Category: Fixers

Six Years Later: Why So Many Organizations Are Still Recovering from the Pandemic

8/17/2026

When the world shut down in 2020, organizations did what they had to do. Boards met virtually. Staff adapted overnight. Volunteers stepped back. Policies were temporarily adjusted. Strategic plans were put on hold. Everyone was focused on one thing: survival.

At the time, those decisions made perfect sense.

The problem is that many organizations never had the opportunity to go back and rebuild what was temporarily put aside.
Today, we’re seeing the consequences of that everywhere.

While many people feel the pandemic is behind us, organizations are still living with its after-effects every single day. In fact, many of the governance, leadership and operational challenges we help clients solve can be traced back to decisions—or simply the lack of capacity—that emerged during those years.

The pandemic didn’t necessarily create these issues. It accelerated them.

Volunteer engagement has changed

Many organizations continue to struggle to recruit and retain volunteers. People’s priorities shifted. Some discovered they wanted more time with family. Others became more selective about where they invested their energy. Some simply never returned. Organizations that once relied on long-term volunteers are now competing for people’s limited time and attention. Traditional recruitment strategies no longer work the way they once did, and many organizations are realizing they need to rethink how they engage, support and retain volunteers.

Board recruitment isn’t what it used to be

Finding qualified board members has become increasingly difficult. Experienced leaders are stretched thin. Many who served on boards during the pandemic experienced significant burnout and chose not to continue. Others retired earlier than expected or stepped away from leadership altogether. At the same time, newer board members often arrive with tremendous enthusiasm but limited governance experience. Without intentional orientation, mentorship and ongoing education, boards can struggle to fulfill their governance responsibilities effectively. The result isn’t a lack of good people. It’s a shortage of prepared people.

Strategic planning created unintended gaps

Many organizations had strategic plans that suddenly became irrelevant in 2020. Understandably, planning was paused while leadership focused on crisis management. But for many organizations, the restart never happened. Plans expired. Annual priorities were never updated. Performance measures disappeared. Boards shifted from leading strategically to reacting operationally. Years later, many organizations are still operating without a clear roadmap. Staff work incredibly hard, but often without a shared understanding of where the organization is heading or how success should be measured.

Human resources has become far more complex

The workplace has changed dramatically. Organizations are managing new employee expectations around flexibility, mental health, work-life balance, recruitment and retention. Hiring has become more competitive, onboarding is more challenging, and leadership requires a different set of skills than it did just a few years ago. Many organizations are also experiencing succession challenges as experienced employees retire or move on, leaving behind vacancies that are increasingly difficult to fill. These aren’t simply HR problems. They’re organizational capacity problems.

The workplace itself has changed

Remote work allowed organizations to continue operating during an unprecedented crisis. It also fundamentally changed how people work together. Today, many organizations continue to navigate hybrid environments, differing expectations around in-office work, communication challenges and questions about accountability. Some employees thrive remotely. Others miss the collaboration, mentoring and spontaneous problem-solving that happens when people work together in person.
There is no universal solution. Each organization must intentionally determine what works best for its people, culture and mission rather than assuming old or new models will automatically succeed.

Governance follow-through quietly disappeared

One of the most common issues we encounter is governance drift. During the pandemic, boards understandably focused on immediate decisions. Routine governance work often took a back seat. Board evaluations were postponed. Governance reviews were delayed. Committee structures evolved without being revisited. Orientation programs became informal. Annual governance calendars were abandoned. None of this happened because boards weren’t committed. It happened because survival required immediate attention. But several years later, many of those temporary practices have quietly become permanent.

Policies and procedures were never updated

Organizations adapted incredibly quickly during COVID. Unfortunately, many policies never caught up. Emergency practices became everyday practices without being formally reviewed or approved. Employee manuals still reference work environments that no longer exist. Governance policies don’t reflect virtual meetings, hybrid workplaces or evolving legal and operational realities. Policies are meant to guide consistent decision-making. When they no longer reflect reality, they create confusion instead of clarity.

