People with goals are 10 times more likely to succeed. That’s the kind of momentum I want as I head into 2025.
I've worked with others to set goals for years. I've coached people through career transitions. And I've led project teams with a specific goal in mind so I know how important a goal can be.
In this episode, I’m bringing you some recommendations for setting better goals so you can gain that momentum as you set out to achieve the things you want in 2025.

▶️ Setting Values-Based Goals for 2025

▶️ Key Points:
00:58 The impact of setting goals
02:17 What to do before you start setting goals
08:25 How to set your goals for 2025

Resources from this episode:
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Heather
Linkedin: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

The number one priority for HR leaders in 2025 is leader and manager development and yet, only 36% of organizations with leadership development programs think they work. Organizations are spending money and prioritizing leadership development but they aren't seeing the results.
So what’s missing?
New manager expert, Eric Girard is joining me on this episode to share two essential skills your people managers need, but probably don’t have.

▶️ Two Skills Your People Managers Need But Probably Don't Have with Eric Girard

▶️ Key Points:
04:27 Eric’s journey to new manager development
07:48 The challenge new managers face
10:37 Leading with empathy
13:16 How to invest in your people managers
15:25 If you can only develop two skills, focus on these
17:37 The value of coaching

Resources from this episode:
Lead Like a Pro: The Essential Guide for New Managers by Eric Girard
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Eric
LinkedIn: Eric Girard
Website: girardtrainingsolutions.com
Podcast: Management Development Unlocked

Connect with Heather
LinkedIn: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Stories help us learn and engage us on an emotional level. But one of the more challenging parts of using stories is finding the right visuals to go with them. That’s where AI comes in.
I personally have not used AI to create visual stories, that’s why I invited Dr. Nicholas Leonard to be my guest. Nicholas’s passion is at the intersection of AI and learning and on this episode, he’s sharing how to use AI to create persuasive, visual stories in our training.

▶️ Using AI to Create Persuasive, Visual Stories for Your Training with Nicholas Leonard

▶️ Key Points:
03:05 Nicholas’s career journey - combining art, education, technology, and corporate learning
08:09 How visual stories support learning
11:15 Using AI to find the right visuals for your training
15:59 Four steps to create training visuals with AI
24:53 Considerations before using AI to create visuals

Resources from this episode:
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Nicholas
LinkedIn: Nicholas Leonard
Website: leonardlxd.com

Connect with Heather
LinkedIn: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Peer learning is a great technique to use in your training programs because it encourages active participation and networking, ensures diverse perspectives are shared and considered, encourages social and collaborative skills, and so much more.
That’s why on this episode, I’m sharing five ways you can incorporate peer learning into your nonprofit's learning strategy.

▶️ 5 Ways to Incorporate Peer Learning into Your Nonprofit's Learning Strategy

▶️ Key Points:
00:58 Should you add peer learning to your training programs?
03:01 The benefits of peer learning
04:16 Five ways you can incorporate peer learning into your nonprofit's learning strategy

Resources from this episode:
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Heather
Linkedin: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Providing off-the-shelf courses is a common approach to training and development. But one of the limitations is the lack of context which is often needed to make the training relevant and meaningful.
When I heard about Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston and how they were combining off-the-shelf courses with more contextualized learning, I knew I wanted to bring this case study to you.
Is it possible to combine off-the-shelf learning with tailored content? That’s what we’re exploring in this episode with Alberto Garcia, a rising L&D professional.

▶️ Developing Your People Managers with Off-the-Shelf Courses + Customized Conversations. An Inside Look at One Nonprofit's Approach with Alberto Garcia

▶️ Key Points:
02:59 Alberto’s career - from teaching high school history to human resource development
05:39 Learning and Development at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston
08:39 Developing people managers with off-the-shelf training
10:29 Identifying the needs of your people managers
15:22 Tailoring off-the-shelf training to your people managers

Resources from this episode:
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Alberto
LinkedIn: Alberto Garcia
Website: imgh.org

Connect with Heather
Linkedin: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Working with subject matter experts can be a great experience, but it can also be challenging. They don't always understand Learning and Development, they may have competing priorities that take them away from your project, and sometimes they think that they don't really need you.
That’s why, in this episode, I’m sharing how you can turn your subject matter expert into your biggest asset.  

▶️ Turn Your Subject Matter Expert into Your Biggest Asset with This Approach

▶️ Key Points:
00:58 The challenges of working with a subject matter expert in L&D
02:36 Navigating relationships with subject matter experts
03:42 3 Ways to make working with your subject matter experts a success

Resources from this episode:
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Heather
Linkedin: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Is training a change project? My vote is almost always YES. Training is often either being used to drive a change or it's being offered as the result of a change.

Why does that matter?  

70% of organizational changes fail and L&D has a role to play in this. That’s why in this episode I’m exploring how we, as L&D, can use change management principles to improve the chances of success in training and organizational change.

▶️ How to Use Change Management Principles to Improve Training Project Success 

▶️ Key Points:
00:58 Training as a change project
02:52 Change management principles
03:58 Translating change management principles to L&D

Resources from this episode:
Take a look at my past episodes on individual and organizational change:

• Episode 104: You Need Social Influence to Achieve Behavior Change. Here's How to Create It. 
• Episode 84: Why Change Initiatives Fail? Should L&D Be Involved in Change Management?
• Episode 31: Staff Not Ready to Change? This One Practice Creates Buy-In for Staff Development

Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Heather
Linkedin: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

Most people form a first impression in just a tenth of a second, and there’s no second chances. So, what is your nonprofit's first impression? When you hire a new staff person, what do they think or feel? It's worth asking the question, and it's worth investing in making that first impression a good one. 

That’s why, on today’s episode, I‘m sharing three practical ways you can improve your nonprofit's onboarding process and create a great first impression.

▶️ Three Practical Tips to Improve Your Nonprofit's Onboarding Process  

▶️ Key Points:
00:58 Creating a great first impression with your onboarding process
02:20 Why a good onboarding process is so important
02:58 Three tips to improve your nonprofit’s onboarding process

Resources from this episode:
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Heather
Linkedin: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

50% of leaders will fail. Even those who were once successful often eventually fail. Leadership failure comes with significant cost. You have to recruit, hire, and onboard a new leader and employees may have left or stopped performing under the old leader. 

So why do leaders fail? And how can we in L&D support them so they don't? That’s what we’re exploring in this episode.

▶️ Want Better Leaders? Five Ways to Get Them.

▶️ Key Points:
00:58 Leadership failure
02:10 Why leaders fail
02:30 5 Things nonprofits can do to support their leaders’ success

Resources from this episode:
Well-being Episodes:
▶️ Episode 80: How to Add Well-Being to Your People Strategy
▶️ Episode 67: A Well-Being Approach to Leadership Development
▶️ Episode 38: Dealing with Corporate Burnout? One Easy Way to Manage Stress as a Nonprofit Leader with Jessie Pagliari
▶️ Episode 30: Why Well-Being Is The Secret Sauce to Change Management with Mandy Sharp Eizinger
Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective
Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇
Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Heather
Linkedin: Heather Burright
Website: skillmastersmarket.com
Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms

70% of organizational changes fail. I feel strongly that almost every training project is a change project. So, how do we successfully facilitate change?  

One essential element is social influence. 

We have to create the environment and the relationships to help our audience create and sustain the change. But how do we do that? I'm sharing five ways to use social influence to facilitate behavior change in this episode.

▶️ You Need Social Influence to Achieve Behavior Change. Here's How to Create It. 

▶️ Key Points:
00:58 Why most changes fail
03:00 Getting clear on the change you are trying to make
04:09 5 Ways to use social influence to facilitate behavior change

Resources from this episode:

Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

Was this episode helpful? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, follow and leave a review! 👇👇👇

Know anyone who would benefit from this episode? SHARE this with your friends. 🔗

Connect with Heather

Linkedin: Heather Burright

Website: skillmastersmarket.com

Book an interest call with Heather here.

--

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.

Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.

Let’s create lasting impact through innovative L&D solutions!

Produced by Ideablossoms