Investing in leadership development helps nonprofits improve efficiency and reduce turnover.
Leadership development, as a result, allows nonprofits to achieve their missions more successfully.
Communication Is Key
Gabriel Homes recently held a staff retreat led by Donna Pearring, a leadership development consultant and founder of the DMP Group. Since Gabriel Homes staff grew in 2024, the focus was on learning about each other’s strengths and communication styles and using a communication model for clear goals and mutual understanding.
“With growing leadership teams like Gabriel Homes, organizations have broader representations of people’s strengths and preferences,” Pearring said. “Everyone brings value to the team, and our workshops celebrate their differences.”
Personalized Leadership Development
Each team member completed the Myers-Briggs assessment before meeting in person. Tests reflected how people took information and made decisions. Pearring personally outlined each staff member’s assessment and tailored the workshop around everyone’s results.
When staff met for the workshop, they learned about each other’s strengths in the workplace and how others differed from them. Knowing how their teammates worked best, the group learned how to communicate better based on each other’s preferences.
The second half of the workshop worked through handling hypothetical tension and conflicts in a constructive and respectful manner. Staff learned about a model where everyone enters with good intentions. Leaders learned to use active listening, where they summarize teammates’ comments back to them for clarity. When teams finish resolving conflicts, leaders respond with requests. In this model, everyone moves forward with how they can work best in service of their teams.
At the end of the retreat...
… staff like Kassi felt more committed to Gabriel Homes’ mission. Kassi noted she felt more confident communicating with residents as well. Whether answering concerns or asking for calls to action, staff felt empowered to apply their new communication skills everywhere.