Learning Success
March Is the Most Important Month for Next Year’s Success
For school leaders, March may be one of the most important months of the school year.
Content
Insights for leaders driving change
Lessons from our work with employers, schools, nonprofits and communities: what we're seeing, what's working, and practical steps you can take.
108 posts
-
Workforce Success
Normalizing Pressure and Building the Capacity to Overcome Work Stress
Work stress will happen. It is inevitable.
Workforce Success
All Feedback Is Valuable Feedback
Employee feedback reveals how people truly experience an organization. Learn how leaders can collect, interpret, and act on feedback to strengthen trust, communication, and workplace culture.
Learning Success
Increasing Retention: Helping Newer Teachers Find Purpose and Stay in the Profession
Newer teachers are leaving the profession within just a few years. Learn what educators are saying about purpose, autonomy, and leadership—and how schools can respond to improve retention and culture.
Community Transformation
Leading Through Tension: Mission-Driven Leadership in a Shifting Landscape
How organizations can stay true to their mission, support marginalized communities, and navigate sustainability challenges in an increasingly polarized social and political climate.
Learning Success
Reflection: An Investment in Success
Pausing before the break is not simply a moment of quiet. It is an investment in the success of the months ahead and a reminder that thoughtful reflection leads to greater engagement, deeper learning, and stronger school communities.
Workforce Success
The Obvious Thing Managers Often Overlook—And How It Hurts Workforce Transparency
One of the most common dynamics we see in organizations is this: the obvious thing that should happen between managers and employees—consistent, honest, two-way communication—often doesn’t happen. And when it doesn’t, employees become hesitant to be forthcoming about how things are truly going for them and their teams.
Community Transformation
When Challenges Knock, Mission Answers: Building Community Resilience
Community resiliency in the face of challenges begins with a strong alignment between an organization’s mission and its daily work. When teams are grounded in why they exist, they are more capable of weathering uncertainty, adapting to change, and staying focused on the people they serve.
3 Ways to Maximize Student Success in Your School District
Across the country, school districts are navigating all sorts of challenges including changing student needs, rapid advances in AI, staffing shortages, rising disengagement, and community pressures to name a few.
Workforce Success
It Starts With Saying “Thank You!”
Gratitude in the workplace starts with simple, genuine gestures. Pause to say thank you, name the action, and understand what matters to each person. Small, meaningful acknowledgments—aligned with individual preferences—strengthen connections, foster engagement, and make appreciation truly resonate.
Community Transformation
The Hidden Risk in Grantmaking: When Long-Time Partners Stop Delivering Results
Grantmakers often extend deep trust to long-time partners, but legacy relationships can mask declining impact. Funders must evaluate results honestly, communicate transparently, and engage directly with communities to ensure resources align with real needs and deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes
Community Transformation
DMC’s Creative Contribution to RefugePoint’s 20th Anniversary Gala Celebration
Deo Mwano Consultancy partnered with RefugePoint to create “We Deserve to Live Too,” a moving performance illuminating the global refugee experience.
Learning Success
From Aspiration to Action: How to Transform Your School Culture and Climate
Discover practical ways to strengthen your school’s culture and climate through daily practices that build trust, belonging, and lasting impact.
Workforce Success
Make Time for the Vulnerable Conversation
Avoiding tough conversations weakens trust and alignment. Learn how leaders can build stronger, more connected teams through intentional vulnerability.
Workforce Success
AI Familiarity and Creative Problem-Solving: Standing Out in a Changing Workforce
AI is reshaping jobs fast. Learn how to use AI as a partner, boost efficiency, and position yourself as an invaluable asset in today’s evolving workplace.
Community Transformation
Conflicting Priorities: Can Nonprofits Truly Solve Community Problems?
Too many nonprofits prioritize survival over impact. Learn why shifting resources to frontline solutions can drive real, systemic change in communities.
Learning Success
Side by Side: Supporting and Motivating Teachers Throughout the Year
Discover practical ways administrators can build relationships, stay visible, and provide meaningful support to keep teachers motivated all year long.
