Margaret and David welcome guest Graeme Watt, a principal at Anthem Creative, to discuss the “Great Collision” of tech and traditionally late adopters in the nonprofit sector. Graeme’s career has straddled both nonprofit and for-profit work — and has kept a close eye on the adoption of technology — or lack thereof — that may portend big problems in the nonprofit space.

Graeme asks the question, “Will tomorrow be more digital than it is today?” If the pace of digital transformation continues to accelerate, as it promises to do, it will have some significant  implications for nonprofit leaders.

The “great collision” refers to the multiple technological revolutions, any one of which alone would be transformative. But multiple revolutions are happening at once. Graeme discussed the rapid advancements in AI, blockchain, digital currencies, humanoid robotics, and biotechnology, all of which are emerging and all of which are likely to have implications for fundraising organizations and society.

Most of us are at least beginning to understand the personal applications of AI. Our hosts explore how these technologies could be applied within nonprofit organizations.

Graeme notes that in most nonprofit settings, the mission is large and the resources are few. That leads to considering how the potential of AI to automate administrative tasks might improve efficiency for nonprofit organizations. How might AI allow staff to focus on donor relationships and mission-critical work that is best done by humans?

David wonders about how AI tools might aid in data analysis and donor management. He opines that having tools to streamline call report processes, something that could convert handwritten or voice-recorded notes into digital files for easier database entry, would be a great example of using AI for fundraising in a way that frees up humans.

Graeme discussed the challenges of donor retention in the nonprofit sector and highlighted the potential of technology and automation to create a “donor journey.” He emphasized how AI could be a great tool to help personalize donor experiences with interactions, surveys, etc., about their preferences and articulating what they care most about. AI could then use these preferences to nurture donors from their first gift so that they continue giving.

David agreed and added that automation could be beneficial for both annual and major gift donors, though human interaction remains crucial for major gifts.

They also touched on the use of technology for donor prospecting and qualifying donors for major giving conversations.

Graeme discussed the implementation of new digital fundraising tools that use SMS and text messaging to improve donor engagement and qualification for major gifts. It’s going much better —  achieving higher completion rates — than traditional email methods.

Margaret shares that she has learned many new ways to use AI personally in conversations with friends who use it creatively. She suggests that nonprofits could benefit from sharing more AI applications and use cases to foster collaboration. To that end, Graeme plans to launch a podcast on that very topic, highlighting use examples to facilitate knowledge exchange.

In case your imagination hasn’t yet been stretched, Graeme shares that in board governance and fundraising, he’s been following an autonomous AI agent serving as an advisor and ambassador for Rainforest-alliance.org.

While many fundraisers agree that events and galas may not be the best or most efficient way to raise money, they may retain an important role in human connection. Our hosts encourage “gala killing” when appropriate, and considering how more and more effective digital campaigns might yield more gifts.

But if nonprofits are having events, Graeme encourages listeners to think about using digital tools to extend the impact of live events, engaging more donors post-event.

Graeme shared a practice from his company. where they have introduced an “AI Hour” as a way to encourage staff to explore and utilize AI tools. This practice has increased productivity and reduced fear around AI. Graeme suggested that nonprofits consider adopting a similar program and include a digital plan and corresponding budget in their financial planning.

The post Ep 164: The Great Collision appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

What is the impact of ignoring versus naming the elephant in the room?

Margaret reported that she had hoped to feel energized and rested after the 3-day Labor Day weekend. But thanks to a run-in with a (metaphoric) elephant, that’s not what happened.

In this episode, David and Margaret share how those elephants — in this case, unspoken emotions — can impact us. They explored the challenges and benefits of naming the elephant in the room.

Margaret shared how she spent part of the long weekend: attending a 95th birthday party for Margaret’s partner’s grandfather. She reported that the occasion left her both joyful … and exhausted. Despite the sweetness and celebration of the occasion, at which the birthday celebrant was grateful and remarkably present and sharp, Margaret felt a proverbial unnamed elephant in the room.