The knowledge gap is real

Perhaps the most significant challenge we see today is the loss of organizational knowledge. Experienced staff retired. Long-serving volunteers stepped away. Board members completed their terms. Leaders moved on. Many organizations lost decades of institutional knowledge in just a few years. Unfortunately, much of that knowledge was never documented. New leaders are now doing their best to move organizations forward without fully understanding why certain decisions were made, how processes evolved or what lessons were learned over many years. That creates unnecessary risk and often results in organizations reinventing work that was solved long ago.

The good news is that these problems are solvable

None of these challenges appeared overnight, and they won’t disappear overnight either.
They require organizations to intentionally pause, take an honest look at where they are today, and rebuild the foundations that support long-term success.

That’s exactly where we come in.

At LMDSolutions, we’ve noticed a clear shift in the work we’re being asked to do. Increasingly, organizations aren’t looking for someone to simply facilitate a strategic plan or deliver governance training. They’re asking for help untangling years of accumulated challenges that quietly emerged during and after the pandemic.

We’re helping boards reconnect with their governance responsibilities after years of operating in crisis mode. We’re rebuilding governance systems, modernizing policies and procedures, strengthening board recruitment and orientation, and helping organizations regain clarity around roles, accountability and decision-making.

We’re also helping leadership teams rebuild organizational knowledge, document critical processes before they’re lost, reconnect strategy with day-to-day operations, and create practical operational plans that turn good intentions into measurable progress.
In many ways, we’ve become organizational rebuilders.

Not because organizations failed, but because they adapted under extraordinary circumstances. They made the best decisions they could with the information, resources and time they had.

Now, the opportunity is different.

It’s time to move beyond simply recovering and begin building organizations that are stronger, more resilient and better prepared for whatever comes next.

Our role isn’t to tell organizations what they’re doing wrong. Our role is to help them identify what needs strengthening, prioritize what matters most, and put practical systems in place that will support their mission for years to come.

Because strong organizations don’t happen by accident. They are built intentionally. And sometimes, after years of simply surviving, the strongest thing an organization can do is decide it’s finally time to rebuild.

If this article resonated with you, chances are your organization isn’t alone.

Many of the challenges we’ve discussed are explored in greater depth in our book, Wake Up Call: Stop fixing the wrong things. It offers practical insights, reflection questions and a simple framework to help boards and leadership teams identify the root causes behind the issues they’re experiencing… and start building lasting solutions.

Whether you’re a board member, executive director, CEO or organizational leader, the first step toward meaningful change is understanding what’s really happening beneath the surface.

Ready to start the conversation?

Buy your copy of Wake Up Call on Amazon today, or contact us through www.lmdsolutions.ca and take the first step toward building a stronger, healthier organization.

Looking for Funding? Make Sure Your Organization Is in Good Shape First

11/2/2025

Every year, many organizations set out in search of new funding to support their projects. Grants, partnerships, sponsorships… opportunities abound, but competition is fierce.

And too often, applications fail not because of the project itself, but because the organization isn’t ready to demonstrate its strength, coherence, and ability to deliver results.

Before even filling out the first form, it’s essential to ask: Are we in good organizational shape?

That’s where the LMDSolutions Model comes in.

The LMDSolutions Model: A Solid Foundation Before You Build

The Model is built on four pillars: Knowledge, Direction, Structure, and Results.

Each represents a key step to strengthen your organization before submitting a funding proposal.

1. Knowledge – Knowing Where You Stand

Before convincing a funder, you first need to understand your own organization:

Are your policies and procedures up to date?
Are your mission, vision, and values clear?
Do you have solid evidence and data to support your needs?

Through diagnostics, audits, and targeted training, LMDSolutions helps organizations take stock of their governance, operations, and compliance.

A strong funding application starts with a solid understanding of who you are.

2. Direction – Knowing Where You’re Going

Funders want to support projects that are part of a clear vision.

