Almavina Insights

Lack of Transparency: Looking behind the curtain

I recall a time during my nonprofit leadership experience during which I was wildly irritated every time someone complained about “lack of transparency.” Defensiveness would kick in and I’d immediately have thoughts along these lines: Now, all of these things might be true, AND… I have an evolving hypothesis. I think it’s possible that naming “lack of transparency” is a symptom of something else related to overall poor organizational culture, and not an actual lack Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

Toxic Workplace? What to do when quitting isn’t an option

Let’s talk about toxic workplaces in the nonprofit sector. So many people I talk to have either experienced a toxic workplace, are experiencing one currently, or know someone who is. I know many people (myself included) who have left toxic jobs. And it is hard. People in these roles often care about the mission, they see how the organizations they work in are poised to do good work. Some endure negativity and judgment or feelings Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

“This book could have been a tweet.”

This week I read the funniest book review I have ever read. Yes, it was on Goodreads, and we’ve already established that I don’t really love the reviews on Goodreads. I am usually annoyed by them and always take them with a grain of salt. Here’s what happened. I was listening to a motivational talk from a social media marketing expert (I know, sounds riveting, lol). She mentioned the book ​The Gap and the Gain​ Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

What do you value?

Healthy organizations will spend time developing a core set of values that drive the way they work as an organization. It is important to have clarity on values because it provides an anchor for providing feedback when someone has fallen short of the agreed upon expectations. But are work values something that individuals can develop as well? I say yes! You might not think of them as something that you’d put pen to paper, design Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

How often do you “zoom out”?

When I work with clients on goal setting, we talk about two different types of professional goals. A lot of organizations now have fairly robust and supportive annual goal setting processes. Each year, managers work with employees to set individual goals aligned with organizational goals, and check in with them on a regular basis to ensure progress toward these goals. These goals are good for the company, and, if done well, they can also be Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

Does women’s pain matter?

I am returning from my Labor Day hiatus with a topic that is a little different this week: the dismissal of women’s pain in healthcare. This weekend I listened to a podcast series called “The Retrievals” that was published in the summer of 2023. Below is a link to the 3-minute trailer. In short, it’s the story of a group of women who went through IVF at the fertility clinic at Yale in 2020 (and Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

The value of reading (beyond HS English class!)

It’s been a while since I’ve written about what I’m reading. As the summer draws to a close, it seems like a good time to check in on that. Before we get there, however, let’s talk a little bit about the value of reading. I see a lot of posts on LinkedIn: “best business books” and “10 books that are the equivalent to an MBA.” And yes, there is a huge (and obvious) value to Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

The Return of the Abusive Boss

Earlier this year, I wrote something for the blog that struck a nerve with lots of people. What was the post? ​Five Signs Your Boss Might be Making You Sick.​ Turns out there are a lot of toxic bosses out there. I didn’t get a lot of public engagement with the post, but I did get a LOT of private messages, all some variation of: “That really hit home. I didn’t comment or “like” because Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

Popcorn Brain

The other day I described my brain as an air popper without the lid on. Or at least with the bowl in the wrong position. (If you haven’t ever had an air popper, ​watch this,​ imagine leaving the top of the chute off, and you’ll get a picture of how I was feeling.) My mind was racing, mostly with ideas for work. A new workshop series. Content for the professional learning cohort. A list of Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago

Be kind to yourself

My book coach says there’s no such thing as writer’s block. There are things that get in your way, there are barriers, for sure. But something about the term “writer’s block” doesn’t work for her. Maybe it’s that it feels unfixable as opposed to digging into WHY you’ve hit a block and removing that barrier to free your words. Regardless of what you call it – I hit a wall a few weeks ago. During Read more…

By Beth Cocuzza, ago