She and her partner later reflected on the elephant, which was much unspoken sadness and anticipatory grief that many of the family members present at the gathering seemed to be feeling, even though the occasion was technically cheerful. The birthday man was one of the few who openly acknowledged the event’s significance given his age — and the fact that there might not be too many more parties like this one for his birthday.

David suggested that sometimes naming emotions in such situations is clarifying and helps people process them. Naming unspoken truths and emotions is generally a good strategy, in safe contexts, but it also depends on who is present.

Margaret expressed uncertainty about whether others at this specific party would have been comfortable with such openness.

They explored the broader question of how to address elephants in the room and agreed that naming emotions is generally helpful — even if such naming might first create discomfort and vulnerability before it creates safety.

David and Margaret discussed the challenges and benefits of addressing unspoken fears and emotions in organizational settings.

There is a lot of anxiety on many of the fundraising teams and leaders our hosts speak with. Many are worried about missing goals and falling short.

In an organizational setting, it falls often to the leader to take the initiative and share their own fears first. They explored how when a leader names and acknowledges their own feelings, particularly through personal “I” statements, it can create safety and encourage open dialogue with others on the team.

They noted how rare this approach is in organizational cultures, in part because for such conversations to be effective, there must be high levels of trust. David has worked with a team that did reach this level of trust, and they were able to be vulnerable and “clear” what was on their minds. He recalls how sharp that exercise made them, and how present they could be to the business at hand after they cleared.

David and Margaret discussed the importance of addressing and managing difficult emotions and issues within teams big and small. They share about their own experiences when such exercises turned out to be a very important use of the time — sometimes more important than the pre-existing agenda. They shared personal experiences of how acknowledging and processing emotions can lead to more productive meetings and better team dynamics.

If your team needs help creating a culture that has the skills to address those elephants, our hosts offer a two-consecutive-half-day training program called “Growing Together Through Trust, Candor, and Conflict” to help teams build trust and handle disagreements effectively. They encouraged listeners to reach out for coaching or share their own strategies for dealing with elephants in the room.

The post Ep 163: Naming the Elephant in the Room appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

David and Margaret explored the dynamics of heading back-to-school — including the anxiety.

They noticed that the parents they have had contact with seem to sometimes experience more anxiety than their children at the prospect of school starting up again, even as the children’s transition back to school is often smooth. And our hosts wonder why this might be.

They speculated about a few causes, including that it might relate to remembering their own anxiety about school.

David shared his personal experiences with school, including challenges in elementary and high school, and suggested that institutional education was not always a positive environment for him. And Margaret remembered feeling a lot of hyperachiever pressure as a child, wanting to be noticed and liked by her new teachers every fall.

Many parents long for their children to achieve a lot in school — and many have big dreams for their children to go to great colleges. Others want their children to make great friends, to fit in and to be happy. Our hosts wonder: is it possible to check all those boxes at once? Can our children stand out AND fit in all at the same time?

Modern culture often pressures parents to prioritize academic success over other important life skills.

They also touched on the concept of “avoiding” as a common saboteur behavior — and its relevance to parenting. This might look like people who go to great lengths to avoid conflict, including even unpleasant or uncomfortable conversations. And it might be relevant for parents who are struggling with kids who have learning differences.

David shared his personal experience of having an undiagnosed learning difference, specifically with dyslexia. That made both reading and taking tests very difficult for him, as it does for many, many other children. These days, he is a prolific writer and has discovered a new way to read by listening to audiobooks — but school always felt very hard to him. He discussed the importance of recognizing and supporting learning differences in children, noting that more resources are available now than when he was in school.

Margaret talks about the idea of “school brain,” meaning the ways some of our brains are very well suited to how most schools teach — while other kids can be equally smart but struggle with a mismatch in how they process and receive information.

