Are Your People Running On Empty?

Are your people disengaged or simply overwhelmed?

In this episode of The NFP CEO, Michelle and Danielle explore why employee engagement, workplace resilience and staff retention are increasingly challenging in the not-for-profit sector. Drawing on research about the "quiet erosion of hope at work", they discuss how funding pressures, increasing demand, compliance requirements and resource constraints impact workplace culture.

The conversation examines the critical role of middle managers in shaping employee experience, why engagement is often a team-level issue rather than an organisation-wide problem, and what CEOs can do to build resilient, high-performing teams.

In this episode:

1. Employee engagement and workplace culture in not-for-profits
2. The link between leadership, resilience and staff retention
3. People leave managers, not organisations
4. Supporting middle managers to lead effectively
5. Managing workload, burnout and capacity constraints
6. Creating psychological safety and feedback cultures
7. Communicating priorities during organisational change
8. Building stronger teams through recognition and connection

Purpose attracts great people to the for-purpose sector, but purpose alone isn't enough. CEOs who invest in leadership capability, clear communication and manager support create workplaces where people can thrive, even in challenging environments.

Article referenced in episode: The Quiet Erosion of Hope at Work | Everything DiSC

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn