The Signs Are There. Are You Ignoring Them?

One thing I love about living on the east side of Hawaiʻi Island is being able to see storms coming. Out here, there’s ocean as far as the eye can see. I’ve been told it’s the largest expanse of open ocean between two significant land masses on our planet. And when the clouds start to roll in, I’ve got plenty of time to decide: do I want to take shelter or stand in the rain?

I also get to breathe some of the cleanest air on the planet — something I don’t take for granted, especially after years of struggling with allergies.

That combination — clear air and long views — gives me a different kind of clarity in my work, too.

After three decades in the nonprofit world, here’s one thing I’ve seen again and again:

Big change almost never comes out of nowhere.

It shows up distant at first, like a shadow on the horizon. And like those storms, change gathers energy as it heads toward you. Here’s what to look for:

• Numbers that aren’t terrible… but aren’t good either. A slow decline in funding, attendance, or energy that keeps repeating.

• People pulling back. They stop giving feedback. Or they just leave — quietly, without fanfare.

• Meetings with no traction. More opinions, fewer decisions. No shared vision to pull toward.

The biggest mistake leaders make? They ignore the signs.

They tell themselves it’ll turn around. That everyone’s just tired. That they’ll revisit it “after this next big thing.”

But ignoring it only pushes the problem downstream, and most of the time, it doesn’t get easier.

If you’re seeing any of these signs in your org — or you’re just feeling that internal nudge — I want to encourage you not to push it aside.

You don’t need to panic. But it’s worth paying attention.

If you want to talk it out with someone who’s not your boss or your employee, I’ve got space for a few Talk Story sessions this month. No agenda, no pressure — just a chance to say what’s real and get some perspective before things hit crisis mode.