Having had our own learning differences or knowing our children are struggling can spike parents’ anxiety this time of year as their kids head back to school.

The two of them both feel inspired by both the growing movement on LinkedIn, where neurodivergent individuals are claiming their identities and advocating for themselves as well as the evolution of education systems and the recognition of different types of intelligences beyond just rational and analytical skills.

David and Margaret discussed the benefits of hugging, citing scientific studies that show hugging boosts the immune system and lowers anxiety.

The post Ep 162: Back to School appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

Margaret and David discussed the importance of finding gifts and opportunities in difficult circumstances. The topic for this podcast came from a post Margaret wrote for LinkedIn.

The story was about her then-toddler son’s persistent request for juice that felt quite trying at the time, but ultimately became a family joke. Margaret was struck by how sweet and funny it felt in the retelling.

It prompted our hosts to ask: what other episodes from your past might be ready to re-file from difficult to containing a gift or opportunity.

This exercise aligns with their Positive Intelligence coaching program (PQ). The work of PQ, among other things, encourages  leaders to overcome self-sabotaging tendencies like being a controller or pleaser. Through the lens of PQ, Margaret wondered if her strong people pleaser back then benefitted from having to say no to her son 547 nights in a row.

The two discussed the challenges of moving on from past relationships and the process of healing from emotional pain. Sometimes, when we look back at a difficult episode or story, it feels only like touching a bruise. It still feels tender and painful.

David reflected on his challenging graduate school experience. The difficult memory has made it a long process for him to find the gifts. Ultimately, this era in his life led to significant personal and professional growth. He realized he didn’t love engineering and made a career shift toward people-oriented roles.

Many people also struggle to let go of relationships that have ended.  One way to process is to look back at what we loved about the relationship to create a list of “Things I Want in My Next Relationship.” Conversely, we can add negative aspects to our list of dealbreakers.

David acknowledged his difficulty in seeing the gift in relationships that have ended. He knows  ending relationships can open up space for something new, but that still feels more theoretical than gift-like. He talked about still feeling “the tail” that’s left behind, which is really just grief.

Along with the grief, Margaret talks about the way that she sometimes has felt powerless and child-like when she hasn’t been in choice about ending a relationship. She talks about how she’s learning to soothe this historic charge.

David and Margaret discussed the importance of practicing self-compassion. That might be as simple as reminding ourselves that we are human, that something still hurts. It also looks like silencing the voice that tells us we “should” get over something. Self compassion means being kind and gentle to ourselves when we are hurting.

Other  helpful tools include curiosity, gentle self-reflection, and patience. Margaret recalled a challenging past episode in her life in which she applied for and did not get a job she really wanted. She talks about the feeling of hating what it felt like at the time, but also being able to trust that there would be something positive that would come from it, even though she couldn’t see what that might be at the time.

Our hosts offer one more tool for finding gifts and opportunities in difficult circumstances. David introduced the concept of shifting from a “to me” mindset to a “for me” perspective. This might look like asking oneself this inquiry: What if my life was happening FOR me as opposed of TO ME? How might I see this differently?

They also briefly touched on plans for hosting a retreat in Colorado to further explore these themes.

Finally, they discussed the practice of harvesting energy from difficult emotions, rather than denying or repressing them. They explored how anger, for example, can serve as a catalyst for setting boundaries or taking action. They encouraged listeners to try these practices and offered information about an upcoming retreat.

The post Ep 161: Finding Gifts and Opportunities in Difficult Circumstances appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

David and Margaret dive into the ways that Leadership and Emotional Intelligence can help when relationships get hard. They announced a free masterclass on June 4th, 2025, to provide tools for improving emotional awareness and communication.

Margaret shares that for the recording of the podcast, she is wearing an orange sticky note. After a rough relationship moment before recording the podcast, the color orange is for her a symbol of possibility and enthusiasm. This concept is drawn from their leadership training, where they used colors as a code for the hard-to-describe emotions and energy that are often unacknowledged in conversations and in rooms. It’s a way to talk about “reading the space.”