The LMDSolutions Model helps boards and executive teams define or update:

Clear strategic objectives
Well-defined priorities
Realistic action plans

An organization that knows its direction inspires confidence. It shows that it’s not simply chasing funds, but investing in a coherent and sustainable future.

3. Structure – Knowing How You’re Organized

A strong structure is the engine that drives implementation.

LMDSolutions supports organizations in clarifying roles and responsibilities, improving internal processes, and creating effective management tools:

Tailored organizational charts
Functional policies
Monitoring and evaluation tools

A well-structured organization is one that can deliver — and that’s exactly what funders want to see.

4. Results – Knowing How to Demonstrate Your Impact

Finally, the last pillar of the Model focuses on measuring results.

Funders don’t finance intentions; they finance measurable and sustainable outcomes.

LMDSolutions helps build performance frameworks, indicators, and reports that clearly demonstrate:

Community impact
Social return on investment
Organizational learning

That’s what turns a good project into a tangible success.

In Conclusion

Seeking funding without preparation is like building a house without a foundation.

The LMDSolutions Model helps you lay that foundation — by educating your team, planning your actions, implementing the right systems, and monitoring your progress.

Before you submit your next funding application, take a moment to assess your organization’s health.

And if you need structured support, LMDSolutions is here to help you move from vision to realization — with competence, confidence, and satisfaction.

What if we finally fixed what’s holding you back?

10/15/2025

by Lynne Dupuis, CEO of LMDSolutions

Every fall, the AFO (Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario) Conference becomes a major gathering point for leaders, volunteers, managers, and dreamers from the community and Francophone sectors.

And every year, we return with a simple question:

👉 What’s blocking your organization right now?

Since our last time at the Conference, we’ve had the privilege of diving into dozens of organizations. Structures that needed to be reworked, teams to realign, strategic plans to refresh, policies to simplify, roles to clarify…

We’ve entered environments where everyone was “doing their best,” yet the systems were no longer adapted. Tired leadership, disengaged boards, exhausted teams.

And… every time, the solution is often simple: it only takes a few well-targeted adjustments to get the machine running again.

That’s exactly what we do. We repair structures, processes, and communications so organizations can finally move forward—efficiently, humanly, and sustainably.

This year at the AFO Conference in Toronto, we are bringing a practical diagnostic tool, inspired by our LMDSolutions Model, to help you quickly identify what’s slowing your team down… and find the solutions that will help you go further.

Three quick questions before we meet:

What if your team finally found the clarity to move forward together—without going in circles?
What if your priorities became so clear that they guided your daily actions effortlessly?
What if a few well-targeted adjustments transformed your results—for good?

If these questions resonate with you, come visit us at the LMDSolutions booth or book your 15-minute express consultation during the Conference. We’ll discuss your reality, and you’ll leave with clear and practical action steps.

And if you can’t make it to Toronto this year, don’t worry, we can always meet virtually. Write to us to book a meeting or learn more about our services at [email protected]

See you there!

On behalf of the whole team at LMDSolutions,

Lynne Dupuis
Fondatrice et PDG | LMDSolutions
www.lmdsolutions.ca | 705.698.4818

Marketing, Human Resources, New Technologies? None of It Works Without implementing THIS.

8/14/2025

By Lynne Dupuis, LMDSolutions

You’ve got a brilliant team.

You have a bold idea.

Your funding is lined up.

And yet… your project is dragging.

The momentum is gone. Communication is scattered. Deadlines keep getting pushed.

Let’s be honest: Your project isn’t failing. Your internal structure is.

Does this sound a little harsh? It is… and I’m here to be honest with you.

Too many organizations pour their energy into innovation without fixing the very thing holding it all together: the system behind the scenes. The framework… The foundation! The way decisions are made and roles are defined. I must say “roles and responsibilities”, “policies”, “procedures”, several dozen times when talking to clients!

At LMDSolutions, we call this missing piece … IMPLEMENTATION and we’ve built a whole model around fixing it. It truly is the most lacking piece of the puzzle for many organizations and businesses.

Because no matter what sector you’re in (marketing, HR, technology, education, social services), if your structure is broken, your work won’t stick. I see it all the time.

