Ops

Help!! with Real Life Scenarios

Our meetings don't move things forward, they just recap what already happened.

Flip for Helia's take
We have ALL been in (and probably run) these meetings.
The fix isn't necessarily fewer meetings. It's redesigning them around one question: What's keeping you up at night? When meetings are built to uncover issues early — not recap what's already done — work moves forward.
Read "How To Run Good Meetings."

I know I should try AI. I just… haven't.

Flip for Helia's take
You're not alone!
Great news. You don't have to have it all figured out before you start. Natalie wrote a $4M grant with AI in 30 days without knowing what she was doing! She learned in real time and then built guides so you don't have to start from scratch.
Read "Hold My Beer: AI Skeptic Turned Power User."

We track a lot of data, and still can't answer the questions that matter.

Flip for Helia's take
Let's just start tracking MORE data!
JUST kidding. The fix is almost never more data. It's better architecture underneath what you already have. Start with the questions that actually matter, audit what you have, and build from there. The dashboard comes last — not first.
Read "Before the Dashboard."

I want things to feel clearer and easier for our team.

Flip for Helia's take
You thinking this says everything! 
While there's no one perfect thing, delegating well goes a LONG way. When everyone is clear on what they own, what decisions they can make, and what "done" actually looks like — the whole team moves faster.
Read "Delegation That Actually Works."

I'm doing a million things and not doing any of them particularly well.

Flip for Helia's take
Been there and, honestly, most of us in this sector have.
The move isn't to work harder or add another tool. It's to figure out which parts of your day actually require YOU — and then see how you can leverage AI handle the rest.
Read Meg's advice on how to figure this out in "What Can AI Actually Do for You?"

I keep putting off cybersecurity.

Flip for Helia's take
Real — and I'm honestly right there with you!
The good news: you don't need to be unhackable. You just need to be harder than the next target. A few consistent habits go a LONG way — and the basics are way more doable than you think.
Read "Cybersecurity Without the Panic."

How do we do change management well?!

Flip for Helia's take
Honestly? It's less about the framework and more about sitting alongside people while they do the actual work.
Change doesn't happen through announcements or slide decks, it happens when someone is with you, watching what's breaking, and, most importantly, fixing it fast.
Read "Making Change Actually Stick."
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Featured Collective Members

a woman with glasses smiles Grace Kim AI + Tech Strategy Grace is a research-scientist-turned-tech-consultant that helps orgs build systems to run better and decide smarter.
A woman with brown hair smiles outside Jess Steele Data Infrastructure + Eval Jess has built and scaled evaluation, performance management, and analytics systems that drive better decisions and improve outcomes for children and families across government, startup, and nonprofit sectors.
A man in a life vest on a lake poses. Giuseppe Morgana Cybersecurity Giuseppe founded New Harbor to make cybersecurity simple and accessible for teams of all sizes.

Want to talk to someone who’s been there?
These folks have done this work inside orgs like yours.

All Ops Articles

Resource Toolkit Data Infrastructure Toolkit Everything you need to build a data foundation that actually works.
Jess Steele with Jess Steele
Article Before the Dashboard Why the foundation comes before the fancy stuff
Jess Steele with Jess Steele
Resource Toolkit New Harbor’s Cybersecurity Toolkit Get the basics in place — so you can stop worrying and get back to your mission.
Giuseppe Morgana and Jonathan Edward (New Harbor) with Giuseppe Morgana and Jonathan Edward (New Harbor)
Article Cybersecurity Without the Panic What Actually Matters and Why
Giuseppe Morgana and Jonathan Edward (New Harbor) with Giuseppe Morgana and Jonathan Edward (New Harbor)
Story One Annoying Task at a Time How one Helia Member went from endless wordsmithing to using AI as a daily thought partner
Diane Martell with Diane Martell
Article Playbooks to Build Consistency AND Culture How to close the gap between your strategy and Tuesday morning
Chris O’Brien with Chris O’Brien
Resource Toolkit Chris’s Playbook Toolkit Everything you need to build consistency into your work — and actually keep it there.
Chris O’Brien with Chris O’Brien
Article Hold My Beer: AI Skeptic Turned Power User What happens when a tech-averse fundraiser gave AI a real shot
Natalie Bergstrasser with Natalie Bergstrasser
Resource Toolkit AI For Fundraising Toolkit Use AI to find funders, write in your organization's voice, and build tools your whole team can use.
Natalie Bergstrasser with Natalie Bergstrasser
Resource Toolkit The Change Management Toolkit Make change actually stick — by sitting alongside the people being asked to change.
Mara Harwel with Mara Harwel
Resource Toolkit Meg’s AI Starter ToolKit Leverage AI for the tasks that drain you, so that you have more space to be human.
Meg McGilvra with Meg McGilvra
Article Making Change Actually Stick One-pagers don’t make change stick. People do.
Mara Harwel with Mara Harwel
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