They explain how they learned to recognize what’s in the space by naming colors like blue, which represents permission to feel sadness in service of creating emotional intimacy.

David acknowledged his ongoing journey in emotional intelligence and expressed appreciation for Margaret’s support.

The duo wonder, do men have additional challenges in expressing and recognizing their emotions? Cultural norms often discourage men from expressing emotions and being vulnerable, and encourage anger as an alternative.

They explore the importance of acknowledging and accepting emotions in the conversation without immediately trying to change the texture. Many of us have an impulse to cheer things up or steer conversations away from topics that feel hearvy. And men often seem to be taught to alter conversations rather than accept them as they are. They also touched on the societal expression of anger, noting that while some find it easier to confront anger with anger, this approach can lead to contention.

The environment of the world right now feels challenging to many — and it can have a big impact on personal relationships. External stressors, such as global and political events, can affect our emotional capacity. And when our emotional capacity feels full or flooded, then we can react unskillfully in personal and professional relationships.

Tuning into world events seems these days to lead to increased stress and emotional fatigue. Many of us are feeling at capacity right now.

For example, the same situations can trigger different reactions, depending on one’s emotional state. When we are calm, we can be spacious. But if we are already stressed out, the same set of circumstances can make us blow.

So what can we do?

Margaret emphasized the importance of skills to help people navigate these challenges, which was the inspiration for their upcoming masterclass, called “Manage Your Inner Chaos.”

One starting point in navigating hard days is to recognize emotional triggers in relationships. How do our hosts know they are triggered?

David shared his experience of feeling judged during a recent Christian men’s group meeting, which led to a physical reaction in his gut. He knows that feeling means he’s getting triggered. David also mentioned that feeling his face and chest flush is another one. It points to feelings of shame, which he has learned to recognize and address, rather than being controlled by them. Margaret described her own physical cues when triggered, which include rubbing her face and fidgeting.

By learning to notice these triggers, we take an important step towards preventing reactive behavior in relationships.

The the two invite listeners to save their spot at their upcoming free masterclass on June 4th at 12 noon Eastern.

The one-hour session will focus on tools for managing difficult emotions and improving emotional intelligence. It will provide practical skills and introduce participants to a follow-on program about self-sabotage and relationships.

The post Ep 159: Leadership and Emotional Intelligence appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

Margaret and David discuss David’s new book, “Using Your Mind for a Healthier and Happier Life.”

David’s most recent book is a series of short essays inspired by Buddhist teachings. It blends principles of psychology, mindfulness, and leadership to provide actionable strategies that foster happiness, health, and resilience in life.

David shares the inspiration for the book, which started with sayings from the Buddha, which have been passed on by disciples and followers.

Many of the early chapters focus on the concept of non-duality, a Buddhist concept. In these essays, David writes about the spectrum between apparent opposites like love and hate.

On the topic of love, David touches on different types of love, referencing C.S. Lewis’s work.

David and Margaret discuss how love might be a bridge to today’s societal polarization. They challenge listeners: how might you use love to begin softening? Margaret and David are on opposite sides of the political spectrum — and have used their friendship and respect for each other not to shut each other down or abandon each other.

If you can’t get to a place of openness using your mind, Margaret suggests a somatic way to open your heart. David introduces curiosity as another tool to open.

David discusses his father’s influence on his writing and life philosophy.

David talks about his father’s wisdom as a voice in his head. Much about David was informed by growing up as a philosopher’s son. While his father was not particularly warm or fuzzy, David remembers his father as exuding charm and warmth, especially with students and friends.

David’s father was a Stoic, although David acknowledges that his father’s interpretation of stoicism led to withholding affection. That was both strengthening and hurtful. He reflects on how he now embraces his father’s “less is more” philosophy in his own life, living in a small space with few material possessions.