Community Transformation
100K, One Community, One Bold Experiment: What We Learned
Grantmaking is evolving as funders share decision-making power with communities. Learn how community-led grantmaking builds trust, addresses local needs, and creates more impactful outcomes—plus a real case study from DMC’s work with funders and advisory groups.
Learning Success
Are Test Scores Defining Success in Your School, or Are You?
Grades and test scores only tell part of the story. Discover four research-backed ways school leaders can measure student success more fully—through relationships, engagement, growth, and social-emotional skills.
Workforce Success
Beyond the Buzzwords: Making Mission Real for the People Who Power It
When employees lose sight of how their work connects to mission, organizations risk disconnection and disengagement. Learn 7 practical leadership strategies—from purpose-driven 1:1s to transparent goal-setting—that help teams align motivation with performance and build resilient workplace culture.
Workforce Success
Performance Improvement Plans That Actually Improve Performance
Many Performance Improvement Plans fail because they’re vague and procedural. Discover how to create PIPs that provide clarity, use practical language, and pair expectations with support—transforming them into tools for employee growth and stronger workplace culture.
Community Transformation
Breaking Down Barriers: How Non-Profit Executives Can Lead Stronger Collaborations for Greater Community Impact
Amid rising challenges and shrinking resources, nonprofit executives must shift from competition to collaboration. Discover how shared purpose, transparency, and strategic partnerships can drive deeper, lasting change in your community.
Learning Success
Starting with Intention: 3 Proven Ways School Leaders Can Boost Student Success From Day One
Discover three research-backed strategies school administrators can use to build trust, foster belonging, and increase student achievement in the first weeks of school. Learn how relationships, positivity, and recognition drive long-term success.
Workforce Success
The Real Summer Productivity Problem Isn’t Laziness—It’s Blurred Boundaries
Worried about "quiet vacationing" this summer? The real issue isn't slacking—it's a culture that punishes rest. Learn how leaders can support PTO, reduce burnout, and boost performance by setting clear boundaries and modeling healthy time off.
Community Transformation
Not Your Average Retreat: Inside Our Dynamic Approach to Planning, Engagement, and Impact
Not Your Average Retreat: Inside Our Dynamic Approach to Planning, Engagement, and Impact
Workforce Success
Succession Planning and Professional Development: A Strategic Imperative for All Organizations
Discover why succession planning and employee development are essential for retention and performance. Learn how strategic upskilling and leadership alignment can prepare your workforce for long-term success.
Learning Success
Teachers Say They’re Satisfied… So Why Are So Many Thinking About Leaving?
A 2024 Gallup-Walton study shows 68% of teachers are satisfied with their jobs—yet over 90% feel burned out. Learn why satisfaction doesn’t guarantee retention and what school leaders must do now to support and retain educators.
Learning Success
From Surviving to Succeeding: Helping Students End the Year with Purpose and Reflection
Discover how school leaders can help students finish the year with purpose, celebrate growth, support teachers, and strengthen relationships—setting the stage for a stronger start next fall.
Workforce Success
The Real Summer Productivity Problem Isn’t Laziness—It’s Blurred Boundaries
Summer slumps aren’t caused by lazy employees—they’re the result of blurred boundaries and broken PTO culture. Learn how leaders can support rest, set clear expectations, and boost performance by encouraging true time off.
Community Transformation
What Makes Cross-Sector Initiatives Succeed (or Fail): A Guide for Leaders Driving Social Impact
By Deo Mwano Consultancy Over the years, DMC has been deeply involved in numerous initiatives that bring together multiple stakeholders.
Workforce Success
Adaptive Leadership: Moving Beyond Preference to Impact
Discover what adaptive leadership truly means—and why it's more than just pleasing others. Learn how self-awareness, communication, and situational insight drive team performance, engagement, and accountability.
DMC School Culture and Climate Programming
Click here to contact us for more info! Click on the picture below to watch Deo in action!
Community Transformation
ARMI Manchester Millyard Transportation Study
DMC’s 2024 transportation study uncovers commuting barriers in Manchester’s Millyard, from bus reliability to pedestrian access—part of ARMI’s Build Back Better workforce initiative.