A Framework That Holds Everything Together: the LMDSolutions Model.

We work with nonprofits, businesses, teams, and boards across all sectors. And every time, the same core issues show up: unclear roles, reactive planning, siloed teams, no follow-through. That’s why we created the LMDSolutions Model, built around four powerful pillars:

1. Knowledge

If your team doesn’t understand how the organization runs, or how decisions are made, they will operate in confusion.

We’re not just talking about staff training or a board manual collecting dust. We’re talking about real capacity-building so that everyone knows what’s expected, how things work, and how to navigate the system.

This is about empowering your people with clarity (not drowning them in piles of files and paperwork).

Ask yourself: Does every member of your team know who’s responsible for what? How decisions are made? What their role contributes to the bigger picture?

2. Direction

Without direction, teams chase urgency (and money) instead of purpose.

Strategic plans shouldn’t sit in a drawer… they should drive every decision and investment. If you haven’t looked at the strategic plan in a while… go back to it NOW.

You (and your team) need a roadmap. One that aligns your team’s energy with real goals, sets priorities, and helps everyone stay on track… even when things get busy or messy (mostly when things get messy!)

Ask yourself: Are we working with intention? Or just reacting to problems as they pop up?

3. Implementation

SPOILER ALERT: This is the heart of what most organizations skip.

You can have a great vision, all the best (and expensive) strategic plans, but if you don’t translate it into real work plans and clearly defined roles, your team will spin in circles (and get dizzy!).

Here’s what you need:

Task breakdowns
Assigned responsibility
Timelines and checkpoints
Clear reporting and accountability

Now you know our secret: This is how we take strategy off the page and into action.

No more wondering who’s doing what. No more overlapping roles. No more chaos disguised as “collaboration.” (Yah - I said it!)

Ask yourself: Do we have a real plan for implementation? Does each person know their role, their deadlines, and how their work fits into the whole?

4. Results

Effort is great… but impact is better. (Doesn’t it just sound better!?)

If you don’t know what you’re measuring, or if no one is following up on outcomes, you’re working in the dark and without a flashlight.

A great organization builds in systems for learning, tracking, adjusting, and improving. This isn’t about perfection… it’s about progress with purpose.

What you’ll need:

Budgets and financial reports
Work plans with targets
Indicators of success
Evaluations for the team and board

Ask yourself: Are we tracking what matters? Are we learning as we go? Are we holding ourselves accountable to the outcomes we promised?

The Real Reason Projects Get Stuck

When things start falling apart, when your marketing, HR and technologies don’t work, people often blame the team:

“We need to hire better people.”
“They don’t care.”
“Everyone’s overwhelmed.

But what if the problem isn’t your people?

What if the real issue is that the foundation they’re working from is unclear, unstable, or non-existent? No plan, no structure, no process, no clarity.

This is where we come in. We help you fix the foundation! At LMDSolutions, we help businesses and nonprofits stop spinning by:

Clarify roles and responsibilities
Build practical work plans
Align operations with strategy
Support your team in making confident, informed decisions
Put the right policies and procedures in place to support the work

We don’t offer band-aid solutions… we rebuild the structure so your good ideas actually have a chance to thrive.

Important: this takes time and energy! It won’t happen without it.

And we do it using a model that brings your people along (everyone understands this model!), reduces friction (everyone sees the gaps right away!), and helps you get real results, fast (day of transformations are not rare!).

Why it works? Because when the structure is strong, the team flows.

So… Ask Yourself Honestly (and answer honestly!):

• Are your people unclear on their roles?
• Are your projects chaotic or reactive?
• Do decisions keep getting revisited… or avoided altogether?
• Are good ideas getting lost in the fog of dysfunction?

If you’re nodding yes (no matter what discipline you’re working in), it’s not a people problem. It’s a structure problem. You don’t need another tool, another meeting, or another motivational quote.

You need a solid foundation. We can help!

Visit www.lmdsolutions.ca or book a call today.

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