Today, Maine’s nonprofits are trying to ride out a “perfect storm” of challenges arising from the pandemic and its associated economic effects, including uncertain funding, increased demand for services, and inability to interact with clients in traditional ways. Constricted budgets have sent some struggling agencies searching for allies with the resources required to support their…
Under the best circumstances, it can be lonely at the top, and current circumstances are far from optimal! Like you, Starboard’s executive coaches have never weathered a pandemic, but their depth of experience in change and crisis management can help you make the difficult decisions required in this unprecedented time. As a true thought partner…
Effective teamwork matters more now than ever as the pandemic has forced physical separation and upended business as usual. Working remotely and in times of crisis requires a high level of communication, alignment, and trust—making now the ideal time to prioritize team-building. As an Authorized Partner of the Everything DiSC® and Five Behaviors® systems, Starboard…
“A goal without a plan is just a wish,” wrote Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and to paraphrase many a successful leader, wishing is not a strategy. The essential elements of strategic planning are the same as they were pre-pandemic. To guide your work, you need clarity around mission, vision, goals and objectives. But the world has…
Several factors, including the growing number of nonprofit leadership transitions and increasing competition for limited financial resources, have led to increased interest in the use of executive leadership coaching as a professional development strategy. Executives interviewed for the 2011 “Daring to Lead” report assessed coaching as one of the most effective and underutilized professional development…
Today our most valuable commodity is our time. If you are lucky enough to get people in the same room together, don’t waste their time with reports and updates that could easily be shared in writing before or after the meeting. Instead, focus this valuable face-to-face time on items that can really benefit from discussion…
The Governance Affinity Group of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management recently published a report based on its survey of 635 nonprofit board chairs from across the country. As one of the few studies done specifically with board chairs, it sought to answer two research questions: “How do individuals prepare for their role as chair of…
Many employers, particularly in the nonprofit community, now talk a good game regarding their commitment to diversity. They have policies in place prohibiting discrimination and enthusiastically acknowledge the virtue and utility of a diverse workforce. It’s been ten years since University of Michigan Professor Scott E. Page published mathematical modeling and case studies showing how…
Throughout my career I have remained unyielding in my support for term limits on nonprofit boards. With that said, I appreciate why instituting them (or even discussing them) is so hard to do. The prospect of losing one or two of your very best board members and launching a recruitment process to replace them can…
With a population nearly 95 percent white, Maine ranks last in the nation for racial and ethnic diversity, so perhaps it’s no wonder that many nonprofit leaders regard diversifying their boards as the impossible dream. But is it? Maine’s non-white population rose 37 percent between 2000 and 2010, and recent immigration trends suggest the next…
From the start the training is geared toward the individual as well as the specific company while maintaining a broader overview of the topics. Mary was a great presenter, an excellent listener, and overall made this an enjoyable experience unlike the typical training programs.
Starboard’s team took the time to get to understand our project and the motivations behind it, offering honest feedback and clear steps we could take to bolster our future campaign.
Starboard Leadership played a key role in Maine Discovery Museum’s most recent strategic plan. Thanks to Starboard, MDM’s Executive Team and Board of Directors were able to craft a solid, inspirational, and meaningful plan – one that has been our guidepost since completion.
The training provided by Mary Budd of Starboard Leadership not only met our expectations but exceeded them. Our mission with this training was to provide our leadership staff (both new leaders and experienced leaders) with a tool to help them with building strong teams, encourage employee engagement on their individual teams and facilitate talent development.
We’re always pushing to take our organization to the next level, and Starboard has helped us reach new heights in our leadership and management, employee engagement, and talent management. My experience has been that Starboard works hard to add value in every way possible. As a result, I always hear positive feedback from employees following Starboard’s engagements with us.
Scott helped me see through the fog to focus on the most pressing issues creating tension, challenges and structuring the organization for success in a new environment. My regular connections with Scott kept me on track, focusing on moving the needle on the items that required my attention.
Scott’s style is direct, empathetic, and thought-provoking. He has provided critical knowledge, experience, and connections that have allowed us to build a stronger Board and take advantage of opportunities. Coach, cheerleader, and catalyst are three words I would use to describe his work with our organization.
The interviews that Starboard conducted with our partners and key funders proved to be an invaluable part of our strategic planning process, as was their expertise in helping to shape a plan that guides our work every day.
We hired Starboard to lead us through our first ever, professionally led strategic planning process. We were at an important juncture in our growth and direction and had to make some really big decisions. We definitely hired the right firm to guide and support us! The Starboard team were great facilitators, professional, yet at the same time, down-to-earth. We couldn’t have hired a better firm to work with us. The results have been fantastic!
Mary Budd was EXCELLENT in helping us find the right ED for Ketcha Outdoors…She was firm where needed with our large committee, but she listened very well and “got” what our organization was all about. She’s personable, smart and a true professional in this space.
We had a great experience with Starboard Leadership Consulting. Mary Budd provided deft guidance with just the right combination of structure and flexibility to support our strategic planning process. The framing questions she brought to the process resulted in rich and robust conversations. Our Board was fully engaged and appreciated the straightforward, streamlined process that resulted in a clear and focused strategic framework for our work in the next five years.
Connect with us for a complimentary consultation, where we’ll explore your unique needs and outline a path to success tailored just for you.