Workforce Success
Does What You Wear at Work Still Matter in Today’s Remote and Hybrid Work Environment
#WorkplaceCulture #ProfessionalDevelopment #RemoteWorkTips #HybridWorkplace #EmployeeWellbeing #WorkplacePresentation #LeadershipTips #PeopleManagement #WorkFromHomeStyle #EmployeeEngagement #AppearanceMatters #VirtualWorkplace #WorkplaceEtiquette #TeamSuccess #ManagerTips #WorkplaceProductivity #WorkplaceExpectations #DressForSuccess #RemoteLeadership #WorkplaceSupport
Community Transformation
NHCDFA, Granite United Way, DMC Center City Initiative
Discover how NHCDFA, Granite United Way, and DMC are partnering to support youth in Manchester’s Beech Street neighborhood through a community-led grant program launching in May. Up to $10K in funding for local nonprofits.
Workforce Success
170 Million AI-influenced New Jobs by 2030—Is Your Workforce Ready?
AI is reshaping work—and skills. Discover 4 practical strategies to empower employees through continuous, role-based, and just-in-time learning. Build a workforce ready for transformation.
Learning Success
When Teachers Burn Out, Students Pay the Price: Keeping Teachers Motivated and Students Engaged
44% of teachers report burnout—and it’s impacting students. Learn 4 practical strategies school leaders can use to build trust, boost morale, and create thriving learning environments for both staff and students.
Workforce Success
$98 Billion Spent, But to What End? How Executives Can Close the Skills Gap and Maximize ROI in 2025
Companies spend billions on training, yet many struggle to see real impact. Learn how to implement accountability measures that turn training into lasting workplace change. Discover strategies for goal-setting, ownership, milestone tracking, and continuous evaluation to boost training effectiveness and ROI.
Data-Driven or Data-Drowning? How Smart Leaders Turn Numbers into Real Organizational Change
Broad Appeal: SEO #DataDriven #LeadershipInsights #OrganizationalGrowth #DecisionMaking #ExecutiveLeadership Focused on Data & Analytics: #DataAnalytics #DataStrategy #PeopleAnalytics #DataLeadership #DataForChange Focused on Organizational Development: #OrgDevelopment #WorkforceStrategy #EmployeeEngagement #BusinessTransformation #ChangeManagement
Learning Success
The Silent Dropout: How Spring Disengagement is Costing Schools More Than Grades
Student disengagement spikes in the spring, but strong teacher-student relationships can make all the difference. Discover proven strategies for educators and administrators to boost student motivation, foster connections, and prevent dropout rates. Learn how tools like MirrorIM can help track engagement and improve outcomes.
Community Transformation
The Future is Watching: Why Investing in our Youth is a Collective Responsibility
What happens when young people are told, "You can’t," versus when they hear, "You can, and we will support you"?
Workforce Success
Is Meritocracy Better Than DEI?
Explore the debate between meritocracy and DEI in hiring. Discover how transparent merit-based processes can promote equity without compromising on skills or experience.
Learning Success
The Importance of Relationships in Education
When I first began my teaching career, a mentor shared a piece of advice his own mentor had passed down to him.
Workforce Success
Understanding What Drives Success and Productivity for Your Team
Being Productive in Addressing Negative Behaviors That Impact Workforce Productivity and Efficiency Recently, an audio recording was leaked from Jamie Dimon’s(CEO of JP Morgan) town…
Community Transformation
From Vision to Action: How Grantmakers Can Bridge the Gaps in Times of Change
As political and economic landscapes shift in 2025, grantmakers must adapt to funding challenges, strengthen partnerships, and drive systemic change. Learn key strategies to ensure lasting impact in uncertain times.
Workforce Success
Building Strong Human Connections in the Workplace: Why It Matters and How to Foster It
Discover how prioritizing human connection in the workplace transforms team dynamics, reduces tensions, and fosters collaboration. Learn actionable strategies to build a more inclusive, productive, and engaged workforce.
