[Editor's note: The following first appeared in the March 2011 issue of NTEN:Change. Read the complete issue of NTEN's new quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders by subscribing to the journal for free!]

By Grant Howe, VP Research and Development, Sage Nonprofit Solutions

Want to create a more rewarding environment to retain and grow your techies? Reap some quick improvement with these easy four tips!

1. Say “Thank you”—often and for little things.

In technology roles, often the only feedback we get is negative and when something has gone horribly wrong. Thank people for jobs well done that no one notices but that are important and impactful.

Flickr Photo: annesliceI came a cross a great article in onPhilanthropy about "accidental techies" in the nonprofit sector. I haven't heard the term in awhile, actually, and was beginning to think that this category of nonprofit staffer had evolved -- as technology has evolved -- beyond the original scope of the term.

When I heard the term, I imagined Sally DoGood, a Program or Administrative Assistant at a local nonprofit who helped her organization move management of their donors' and constituents' information from index cards and file cabinets to spreadsheets on the computer. Sally also updated her organization's web page by using installed software like Dreamweaver. And when the printer's toner needed replacing (or just shaking) or if a paper jam disrupted the office workflow, Sally would be the one to assess and fix the situationcorrectly.

John Kenyon, Nonprofit Technology Consultant, opens up to the NTEN community once again to train another round of NpTech Leaders in the NTEN Technology Leadership Series. John does an excellent job of teaching in plain English: you will leave the series as a technology leader, an important role in today's fast changing nonprofits.

Here are some words from past series participants:

He is DEFINITELY the best presenter for any webinar I've taken...numerous slides...not pretentious...good discussion time and facilitation

John's been great - this could be hard stuff to "teach" since it's not the most exciting topic - AND it's online... He's doing great.

At the end of the series, you’ll be able to:

• Understand and contribute to technology conversations
• Make smart technology decisions for your organization
• Increase your organization’s efficiency
• Identify and evaluate creative ideas for using technology to meet your mission