bio and resources, visit the session page.

In this session, Zabeen Hirji, former Chief HR Officer at RBC and now in her Purposeful Third Act, explored how AI is reshaping the nature of work. As AI changes the relationship between employers and workers, why should people choose to work for your organization? How can organizations help their people thrive in this new era?

Her five good ideas:

1. Help every employee understand their purpose

2. Start small, learn together, and stay curious

3. Build AI fluency, not technical mastery

4. Focus on change management

5. Invest in human skills

For Zabeen's full bio and resources, vist the session page.

In this session, non-profit consultant Claire Forster discussed how to make meaningful and sustainable change in your organization. How do you integrate a new function or program into your current structure? How do you communicate with your teams to ensure that the change is not disruptive or disengaging? What implications are there for the existing teams and culture and how do you manage that? What issues do you need to anticipate and account for?

Her five good ideas:

For Claire's full bio and resources, visit the session page.