Endeavour - Geneva

Last month Endeavour supported the fabulous team at SOLIDAR Europe. Assisting them with the development of a set of KPIs for their 2026-2027 action plan. It was a real pleasure to understand how, by working across three main policy areas (social affairs, international co-operation and life-long learning), they advance social justice in Europe and worldwide. You can read more about their inspiring work here:

SOLIDAR Organisational strategy 2026-2029 - solidar.org This strategy outlines the general direction for SOLIDAR in the period 2026-2030. It will guide our work, our collaborations, our projects and programmes, the development of Secretariat and our membership, our communication and advocacy work.

Working with the Swiss NGO the Association for the Development of Protected Areas on its organisational development, I've learnt about the lives of villagers in remote Tanzanian villages and how the forests, and forest products (mushrooms and honey), remain an important part of their livelihoods. Money from the collective is used for the members' needs; often to support the education of the children in the village.

Here's my latest opinion piece that suggests five infrastructural areas in which civil society support organisations and donors can shift their focus and adapt their giving to help NGOs to navigate the rapidly diminishing civil society space.

The Democracy Deficit: How donors can adapt their support for Civil Society. When I read the news these days I am reminded of the descriptions of dictatorship in Isabel Allende’s The Stories of Eva Luna. Yet the evident weakening of democracy by conservative, populist, and …

OPINION: A recent piece that reflects on the effect of political overwhelm in global politics and how civil society organisations (CSOs/NGOs) can ensure and enhance their agency. It was prompted by the pressure being applied towards civil society funding from right-wing politicians and corporate interests.

Addressing overwhelm and regaining agency: How your organisation can re-focus and be more hopeful in a time of polycrisis. There’s a cartoon that has been circulating recently that depicts a couple walking on the street, one character says to the other: “My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my d…

LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOUR: Research shows that although women often outperform men in leadership effectiveness they are often less likely to identify as leaders due to an invisible misalignment between competence and identity. Julia Lee Cunningham, Sue Ashford, and Laura Sonday provide four strategies to bridge this identity gap and challenge workplace biases that impede growth mindsets. Through validation and recognizing leadership behaviours, organisations can create environments where all talented individuals, regardless of gender, feel empowered to see themselves as leaders.

When Qualified Women Resist the Leader Label Women who demonstrate leadership behaviors and traits are less likely than men to identify as leaders.

SOLIDARITY: Recent research has a counterintuitive finding: People who have suffered troubles at work may not be effective in helping other employees experiencing similar distress. Those who have not endured the same thing are more likely to be more effective. In trying to help employees in distress, leaders should focus on each person’s experience, not their own; validate their pain; and get the facts and ask questions to learn how they might help the employee. Leaders should also consider having someone who has not suffered the same problem mentor the person.

How to Support an Employee in Distress Recent research has a counterintuitive finding: People who have suffered troubles at work may not be effective in helping other employees experiencing similar distress. Those who have not endured the same thing are more likely to be more effective. In trying to help employees in distress, leaders sh...

WORK/LIFE CHOICE: Perhaps unsurprisingly, new research shows that it is control over working time that matters to people.

Research: People Still Want to Work. They Just Want Control Over Their Time. To better understand the role that control over one’s time plays in job and life satisfaction, the authors analyzed survey data from a nationally representative sample. They found: 1) People who had greater control over their time had the highest job satisfaction and overall satisfaction with thei...

SOLIDARITY: Important points are made in this article on the need for organisations to encourage a multi-generational workforce. Ageism is not only prejudice, but undermines an organisation's ability to hire the right talent.

Overtly ageist employers pay the price for such blinkered thinking Dr Emily Andrews from the Centre for Ageing Better argues that ageist employers harm both themselves and the economy.

WORKPLACE FLOURISHING: Gallup's State of the Global Workplace Report has been published. It shows that in 2023, global employee engagement stagnated (with Europe once again holding the title of least engaged region in the world) and overall employee well-being declined. While both measures are at or near record highs, their lack of improvement is notable, as they follow multiple years of steady gains. The result is that the majority of the world’s employees continue to struggle at work and in life, with direct consequences for organisational productivity. Read the report from the link below:

State of the Global Workplace Report Get the workplace trends, global engagement metrics and advice on how organizations can improve the workplace in the State of the Global Workplace Report.

WORK-LIFE CHOICE: Professor Serena Chen (UC Berkeley) provides a detailed argument on the need to be more self-compassionate at work. She relates how 'Self-compassion boosts performance by triggering the “growth mindset”—the belief that improvement is achievable through dedication and hard work. It also helps us connect with a more authentic self.' Worth a look!

Give Yourself a Break: The Power of Self-Compassion When we experience a setback at work, we tend to either become defensive and blame others, or berate ourselves. Neither response is helpful. Shirking responsibility by getting defensive may alleviate the sting of failure, but it comes at the expense of learning. Self-flagellation, on the other hand,...

SOLIDARITY: Deborah Grayson Riegel's article on workplace gossip outlines the corrosive nature of this practice. While somewhat natural, it leads to the erosion of trust, hurt feelings, decreased morale, damaged reputations, reduced personal and professional credibility, increased anxiety, divisiveness, and attrition. By stopping it in its tracks, choosing healthier and more helpful methods of communicating what’s not working, and engaging in collaborative problem-solving, relationships and organizations can flourish.

Stop Complaining About Your Colleagues Behind Their Backs Many of us believe that we’re above workplace gossip, and that we never engage in it. But, if you’ve ever participated in a “confirmation expedition” — whereby you 1) ask a colleague to confirm their own negative or challenging experience with a third colleague who is not present, or 2) we...