David’s newest project involves movie quotes, which reflect his father’s love for film.

David discusses the role of emotions, particularly anger, in several chapters of the book, including how they interact with personal growth and relationships.

In one of the essays, he talks about how emotions like anger should not be denied but approached with caution. Anger, David says, is an emotion served hot. It can be both useful and harmful. Anger serves an important purpose, such as establishing boundaries and motivating action against injustice. But it can be messy and imprecise.

On one hand, it’s essential to express anger and have difficult conversations to relieve built-up tension, rather than avoiding conflict.  But when expressed unskillfully, anger can also be destructive.

Grace is important in dealing with anger, both for the person expressing it and the person receiving it.

The duo announce a rebranding of their podcast to “The Leadership Spelunk.” Margaret and David are planning to strap on their headlamps and explore some of the deeper crevices of leadership. Expect more details soon.

David’s book Using Your Mind for A Healthier and Happier Life is a transformative guide revealing the profound connection between your mind and your resolve to lead a fulfilling life. Get your copy of the book on Amazon here.

The post Ep 158: Using Your Mind for a Healthier and Happier Life appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

Margaret and guest and fellow fundraising professional Jenny Mitchell address the power of choice and its impact on personal growth, leadership and decision-making.

The conversation opened with the age-old nonprofit challenge about how navigating board relationships is challenging for most nonprofit leaders. They explored how choice can help these and other relationships.

As leaders, we always have choices — often more than they initially thought. Realizing this can lead to a shift in mindset and behavior.

Margaret shared a story about a time she was stuck in a tough relationship, and her close friend reminded her she always had more choices than stay or go. The friend jokingly suggested that a poison dart to the neck is a choice — even if not a recommended one. We don’t have to use all the choices, but knowing we have them creates possibility.

Jenny recalled parenting teenagers and wanting to provide choices to her kids. She found that if she and her kids could co-create the choices, it always went better. She also found power in choosing not to do something, which is, of course, also a choice.

Jenny introduced the language of “solution strategies.” She finds that the idea of problem solving often creates only two solutions, as well as an idea that one is right and the other wrong. A Solution Strategy focus more on more flexibility and creativity in finding solutions.

They also discussed the concept of taking small steps towards improvement, rather than trying to solve everything at once. Stepping out of overwhelm can often create more choice.

And a third strategy is to discern between the Judger and the Learner. The judge is the one that shuts down an idea as too expensive or already-been-tried. The learner, on the other hand, tries to keep an open mind to possible solutions and explore each idea in the here and now.

Difficult board relationships often put things into an “us versus them” perspective.

One place both women see space for choice when working with a board is by choosing to assume positive intent until they prove otherwise.

In addition, Jenny emphasized how useful it can be to choose to slow down and seek to understand others’ perspectives, rather than jumping to conclusions. Asking for a clarification is a solid leadership choice.

Jenny also suggests “mining for mineral rights,” or looking for what might be happening below the surface. Sometimes what people are saying doesn’t communicate what they are actually concerned about.

They also touched on the importance of taking a moment to collect thoughts before responding to challenging situations. In other words, taking a deep breath is a choice too.

We can also choose to disagree and to view disagreement as a natural part of the decision-making process rather than a disaster.

Jenny and Margaret discuss the importance of making conscious choices in professional and personal life, particularly for those in the nonprofit sector. Jenny introduces the concept of “high-value tasks” and suggests breaking complex projects into manageable pieces. Margaret believes there are parallels between scarcity mindsets regarding time and money, and that there is a tendency for high achievers to adopt a martyr mentality. The “rescuer” is a common archetype in the nonprofit sector. Jenny recommends asking ourselves, “If I truly loved myself, what would I do?”

They address how we can choose to manage a situation rather than to solve it.

Jenny offers a challenge to listeners to practice switching from a judger to a learner mindset at the beginning of their next meeting or conversation. She suggests using a physical reminder or visualization technique to help make this shift.

