Art and science. Combining the creative right brain and the logical left brain. According to Jim Collins, maybe we need to call it "Art and Process."
In the April '09 issue of Inc., the magazine for entrepreneurs, Collins says that creating better processes is more important than building a better "mousetrap." That's something I learned the hard way in my first sales job.
Way back in the day, I started peddling computer systems for a little know CAD company out of New York. They had a great, innovative system for designing and laying out printed circuit boards. But our business practices - our processes - made it tough to work with customers. It was another "learning experience" for me.
A year later, I began work for a CAD / CAE company out of California. They had a pretty good mousetrap, but they really understood how to make it easy for the user. Their business practices were very customer friendly. They got their processes right. Lots of happy, productive customers meant that seven years later, I lead the nation in sales for that company.
Are you trying to build a perfect mousetrap at your nonprofit? Or are you more focused on making what you already have work really well?
There's always room for growth, but sometimes you've got to go with what you've got and make all those wheels spin together. It really helps if everyone is spinning their wheels in the same direction for the same ultimate goal.
Not entirely unlike cyclists in a paceline. Imagine - working together for the common good. Going further and faster with less effort. What a quaint idea.
If you're personally spinning those wheels, it's often hard to see beyond the crowd. If you're a director or manager of any type, you really need to look at the entire group relationship - and its relationships with other groups.
Creating better processes is not just an exercise in logic. It probably means digesting lots of data and finding a way to visualize it simply. Use your left brain to gather the data and your right brain to display it. Now you've got your whole brain working to improve your processes.
Imagine coordinating air traffic around the world. You have to deal with people, weather, machinery, and even the rising and setting sun. Thanks to a God's eye view from a NOAA satellite, here is global air traffic over a 24 hour period.
Your problems may be a little less complex. But if you can get a good view from 150 feet or 150 miles, you can really develop a sense of what you're trying to solve. That video from space is a thing of incredible beauty with an amazing display of dynamic information. It puts it all in perspective. The right and left sides of the brain are working as one.
Can you put your nonprofit and your partners in perspective? Do the processes in your organization need a healthy dose of BOTH art and science to make them all work well together?
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Seize the Day with Free Publicity
Do you have enough of the public's mindshare? If everyone already knows all about your organization and you're way ahead on donations this year, go ahead and skip this blog.
Spend your time filling out your brackets for March Madness. (That's the college basketball playoffs for those of you who don't know why a lot of guys are taking longer lunch hours this Thursday and Friday.)
If you're struggling to get the word out, stay with me. This blog is not for those of you who have stumbled into free publicity due to involvement with a ponzi scheme or a board member fighting extradition from Antigua. This blog is for the rest of us.
Emmy award winning reporter Jeff Crilley has written a helpful, easy-to-read book entitled Free Publicity. This guy knows what he's talking about. And he's willing to come talk to you about it! He has a heart for nonprofits.
Jeff spoke to a group of us at the Dallas Public Library last month. In a short, entertaining, and informative 90 minutes he listed five key points that every organization needs to keep in mind.
Help yourself. Good publicity is available to everyone. And the price is right.
On second thought, if you are fighting bad publicity, this blog is probably for you as well. Maybe especially for you.
Carpe diem!
Spend your time filling out your brackets for March Madness. (That's the college basketball playoffs for those of you who don't know why a lot of guys are taking longer lunch hours this Thursday and Friday.)
If you're struggling to get the word out, stay with me. This blog is not for those of you who have stumbled into free publicity due to involvement with a ponzi scheme or a board member fighting extradition from Antigua. This blog is for the rest of us.
Emmy award winning reporter Jeff Crilley has written a helpful, easy-to-read book entitled Free Publicity. This guy knows what he's talking about. And he's willing to come talk to you about it! He has a heart for nonprofits.
Jeff spoke to a group of us at the Dallas Public Library last month. In a short, entertaining, and informative 90 minutes he listed five key points that every organization needs to keep in mind.
- Look for opportunities to speak in public about your cause. Every Rotary, Kiawanas, and Lions club has someone eagerly trying to fill those weekly speaking slots. In a big town, there are lots of choices.
- Keep on networking. Even in a big town, word gets around. Make sure its a good word.
- Develop terrific customer service. Keep your employees happy. They will keep your customers - aka clients, donors, volunteers, board members - happy. That word will get out.
- Work with the media. Get to know the journalists who have an eye or ear for a story about people and nonprofits. People like stories about people. Learn how to help reporters on slow news days. Stage a special event on a government holiday.
- The buzz. This is the most important point of the five. It's all about the buzz. Creating it and keeping it alive is vital. If your organization lives - thrives - with honor and integrity and a level of customer service that Southwest Airlines will envy, the word everywhere will be about your organization.
Help yourself. Good publicity is available to everyone. And the price is right.
On second thought, if you are fighting bad publicity, this blog is probably for you as well. Maybe especially for you.
Carpe diem!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Give It Up
So what can nonprofits give up for Lent?
Give something up?? Are you kidding me? We're just barely making it as it is!
Hear me out. This blog has been brewing for days. Hope it's not too late. It is Ash Wednesday night.
In trying times, in a highly competitive landscape, it may be a good idea to do something counterintuitive. Unless you're on a really good roll, maybe a little change isn't a bad idea. Here are a few things you might consider changing for the next 40 days:
1) Give up meetings. Do you really need to have a staff meeting each week? A conference call every Monday? A board meeting every two months? You can still talk to these people if you really need to. A break in scheduled meetings will be a very refreshing change for people having trouble sleeping because of stress.
