Howard Consulting, LLC

02/19/2026

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁?

Culture often develops simply by accident, as our organizations change and grow, whether we realize it or not.

Here are five questions to ask yourself and your staff to see how aligned your organization really is.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?

𝟭) 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗶st (𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲)?

𝟮) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀?
- These are the values that should be driving decisions and behavior, not just hanging on a wall.

𝟯)𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿?
- Look at what gets praised in meetings and what gets ignored. Those signals shape behavior just as much as formal recognition.
- Notice whether the same behaviors are rewarded for some people and penalized for others. That inconsistency is its own culture signal.

𝟰) 𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀?
- Pay attention to patterns, not just individual incidents.

5) What are the top priorities driving decisions right now?
- These are the priorities that determine where time, money, and attention actually go.
- Not what is on the strategic plan, but what is visibly driving choices day to day.

When the answers to these questions vary significantly across teams, it is very likely that the culture you think you have is not the culture that individuals are experiencing.

How aligned do you think your teams are around these questions? Especially your leaders?
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P.S. If you're a leader who suspects your team would have very different answers to these questions and you want to do something about it, send me a DM.
♻️ Repost if you think someone in your network would benefit from these questions.

12/19/2025

Time to take a break.

Wishing you a joyful season filled with warmth, inspiration, and celebration. Thank you for being part of the incredible impact we've made together this year.

Looking forward to possibilities in 2026!🌟

11/14/2025

📑 NEW REPORT - 2025 U.S. Nonprofit Culture Pulse Report

Our new 2025 U.S. Nonprofit Culture Pulse Report captures what leaders are noticing beneath the surface and what it means for the future of their mission-driven work.

After listening to nonprofit leaders across the U.S., I’ve seen a clear pattern emerge. Many are operating in what I think of as culture at capacity mode—where passion for the mission runs high, but the systems and relationships that support it are stretched thin.

The real test of culture shows up when purpose meets pressure.

This report is both a reflection and a call to action for nonprofits ready to take an honest look at how culture fuels (or limits) their impact.

👉 Download your report: https://howardconsultingllc.com/nonprofit-culture-pulse-report-2025

And if what you read resonates, let’s talk. I help organizations build stronger cultures designed for connection, sustainability, and impact.

This report is a companion to the U.S. Culture Pulse report, part of Fearless Culture's Global Culture Pulse study conducted across 12 countries, including the United States, Sweden, Australia (APAC), Finland, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

In this U.S. Nonprofit Culture Pulse companion report, we've zoomed in on nonprofits, specifically: what's going on with culture inside these organizations, what's actually working, where it’s under strain, and how leaders can adapt.

Discover how culture drives nonprofit collaboration, trust, and impact. Download the 2025 US Nonprofit Culture Pulse Report for fresh insights and trends.

11/03/2025

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

One of my clients, an HR team at a large association, reached out because working together was getting harder and harder.

- Changes in senior leadership had created uncertainty.
- Team members were working in silos.
- A new supervisor (let’s call him Bob) was overwhelmed and unintentionally micromanaging.
- Projects were getting stuck, and frustration was growing on all sides.

They knew something had to change.

So they decided to step away from day-to-day pressures and carve out a full day to reset. They asked me to design and facilitate a team retreat focused on communication and relationships.

We used the 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗦𝗖 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲® 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 to help each person better understand their own style—their priorities, stressors, and ways of communicating—and then explore how to connect more effectively with others who operate differently.

By the end of the day, conversations that once felt tense became easier.

People started listening with curiosity instead of judgment.

The team left with a shared language for how to work together more smoothly—and a sense that they could get unstuck, together.

Watch this short video for a quick look at the Everything DiSC Workplace® model: https://bit.ly/3Ol72xy

If your team could use a reset or some space to reconnect, I can help.

11/02/2025

It's not about shouting the loudest, but about understanding the deepest.

Our perceptions shape our world 🌍 and acknowledging our differences can build bridges instead of walls.

"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others." ~Anthony Robbins

07/19/2025

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲.”

People don’t need to hear that every day.
But they need to 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 it.

That’s what belonging is.

It’s the feeling that your voice matters.
That your presence makes a difference.
That you’re not invisible.

Hey Leaders - What are you doing – 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 – to signal that?

12/10/2024

Think of workplace culture as the riverbed through which your mission flows.

If the riverbed is well-maintained, water flows smoothly, nourishing everything it touches.

But if it’s clogged with debris—miscommunication, distrust, or burnout—the water stagnates, and your impact diminishes.

How much debris is in your organization’s riverbed?

What are you doing about it?

12/04/2024

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

Here are five questions you can ask yourself and your staff to decide whether your culture is getting in the way of your mission and results.

👉 If you see different answers among your staff or across teams, that’s a signal that not everyone is experiencing your culture in the same way.

👉 It is also a signal that teams and staff may not be aligned with each other or with leadership on your values, purpose, and priorities. Lack of alignment can pull attention away from the important mission of your organization.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀?

1) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀?
- These are the values that drive decisions and how we show up as an organization.

2) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 “p𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲”? 𝗢𝘂𝗿 “w𝗵𝘆”.
- Purpose is the reason why your organization exists.
- Mission is how your organization will accomplish its purpose.
- Vision is the image or picture of what will be when you achieve your mission.

3) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟯-𝟱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻?
- These are the priorities that drive decision-making for the organization.

4) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀?
- These are the behaviors that you desire - those that would demonstrate your values.
- You want to reward these behaviors so you see more of them.
- Are there desired behaviors that are being inadvertently punished by the culture?

5) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱?
- These are behaviors that are inconsistent with your values.
- Behaviors that you don’t want to see.
- Are these behaviors being inadvertently rewarded by the existing culture?

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Culture often develops simply by accident, as our organizations change and grow, whether we realize it or not.

Disparate answers to the questions above are your signal to consider what you HAVE versus what you WANT for your organizational culture and to begin taking steps to get there.

10/22/2024

Embrace Change Like the Autumn Leaves 🍂✨

Karen Kostyla reminds us that every season has its change, and sometimes we need a fresh start. Just as fall gracefully releases its leaves, we, too, can let go of the old to welcome the new. Embrace change with open arms; it's the essence of growth and opportunity. 🌱

10/08/2024

Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, once said, "Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent." Meaning that in any interaction with another person, assume that the other person has good intentions, even if we don't necessarily agree with what they are saying or doing.

This way we can approach the situation with an open mind and without judgment or preconceived notions - leading to effective communication and problem-solving.

10/01/2024

If you've ever been on an airplane, you've probably heard the flight attendant mention that in an emergency, you should put on your own oxygen mask before helping others.

When you're in the business of serving others, it's the same thing. To take care of our clients, we must first take care of ourselves.

For the next two weeks, I'm practicing self-care and taking a break from my computer (including LinkedIn)!

This month, self-care for me will involve…

🟢 Reacquainting myself with Mother Nature;
🟠 Walking on a beach in Maui;
🔵 Reading a mystery novel (or maybe a few);
🟢 Kayaking & snorkeling in a lagoon;
🟠 Playing board games with my mom;
🔵 Whale watching (hopefully) from our timeshare balcony;
🟢 Checking out the banana macadamia nut pancakes I've heard so much about.

It's been years since I've taken a two-week vacation. Time for that to change! See you again in mid-October!

What do you do when you feel, deep in your bones, that it's time for some serious self-care?