Learning Success
Building Trust: The Foundation for Student Success
Discover why trust is the foundation of student success. Learn research-backed strategies to build strong student-teacher relationships that boost engagement, resilience, and academic achievement.
Workforce Success
Establishing the Need for Change: Bridging the Gap From Training Room to Workplace
Training is only effective if it leads to real change. Discover why teams struggle to apply new skills and how fostering an internalized need for change can drive lasting success in the workplace.
DMC Partners: Reflecting on 2024 and Looking Ahead
Discover how Deo Mwano Consultancy drove meaningful change in 2024 through innovative partnerships with organizations like the City of Manchester, Dartmouth College, and Granite United Way. Learn about our mission to create sustainable solutions and foster equity, inclusion, and growth in the communities we serve.
Community Transformation
How Can We Truly Support Small Businesses?
Discover how tailored support and inclusive programs like Manchester's 360 Business Success Program help small businesses, especially minority-owned, overcome challenges, access resources, and build lasting success.
Learning Success
Nurturing Student Growth and Potential: Moving Beyond Ability Labels in Education
Discover how to create equitable, learner-centered classrooms by moving beyond ability labels like "gifted" or "remedial." Learn actionable strategies from Deo Mwano Consultancy to celebrate student potential, promote equity, and build inclusive learning environments where every student thrives.
Workforce Success
The Leadership Edge: Identifying and Promoting Emotional Intelligence in Emerging Leaders
Discover why emotional intelligence is essential for effective leadership. Learn how to identify, hire, and develop emotionally intelligent leaders who excel in communication, collaboration, and adaptability, driving success in today’s dynamic workplace.
Community Transformation
Deepening Community Impact Through Humility and Creativity: Insights from Non-Profit Visionaries
How non-profits deepen relationships with communities Strategies for fostering inclusivity in non-profits Redefining non-profit roles for community impact Creative approaches for addressing community barriers Building trust with underserved communities Simplifying grant processes for better access
Learning Success
Ending the Semester Strong: Strategies for Administrators and Teachers
With just one month remaining in the fall semester, educators and students alike are eagerly looking forward to the year-end break.
Internalizing and Externalizing Gratitude: A Thanksgiving Reflection
Thank You, Thank You! Thanksgiving is a time when we find ourselves both giving and receiving gratitude.
Workforce Success
Leadership Presence and Prioritizing People: Lessons from our Cultural Transformation Panel
The Maximize Positive Impact Conference brought together a diverse group of small business owners, cultural change leaders, and non-profit visionaries to share their stories.
Workforce Success
The Power of Purpose and Community: Lessons in Perseverance from Small Business Owners
The Maximize Positive Impact Conference brought together a diverse group of small business owners, cultural change leaders, and non-profit visionaries to share their stories.
Intentional Practice Anchored in Purpose: Unpacking Perseverance with Remi Adeleke
The Maximize Positive Impact Conference brought together an extraordinary group of small business owners, cultural change leaders, and nonprofit visionaries.
Workforce Success
Boosting Self-Awareness: Practical Steps for Leaders
Self-awareness is at the core of effective leadership.
Community Transformation
Can We Advocate for Our Interests While Respecting Others with Competing Views?
It’s not easy to navigate work or community gatherings when the people around us hold opposing social and political views—and are vocal about them.
Learning Success
The Power of Language: Transforming Schools and Classrooms Through Effective Communication
As educators and school administrators, our primary focus is often ensuring that students receive the necessary content to successfully complete their courses or pass exams.
Workforce Success
Unlocking Potential: Rethinking Core Leadership Skills in the Workplace
In today’s fast-paced work environment, learning and development efforts are often focused on technical skills and immediate job functions, leaving basic leadership skills largely overlooked.
Learning Success
Promoting Perseverance: Starting the School Year Strong
As we all know, the school year is more of a marathon than a sprint, so setting the pace early is essential for achieving success.
Workforce Success
Unpacking Founder Mode: Motivating and Guiding Employees for Workforce Success
In recent weeks, the concept of "Founder Mode" has sparked significant conversation in the tech industry, largely due to a presentation by Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb.