Jenny is the Chief Visionary Officer of Chavender. She is a dynamic speaker, executive coach, host of the Underdog Leadership podcast, and fellow fundraising geek. She is an author of Embracing Ambition: Empowering Women to Step Out, Be Seen, and Lead, which unites 12 exceptional women leaders with one common goal: to share their leadership stories as a mentorship resource for the next generation of women leaders.

The post Ep 157: Choice in Personal Growth and Leadership appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

David and Margaret and their special guest, Amy Daughters, tackle the dying art of using handwritten letters to foster relationships.

Wait, like handwritten letters? With a pen?

These days, kids can’t even read cursive. They don’t know where to put stamps on an envelope.

It might be a dying art. But our hosts want our listeners to consider that maybe we shouldn’t let it die.

Amy  is a letter writer, a satirist, a keynote speaker, a sports writer, and the author of two books. She believes we can “blow the doors” off connection with handwritten letters.

Her story begins when she found an old camp friend on Facebook. They had been out of touch with for decades. She learned that her friend Dana and and her son, Parker, were going through a difficult time with cancer. After reading about their journey, Amy felt compelled to write handwritten notes of encouragement to Dana.

Amy kept writing letters for weeks. And eventually Amy’s act of kindness through handwritten letters led to a deep and meaningful connection with Dana.

This experience inspired Amy to write 580 letters to every one of her Facebook friends, leading her to write Dear Dana: That time I went crazy and wrote all 580 of my Facebook friends a handwritten letter. The book chronicles her journey and how she discovered the power of letter writing in connecting people and fostering meaningful relationships.

Ultimately, 75 percent of the letter recipients responded in some way and the experience changed Amy’s life.

Margaret shared a personal experience about handwriting and memory — and how she learned they are connected. The story involved loaning her notes to a friend in middle school. When her friend forgot to return the notes before the test, she learned that writing by hand helped her retain the information she needed. Later in life, Margaret discovered sometimes she could find new wisdom when she journaled by hand.

David was inspired to start the practice of handwritten “morning pages” by the book The Artist’s Way. He continues to find creativity and inspiration when he invites himself to sit down with an old-fashioned pen and notebook.

Our hosts discussed the significance how physical touch connects us through handwritten letters. As in, when you receive a letter, you know that the writer also held that exact piece of paper.

That helps handwritten letters feel more intimate. Additionally, they reveal the recipient’s personality from their handwriting as well as the sender’s imperfections.

David recalled finding an old box of letters in a recent move. The box held letters were from his grandfathers and were written 40 years ago. He shared what a powerful experience it was for his grandfathers to come alive again.

Margaret asked Amy to share, what changed for her after she sent those 580 handwritten letters?

Amy responded that it connected her with people on a deeper level, regardless of political differences. She believes nothing can separate us when we connect like that.

Amy believes that people may hold on to these letters more than they think.

David and Margaret discussed the importance of slowing down and taking time to write letters, emphasizing that it can strengthen relationships. One idea is a letter to express what we love about or appreciate the recipient.

And in the tradition of our podcast guests, Amy challenged the audience to write one hand-written note to a friend or family member — on a piece of paper, a card or a sticky note.

The post Ep 155: Handwritten Letters to Foster Relationships appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

In this episode, David and Margaret discussed the topic of dealing with the death of a loved one — an admittedly uncomfotable topic.

Margaret had just learned about the death of a person she cared deeply about — and was feeling the loss. Margaret shared that her friend demostrated intentionality and grace during her 18-month journey after her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

This had them exploring different ways people cope with their own mortality, which can include acceptance, kicking-and-screaming levels of resistance, or avoidance. And the way that the dying person deals with their own mentality can impact the texture of grief for survivors.

They emphasized the importance of preparing oneself for the inevitable end of life.

