Five Good Ideas Podcast

About Five Good Ideas Podcast

The Five Good Ideas podcast airs some of the best sessions of Maytree’s popular lunch-and-learn program. For each session of Five Good Ideas, an expert from the non-profit or corporate sector shares five practical ideas on a key management issue facing non-profit organizations today. You find sessions from the past season at https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/.

Publisher

Maytree Foundation

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Jan 2018

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

62 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Five Good Ideas on how to manage the modern workforce

   We can all agree that the world has changed in the last few years – and so have workplaces. Today, managers are facing a workforce shaped by changing demographics, shifting expectations, and growing pressures outside the workplace. In this Five Good Ideas session, Dave McKechnie, Toronto Office Managing Partner of McMillan LLP and an expert in all areas of employment and labour relations law, offers practical strategies for managers who want to lead effectively in this new environment. Session handout Five Good Ideas 1. Introspection. What are your strengths and blind spots as a manager? What are your strengths and blind spots as an organization? 2. Intention. Be deliberate in setting not just your goals or an employee’s goals but the steps to get there. 3. Improvise. Be flexible as not all your employees are coming with the same experiences. 4. Include. Be hyper-conscious of your words, actions, and behaviours. Are there unconscious biases that you have that you need to address? 5. Insulate. Control what you can control. You need to be conscious of the outside world, but you cannot control it. Resources Suzanne Wertheim, The Inclusive Language Field Guide, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2023 Simon Sinek, Start with Why, Penguin, 2009 Season 1, Episode 9 (“3:00 PM”) of “The Pitt” Amy Poehler’s podcast, “The Good Hang” Second City & Comedy Bar Corporate Improv Training Sessions (or equivalent outside of Toronto) The text, podcast, and transcript are provided for general information purposes only. They are neither intended as, nor should be considered, legal advice and readers, viewers, and listeners should not make any decisions based on this material alone. Rather, a qualified lawyer should be consulted. © McMillan LLP 2026. Access more Five Good Ideas sessions at: https://maytree.com/strengthening-communities/five-good-ideas/.

2. 

   30 Jun 2026

   Five Good Ideas on how to become a collaborative organization

   Collaboration with other organizations can build your organizational capacity, amplify your impact, and help you serve more people – but only if you get it right. Successful collaboration starts at home – with your board and senior leaders building the right internal culture, competencies, and systems before you approach potential partners. Liz Weaver, former Co-CEO of the Tamarack Institute, and Linda Mollenhauer, Chair of Ignite NPS, joined Elizabeth McIsaac, president of Maytree, as they shared practical stories and ideas to help you choose the right collaborations, show up as a strong partner, and avoid common pitfalls. They drew from free resources in The Collaborative Organization – tools you can use right away. Liz and Linda's five good ideas: 1. Look inward. Culture matters. The values your board and leadership hold shape how others see you as a partner. 2. Understand the why. Get clear on what strategic benefits collaboration will bring to your mission. 3. Be intentional by managing opportunities and mitigating risks. Treat collaborations like investments – assess fit and protect your organization. 4. Get your own shop in order. Make sure you have the internal capacity and systems to deliver on commitments. 5. Put it in writing. Create a board policy that guides how and when you collaborate. For the resources and a video of the session, visit: https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-on-how-to-become-a-collaborative-organization/.

3. 

   14 May 2026

   Five Good Ideas on how to think responsibly about generative AI

   Jake Hirsch-Allen, head of Partnerships at The Dais, a public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, joined Elizabeth McIsaac, president of Maytree, for the latest Five Good Ideas session to share his five ideas on how to adopt generative AI responsibly and effectively. Drawing from the Responsible AI Adoption for Social Impact (RAISE) program – a national initiative through which Jake has trained over 500 non-profit professionals across Canada – Jake explored when and how to use AI, the risks you need to understand, and why your organization’s data matters more than you think. Jake’s five good ideas: 1. Experiment using AI 2. Beware of the risks 3. Identify AI use cases 4. Create an AI use policy 5. Value your data For the resources and a video of the session, visit: https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-on-how-to-think-responsibly-about-generative-ai/

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

180,066

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

20

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

30