Dave Edwards

Good Leaders Are Optimists

People feed off the attitudes of the people around them. If you want to be an effective leader, learn to be an optimist. It is good for your own health, but will also help your team have a better attitude about their work.

Step Away From That Screen

I find it funny that not that long ago we were warning our teenagers about the dangers of too much screen time. Now because we are working from home, we are the ones with the screen time problem.

Fundraising Is Not Just About Raising Money

If you lead a nonprofit organization, how well do you know your top donors? While some individuals are comfortable with writing a large check to national non-profit when people contribute to local organizations, they frequently want to know more about how their donations will be used and the people who will be spending their money. That’s why leaders must also be comfortable with their fundraising role.

Take Your Vacation Time

Because of Covid, this Independence Day holiday…and the summer…may feel different. But it is still important to unplug and take some time off.

An Executive Coach Can Be Your Guide to Greater Success

Good coaches provide advice and provide an objective analysis of problems managers face every day. As a result, you can move more deliberately and be more successful.

“The Myth of Equality”

I’m glad I found this book to help me to a greater understanding of the issues we face today.

Common Communication Problems and How To Fix Them

We all struggle with various communications issues. This book offers clear advice. I recommend it for anyone who feels that they struggle with this in their professional or personal life.

Don’t Let Fear Stop You

Sometimes I worry about making important decisions where the correct choice is unclear. I’m an over-thinker. Here’s a personal story about how fear impacted me.

Does It Matter If You Have A Messy Desk?

“Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights.”

Remotely On-boarding Your New Employee

With more and more of your team members working from home these days, you may be faced with having to welcome new employees via teleconference. Onboarding new employees who work remotely present some challenges, but it’s not impossible to get them up to speed quickly.

How Technology Can Help Complete Your Tasks

Have you ever lost your to-do list and had to spend time recreating it? Or did you lose all the scraps of paper that you’ve kept your task list? There are programs that can help you not only keep track of your lists, but help you meet deadlines.

Taking A Donor-Centric Approach To Fundraising

“Sargent researched how a non-profit can be more effective in establishing a strong relationship with donors”

What I Can Do About Racism

In difficult times like this, we need to provide leadership if we are serious about dealing with the problem of racism.

Are Your Employees Engaged or Just Going Through The Motions?

When your workers wake up in the morning and know what is expected of them and why it is important, and their efforts are appreciated, they will no longer be part of a Gallup poll statistic that said only 15% say they are fully engaged while at work.

What Task Should I Do First?

In order to decide what task to take on first, you need to have a list. Once you have a list, there are many ways in which you can prioritize your items.

Ten Tips To Help You Communicate Like A Leader

Just because you work in the communications field, doesn’t mean you are a great communicator. Here are ten tips that help leaders develop a strong communications strategy.

Taking Notes Will Make You More Productive

Taking notes became an essential part of my personal and professional life. Unless I’m writing something down, I have a difficult time remembering important developments.

Should Your Workers Stay Home Permanently?

Twitter has announced that its employees may work from home permanently. Is that something you are considering?

Increasing Your Productivity By Writing Things Down

“Every idea you have and everything you need to do should be written down.”

Keeping Millennials Happy Working For Your Organization

What percentage of your workers were born between 1980 and 1995? By 2025, Millennials will represent 75% of the working population. How are you planning to keep them engaged and with your organization? Or, are you resigned to the fact that they will move on if they can find a job that pays more thanContinue reading “Keeping Millennials Happy Working For Your Organization”

Showing Appreciation During These Difficult Times

“Gratitude can have such a powerful impact on your life because it engages your brain in a virtuous cycle.”

How To Take And Organize Your “Smart Notes”

As a “recovering” journalist I’ve always been a note taker. Prior to discovering Evernote, my notes were largely jammed into file folders that were unsearchable and largely unmanageable. In “How To Take Smart Notes”, Sonke Ahrens walks us through a comprehensive organizational system that works on paper as well as digitally.

Another Take On The Importance of Cash Flow

“If the station is facing cash flow issues, they go from appearing manageable to bad very quickly.”