They notice that grief can linger if not properly addressed, meaning if we repress or avoid it. When we don’t experience our grief, we can become afraid of it. And when we are terrified of loss, it becomes very hard to fully love.

David talked about dealing with the death of a loved one, specifically the emotional impact of the suicide of David’s sister on his father.

David shared his observation that his father was devastated by the event — but never fully grieved. He would not even mention his daughter’s name. David believes his father’s unprocessed grief contributed to his father’s later systemic cancer.

And David also shared the impact of his father’s repressed grief on him as a young adult.

Not unlike his father, David developed his own coping mechanism of complete avoidance. He maintained that avoidance for 30 years, never speaking about this sad and massive life event. Finally, he opened up about his sister’s suicide during a leadership development program.

Margaret shared her father’s experience of losing a sibling to a drunk driver, which he also never brought up or talked about. She wondered if that might have contributed to his own resistance and suffering at the end of his life.

As Margaret and David try — and fail — to recall ever seeing their own fathers cry, they discussed the societal pressure to suppress emotions, particularly for men.

Margaret shared her personal experience of how much she used to hate crying in public. That changed for her after attending the Hoffman Institute process, which led her to cry frequently and openly.

David recalled his childhood experience of being shamed for crying in school, which he believed contributed to his suppressed emotions for many years. They both agreed that the societal norms around emotional expression are changing, and there is a slowly growing acceptance of emotional vulnerability.

Margaret and David discussed the importance of grieving and acknowledging loss in their lives.

Margaret shared a passage from a book, “The Smell of Rain on Dust,” by Martín Prechtel. She was gifted the book from a good friend after her father’s death. The book emphasizes the natural and necessary process of grieving.

David and Margaret encourage anyone going through a similar experience to reach out to them for support.

The post Ep 154: Dealing with the Death of a Loved One appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .

David and Margaret discussed the significance of Stephen Covey’s saying, “With people, slow is fast and fast is slow.”

Inspired by David’s slow recover from knee surgery — including his choice of entertainment during his convalescence — our hosts talk about what “slow” might mean.

David and his wife, Lillian, are watching an older TV show (David Lynch’s Twin Peaks), and it had them notice that older shows and movies often had longer camera shots and slower pacing. That cadence feels in strong contrast to the faster-paced scenes, dialogue or setting shots of more contemporary entertainment. Our hosts reminisced about how these older works of art demonstrated patience and more focus on detail. These older works moved more slowly.

It had them wondering: what might be the benefits of taking a page from the pace of entertainment from a couple decades ago — to slow down and appreciate details?

They discussed the importance of slowing down in human relationships.

Technology, they note, may have accelerated to a point where our nervous systems can’t keep up any more. They agreed that technology makes for speedier and efficient communication. But they also note these quick communications often leads to misinterpretation and misunderstandings.

David encourages leaders to think about what might be possible if they slow down in their communications. Specifically, he believes it is possible to recapture their intuition by seeking slower, more intentional communication methods. Even picking up the phone instead of shooting off a text might help avoid misreads and improve relationships.

Margaret touched on the generational aspect of this issue. They concur that some people may be more comfortable with faster communication due to their upbringing with technology.

David and Margaret look at some areas of leadership, work and relationships that might benefit from a slow down.

The topic of tricky relationships comes up regularly in executive coaching sessions. Often, the solution and repair can only be found by more intentional and slower face-to-face communication.

Another place it might be important to slow down is in our storytelling. There is a strong relationship between patient, artful storytelling and great fundraising and leadership.

Last, slowing down is essential if we want to create intimacy and trust in relationships. Only by slowing down can we lay the foundation for better understanding and connection. Taking time to understand and connect with people will always yield better relationships than rushing.

Listeners are encouraged to find and watch an older movie or TV show (from the 1940s to early 1990s), and notice the slower pacing and longer camera shots.

The post Ep 153: With People Slow is Fast and Fast is Slow appeared first on Fundraising Leadership .