--- title: "Jim Ziolkowski: One Leader’s Way of Making an Impact" id: "17249" type: "post" slug: "jim-ziolkowski-one-leaders-way-of-making-an-impact" published_at: "2013-05-02T22:30:04+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:03:58+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/05/02/jim-ziolkowski-one-leaders-way-of-making-an-impact/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/05/02/jim-ziolkowski-one-leaders-way-of-making-an-impact.md" excerpt: "Amid poverty and struggle, buildOn’s founder, Jim Ziolkowski, discovered how to make an impact in these communities. Also: How one company is rethinking the performance review process." taxonomy_category: - "Executive Leadership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "community support" - "Leadership" - "nonprofit" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Jim Ziolkowski: One Leader’s Way of Making an Impact From religious explorations to the needy streets of Harlem, buildOn’s founder, Jim Ziolkowski, felt the need to help build these communities up. What you can learn from his methods, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### Making an Impact > Please check out buildOn’s new video. I think it is POWERFUL, as are these students! [http://t.co/UzTNc7A2y4 (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/UzTNc7A2y4) > [#ItStartsHere (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItStartsHere?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Jim Ziolkowski (@JimZbuildOn) [May 1, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/JimZbuildOn/status/329692412022771713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **While Jim Ziolkowski backpacked the Himalayas,** he witnessed extreme poverty, lack of medical treatment, and faulty education systems, among other things. After his travels, he began helping a community in Harlem. He later founded the nonprofit organization buildOn, which now runs both local and international programs centered around community improvement and progressiveness. The Afterschool Youth Development Program, [showcased in this video (opens in a new tab)](http://www.buildon.org/breaking-the-cycle/itstartshere/) , follows volunteer students who visit senior citizens, tutor elementary children, feed the homeless, and do other tasks that improve their own neighborhoods. According to buildOn, 94 percent of the students in the program have gone to college. Ziolkowski will be the general session speaker [at this year’s ASAE Springtime Expo (opens in a new tab)](http://www.springtimeexpo.com/general_sessions.cfm) , taking place May 16 in Washington, DC. *(ht [@JimZbuildOn (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/JimZbuildOn/status/329692412022771713) )* ### Not Just A Review > Having a “real” conversation at work: How could this apply to your association? [http://t.co/Cud6FgzXvr (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/Cud6FgzXvr) > via [@FastCompany (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/FastCompany?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Alexandra Rodriguez (@alexnrodriguez) [May 2, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/alexnrodriguez/status/330046282255192064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Imagine you could give performance reviews on a weekly basis.** While doing so is likely unnecessary and too time-consuming, managers should have a system in place to maintain an ongoing dialogue with employees to provide feedback. David Hassell, CEO of 15Five, has employees take 15 minutes to fill out progress reports, which a manager takes five minutes to read. [Hassell told Fast Company (opens in a new tab)](http://www.fastcompany.com/3008912/work-smart/the-15-most-important-minutes-of-the-work-week) that it’s an “organizational habit on a lightweight basis. … We are big believers that when people are really open and authentic you can build real trust and a solid powerful organization.” How does your organization handle performance reviews?*(ht [@alexnrodriguez (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/alexnrodriguez/status/330046282255192064) )* What links have you been sharing today? Let us know in the comments. buildOn founder Jim Ziolkowski. (via buildOn’s Flickr page) [Anita Ferrer](https://associationsnow.com/author/anita-ferrer/) Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. 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