Aligning Fundraising Values With Your Audience

“Aligning both the organization and the audience around the idea that journalism is essential infrastructure for democracy and that it has to be supported by the small-d democratic public that it serves makes it all feel like it’s all pulling in the same direction.”

Only The Paranoid Survive

“The more successful you are, the more people want a chunk of your business and then another chunk and then another until there is nothing left.”

Why I Don’t Like Text Messages

“I have found that texting is counterproductive to my workplace efficiency.”

Take Care of Your Best Employees Before They Leave

The best players on your team may be recruited away or seek bigger opportunities.

“OK Boomer……”

“You think its funny, but someone on the receiving end may not.”

How to Prepare Your Public Media Station to Operate Under the “New Normal”

“While you had very little time to prepare your staff for remote work, it’s important to start planning how you’ll get your station operating at a “new normal” once restrictions are lifted and people begin working from your offices, studios and newsrooms.”

How To Raise Money During The Pandemic

I’ve long argued that managers should always be building relationships with your largest donors. I would recommend that you begin calling them today.

How KPBS Is Adapting To The New Normal

“As a manager the best thing I can do is to let my staff know they’re appreciated and connected.”

Should Nonprofits Have Cash Reserves?

While some struggle with the concept of cash reserves, nonprofit leadership always appreciates forward thinking during a time of crisis.

Leading Like A Boss

“Becoming a leader takes time and practice. It takes focus. It starts with a realization of the behaviors you need to embrace.”

How One Midwest Station Is Facing the Pandemic

“On any given day, the delicacy of addressing the substitution of personnel who require self-isolation due to a variety of factors and the matter of having “next up” personnel to take their place is the largest challenge”

Don’t Let Your Cybersecurity Guard Down During Covid-19

“its a good idea to spend a little time thinking about whether your work at home strategies have unknowingly created opportunities for the bad guys who want to steal your data….or worse.”

Show Leadership Through Your Words and Actions

As a manager, you undoubtedly keep track of how your employees do their work. But don’t forget that the people who report to you are keeping an eye on you too. They are watching to see how you lead, coach, and do your job. Consider what behaviors you want to be exhibiting? Go about yourContinue reading “Show Leadership Through Your Words and Actions”

Creating A Virtual Radio Station In A Week

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been reaching out to managers of public radio stations around the country to get a sense of the challenges that they have faced because of ‘stay-at-home’ orders during the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides the staffing and technology challenges, I’m hearing that internal communication structures have needed to adjust. MikeContinue reading “Creating A Virtual Radio Station In A Week”

Managing Inputs That Distract Us

“I realized that I don’t need more inputs that provide easy access to me. That’s because easy access is also an easy distraction.”

Running Effective Online Meetings

How do you engage participants in an online meeting who are not paying attention?

“The Vision Driven Leader"

“…practical advice on how to develop a vision that will move you and your organization forward.”

How Safe Are Your Reporters?

We see reports of reporters being shouted at and attacked. Should we be thinking about the safety of our journalists? One University has embarked on a training program.

Fundraising During A Pandemic

We are going through an incredible period of disruption. But we will get through it. Yet, we will all need to adapt. We’ve started by “social distancing” and having our employees work from home. But more changes will need to be made. For example, every nonprofit and public media organization is going have to dealContinue reading “Fundraising During A Pandemic”

Tips For Managing A Staff That Works Remotely

The phenomena of remote workers are neither new or unusual. An emergency like Covid 19 is an excellent opportunity to see how it might work for your organization on a more permanent basis.

Leadership In Times Of A Pandemic

The chances are good that you and your team have developed the basic plans for how your organization moves forward should cases be diagnosed in your community or even in your workplace. Now it is time for you to show your leadership.

Too Sick To Work?

Is your organization planning for the spread of the Coronavirus? Do you have a policy or practice that states when an employee is too sick to come to work?

Successful Grant Writing With Limited Resources

The ‘golden years’ of public media stations quickly grabbing six-figure grants from government and community foundations may be over, but there is still money available to support public media organizations. The problem is that few stations have a staff person focused on researching and writing grants. Plus, all grants should support specific projects. It doesn’tContinue reading “Successful Grant Writing With Limited Resources”