Angie McLeod

Planning. It’s one of those things that is really easy to ignore—to shuffle to the side of our desks where it gets dusty. There is no doubt that finding time to sit down and do planning – especially if it involves your team, board, and stakeholders (and it should) – is almost impossible. After all there is so much day-to-day stuff to do that is urgent and important. And yet, planning is essential. It needs to be prioritized. And reviewing the plan is essential too. Dust sh

I am often hired to help non-profits compile strategic plans. I love this work. I love the energy that flows from the idea generation, the synergy that evolves as the team puts its mind together to shape their future, and the conversations that arise as a result of the planning process. This is where I find my HAPPY place. It feeds my passion for co-creation, conversations, and community. A solid strategic plan, when actively followed and consistently assessed to recogniz

It’s worth it to make connections and ask for help. Often, when I help organizations with strategic planning, they want to get input from those who they serve (their stakeholders). They want to know what their stakeholders and community members want/need to ensure they offer responsive programs and services. Too often though, they haven’t invested time and energy in building these relationships prior to the process; and are disappointed when the invitation is sent and only a

If you find yourself burnt out at the end of the day, you’re not alone! Almost a quarter of Canadians report high levels of stress on a regular basis.[1] Females generally report higher levels of stress, and those aged 20 to 54 report the highest levels. Sound familiar? The first week in May is Mental Health Week.[2] To honour this important event, we’ve decide to compile a list of ways we can help deal with a very common mental health issue: stress. A little bit of stress is

I found some statistics online about the success rate of goal setting and accountability systems from the Association of Training and Development (now the Association for Talent Development). These statistics struck a chord within me in relation to the accountability work I do with others. “The probability of completing a goal if: You have an idea or a goal: 10% You consciously decide you will do it: 25% You decide when you will do it: 40% You plan how you will do it: 50% Yo

Ongoing mastermind groups are an investment in business growth. However, many entrepreneurs hesitate to make this investment. Why? Some think of the process as something that they can do on their own with a friend or two. As someone who is part of, and who facilitates, ongoing mastermind groups, I can assure you that a mastermind is so much more than a simple conversation or an accountability group—although those are parts of it. Here are 6 surprising outcomes from being invo

Systems. BOOORING. They aren’t my thing! However, not having systems in place leads to CHAOS. Simple, easy to implement systems can help you get the job done while maximizing time and energy consumption; always important in business. As a planner, backing up my plans with systems ensures that the time spent planning is maximized. A good system streamlines the process and makes it simple, and easy to use; important considerations for busy people. Consider your business. Wher

I’d started this blog post with the intent of finding 5 podcasts that I could recommend to you. What I determined after listening to a wide variety of different hosts, conversations, and topics, was that choosing my top 5 podcasts – while it might help you get to know me and my preferences – wasn’t going to be of great value to you as it’s all so personal. And on top of that, there are tons of great articles already available online that showcase great podcasts. Why create

It’s July now. That means – at least for me – it is time to look at my annual strategic plan and assess how far I have moved forward, what has actually been achieved, and what obstacles have gotten in my way. It is time to re-align my plan with my goals for the year. And that is exactly what I have been doing for the past four weeks. As you may already know I work with a theme for any given year. That theme defines my core goals and guides the work that I do. In 2016, HI

An Intention Poster: a colourful representation of what you are going to achieve I am always looking for simple tools and techniques that will help me manage my business more effectively and efficiently. After all there are only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. And there is always SO MUCH to do. We’ve all learned about prioritization, to-do lists, goal setting, and action planning … and my reality is that I use all of these systems to outline what I need to get done.

My father who grew up listening to my ongoing chatter, is absolutely floored that I've found a way to make my living by hosting and facilitating conversations! He comes from a blue collar world where the results of the work he does are very tangible: there is a hole for a house foundation where there was previously simply a grass field (BTW - he's a retired self-employed excavator operator). The work that I do hosting conversation is exactly the opposite, there are no tangibl

I recently had the opportunity to co-facilitate a planning discussion for the local BABES in Business - Maple Ridge Chapter with Vicki McLeod of VickiMcLeod.com and Mainstreet Communications. (And no, the two McLeod's are not related! We just happen to both marry into the McLeod clan!) It was a hoot! Vicki and I were excited to host the Practical Magic: Dreaming up Purpose and Priorities conversation for the local BABES in Business Maple Ridge Chapter. Our goal to help th

Some of you may have heard of the Urgent and Important Matrix. It is a common tool to help you identify your priorities and figure out what you should either let go of, delegate, or simply drop. I’ve used the matrix myself to manage my workload and find it to be a very valuable tool when it comes to helping me clear my plate and focus my attention on the work that needs to be done NOW. Basically you write down your to-do list and start to slot things into the appropriate qu