Workforce Success
A Must-Have Skill for Managers in 2024: Mastering Employee Conflict Resolution
Discover why mastering employee conflict resolution is a must-have skill for managers in 2024. Explore practical steps and real-world examples to effectively address workplace conflicts, fostering a positive and productive environment amidst the challenges of the current political, professional, and cultural climate.
Learning Success
Support, Collaboration, and Appreciation: Retaining and Recruiting Quality Educators
Discover the keys to retaining and recruiting quality educators in New Hampshire amidst workforce shortages. Explore insights from the 2023 legislative report and learn practical strategies for fostering supportive, collaborative, and appreciative school environments that promote teacher well-being and professional growth.
Workforce Success
Adapting to Different Communication Styles at Work
A lot of the interpersonal and operational conflict experienced in the workplace can be traced back to miscommunication.
Community Transformation
Building Bridges: Supporting Our Community Amid Global Turmoil
When we think about our community, it is important to consider the diverse representation of nationalities and how global issues and conflicts might impact our neighbors who have ties to these nations.
Learning Success
Beyond the Classroom: Helping Students Develop Lifelong Skills
As educators, we are often focused on the knowledge that students are gaining in a specific content area but we can’t forget about the bigger picture of helping learners build skills that will extend beyond the classroom.
Workforce Success
Access and Belonging: A Practical Look at Inclusivity
In this blog, we explore how to make your workplace accessible and welcoming to a wide range of individuals, and how to enable a sense of belonging once they become part of your organization.
Community Transformation
Community Transformation: Daunting but Rewarding
Transforming a community can often feel like a daunting task, especially when faced with numerous challenges and limited resources.
Learning Success
Self-care: The Backbone of an Endurance Mindset
Developing a mindset of endurance is an essential part of being an educator.
Workforce Success
Decoding Inclusivity: Making Workplace Diversity Accessible
Navigating the landscape of workplace inclusivity can feel like entering a maze without a map.
Community Transformation
Empowering Success: Strategies for Nonprofits to Stay Motivated and Impactful
Non-profit organizations often find themselves operating with deficits, constantly concerned about their programs' positive impact on the communities they serve.
Learning Success
Staying on Course: A Practical Guide to Student Motivation
As we reach the halfway point in the semester, students may find their attention drawn to places other than the goals set at the beginning of the term.
Workforce Success
Navigating Fairness in the Workplace: Balancing Equality and Equity
The concept of fairness in the workplace is not always straightforward.
Community Transformation
Honesty Between Nonprofits and Grantmakers: Bridging the Gap for Better Alliances
In the dynamic between grantmakers and nonprofits, honesty can sometimes be elusive, especially from the nonprofits' perspective.
Learning Success
Empathy in Education: Supporting Individual Success
By David Bielik When a student embarks on a journey of learning something new, there is always a greater context in which that learning occurs.
Workforce Success
Trust: The Essential Fuel for Business Success
By: Andrea Bruneau “Trust is the most overlooked, misunderstood, underutilized asset to enable performance.
Community Transformation
Breaking Barriers: Fostering Stronger Bonds Between Community Organizations and Grantmakers
At the beginning of each year, community organizations focus on implementing their annual strategies, aiming to create a significant impact in their communities.
Workforce Success
Addressing Organizational Culture and Climate: Beyond DEI Terminology
While the discourse around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is facing challenges, the core needs of employees for respect, inclusion, and maximization of organizational benefits remain constant.
Learning Success
Navigating the New Frontier: Educators Adapting to the AI Era in Teaching
As educators, it's crucial for us to evolve with technology to enhance our teaching methods and better prepare our students.
Workforce Success
The Power of Consideration in the Workplace: Fostering a Culture of Success
Blog by Andrea Bruneau Consideration refers to the thoughtful and deliberate actions taken to recognize and respect the needs, opinions, and well-being of others.
Community Transformation
Reflective Data Approaches
Blog by Richard Feistman, Ph.D. Whether you work in the non-profit sector, the education sector, or private industry there is a shared collective groan, mostly…
Learning Success
Reflecting on Assessment and Evaluation Practices
Blog by David Bielik As the calendar year and first semester of the school year come to an end, educators shift focus to final assessments and evaluations.
Learning Success
The Critical Need for Enhanced Professional Development in K-12
In the ever-evolving landscape of K-12 education, the growth and development of educators are paramount.
Workforce Success
Navigating the Complexities of Workforce Culture Change
Changing an organization's culture is a challenging yet crucial process.
Workforce Success
Respect: A Cornerstone of a Healthy Organizational Culture
At DMC, we developed the 7 Principles to help our partners realize their goals in organizational culture and climate.
Community Transformation
Thankful for Community - Especially those weak ties that make us stronger
Blog by Richard Feistman, Ph.D. Moving has been constant in my life.
Learning Success
Educators’ Aversion to Risk
Predictability and Risk As educators, we intentionally gravitate toward predictability.
Workforce Success
Building Workplace Relationships Through Empathy
Blog by Richard Feistman, Ph.D. As someone working in the fields of evaluation and continuous improvement, I am often sitting in meetings with people who…
Learning Success
Building Authentic Relationships with Your Learners to Inspire Learning Success
At Deo Mwano Consultancy(DMC), when we work with school leaders on Learning Success, we place a strong emphasis on educators establishing authentic alliances with their students and their students' guardians.
Community Transformation
Maximizing Community Impact: Lessons from a Decade of Social Change
Social impact isn't just about good intentions; it's about measurable, transformative change. At DMC, we've recognized that the real value of any social endeavor is its capacity to meaningfully better the lives of those it aims to support. #SocialImpact #DMCBlog
Learning Success
The Tofu Effect: Scaling Personalized Learning
The hardest part of scaling personalized learning education is the concept of personalized learning. As an instructor, coach, mentor or teacher, you need to understand the social and emotional learning of students.
Workforce Success
Finding Alignment and Purpose in Today’s World Through a DEI Lens
Becoming aware and taking ownership of an issue or problem is the first step in taking responsibility for it and taking action to make a positive change.
Learning Success
Maximize Student Engagement
Coaching students to identify who they are as humans holistically then designing alliances with them.
Community Transformation
The Importance of Demanding Authentic Feedback to Improve Services and Products
I recently led four workshops in one week for two organizations.
Community Transformation
Empowering others by Listening with Curiosity and without Judgment
Listen to each other’s experiences and explore the ways some groups feel intentionally and unintentionally “othered” or marginalized.
Learning Success
Maximizing Your Positive Impact: Becoming an Active Leader in Your Community by Following MLK's Blueprint
Leaders must stand up for their beliefs and understand the impact they are making in their communities.
Learning Success
Civic Engagement Strategy for Teachers
We Are All Human, which helps organizations engage in community forums, is one of Deo’s creations.
Workforce Success
The Power of Vulnerability
For as long as humans have been around our brains have been hardwired to avoid danger as a survival instinct.
Workforce Success
What Does It Mean to Be the Face Of Your Company?
When someone says "you are the face of your business" to an entrepreneur, what do they mean?
Community Transformation
What is the right way to protest?
The arguments about how to protest cannot be understood without first examining the different factors that contribute to them.
Workforce Success
Diversity is our Humanity
At Deo Mwano Consultancy LLC, we define diversity as the individual characteristics that make us unique, including a person’s lived experience.
Workforce Success
Celebrate Don't Discriminate During Halloween
Halloween is a holiday filled with frights and delights.
Learning Success
UNH MANCHESTER DEI WE ARE ALL HUMAN TRAINING
We Are All Human, which helps organizations engage in community forums, is one of Deo’s creations.
Learning Success
What I learned from coaching adult learners
The importance of relationship building when coaching adult learners. What I learned from coaching adult learners.
Workforce Success
Engaging Ice Breaker From Deo Mwano To Kickoff A DEI Training
You better be ready for Deo Mwano ice-breaker activity when he is your presenter. He kicked off a half a day training with a hip-hop dance ice-breaker.