2) Give up editing every grant your grant writer puts in front of you. If you trust the person writing proposals, give them the responsibility to get it right and get it done. You'll get an extra few hours every week that you spend "improving" proposals. And you'll probably get more proposals submitted in 40 days than you have in the last 60 days.
3) Give up watching the news about how bad the economy is. At least give it up after 12pm so you can sleep better at night. Maybe the extra 15 minutes will give you more time to focus on your mission.
4) Give up an hour a week you spend on your assigned job and spend it with one of your constituents - client or donor. You'll be amazed at what you learn - and you'll probably do your job better.
5) Give up staying tuned to your regular source of news and information all day long. If you look for a new source every day for 40 days, chances are you'll find at least two or three keepers. Not a bad addition for a rapidly changing world.
That's it for for now. There have got to be more things we can give up. Stay tuned.
Give something up?? Are you kidding me? We're just barely making it as it is!
Hear me out. This blog has been brewing for days. Hope it's not too late. It is Ash Wednesday night.
In trying times, in a highly competitive landscape, it may be a good idea to do something counterintuitive. Unless you're on a really good roll, maybe a little change isn't a bad idea. Here are a few things you might consider changing for the next 40 days:
1) Give up meetings. Do you really need to have a staff meeting each week? A conference call every Monday? A board meeting every two months? You can still talk to these people if you really need to. A break in scheduled meetings will be a very refreshing change for people having trouble sleeping because of stress.
2) Give up editing every grant your grant writer puts in front of you. If you trust the person writing proposals, give them the responsibility to get it right and get it done. You'll get an extra few hours every week that you spend "improving" proposals. And you'll probably get more proposals submitted in 40 days than you have in the last 60 days.
3) Give up watching the news about how bad the economy is. At least give it up after 12pm so you can sleep better at night. Maybe the extra 15 minutes will give you more time to focus on your mission.
4) Give up an hour a week you spend on your assigned job and spend it with one of your constituents - client or donor. You'll be amazed at what you learn - and you'll probably do your job better.
5) Give up staying tuned to your regular source of news and information all day long. If you look for a new source every day for 40 days, chances are you'll find at least two or three keepers. Not a bad addition for a rapidly changing world.
That's it for for now. There have got to be more things we can give up. Stay tuned.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Hope to Fill Your Glass
On Christmas night just a few weeks ago, Ray Suarez asked: "When will the muscles in the back of your neck relax?"
During the 25 December edition of The Newshour on PBS, Suarez was talking to three exceptional leaders in the nonprofit world. The panel was composed of the development manager of the Salvation Army, the editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the president of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. It could not have been a better summary of the challenges facing nonprofits during the current economic crisis.
You're best served by reading the transcript of this excellent interview. What follows is my summary and a few comments.
The glass is half full: it's a bad time for all charities, but social services giving for people in need has increased a little - just not enough to meet the growing demands.
The glass is half empty: If you're not involved with social services, hang on. The arts, the environment, and other parts of the public sector are incredibly important, but they will be in line behind the basic needs of people.
Charities lag the economy. The economy lags the market. The market has yet to turn around although there are small hints of new life. This means there's a "long row to hoe" during this new economy.
That row may last longer than many charities can stand. There are only so many ways to become more efficient and creative. Assuming the only people left on your bus are the right people, it is going to be a short bus ride if you cannot afford gas and tires.
People and foundations are prioritizing their giving. Corporations are barely thinking of giving. Nonprofits must prioritize their spending. Tension is increasing between donors and service providers.
It's tough to ignore the passion of the servant's heart, but the reality is either:
a) don't cut back on services and close the doors this summer or
b) scale back and try to make it to the end of the year. Depending upon how long the row is, you may well get to do it all over again next year.
Faith is an important element here. Yes, God will provide and can stop a locomotive. But He gave you the brains to get off the tracks before the train comes. Now is a time, not just for prayer, but for some thought leadership.
Forward thinking nonprofits will be looking for more partners, collaborators, volunteers, and even mergers. Is it all about you and your nonprofit - or is it really about who or what you serve? As with every crisis, there are opportunities.
Can some administrative services be combined with other nonprofits in your sector or geography? Is there someone willing to create an administrative outsourcing business for nonprofits? At what cost? Who can help peer organizations get past egos and come together to serve the common good?
The response to Suarez's question was that it's time to shift nonprofit thinking to the "new normal" (my words). There is an immediate need for survival. You must manage through this week and this month.
But the row may take many months to hoe. What are your plans for the new economy that does emerge next year - or the year after next? Are you ready to consolidate? to share resources? to share responsibilities?
The new economy is the new normal. There is help for the asking. Is it time to add some partners to your paceline?
There are answers to all these questions. There is hope - it is not a new concept.
During the 25 December edition of The Newshour on PBS, Suarez was talking to three exceptional leaders in the nonprofit world. The panel was composed of the development manager of the Salvation Army, the editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the president of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. It could not have been a better summary of the challenges facing nonprofits during the current economic crisis.
You're best served by reading the transcript of this excellent interview. What follows is my summary and a few comments.
The glass is half full: it's a bad time for all charities, but social services giving for people in need has increased a little - just not enough to meet the growing demands.
The glass is half empty: If you're not involved with social services, hang on. The arts, the environment, and other parts of the public sector are incredibly important, but they will be in line behind the basic needs of people.
Charities lag the economy. The economy lags the market. The market has yet to turn around although there are small hints of new life. This means there's a "long row to hoe" during this new economy.
That row may last longer than many charities can stand. There are only so many ways to become more efficient and creative. Assuming the only people left on your bus are the right people, it is going to be a short bus ride if you cannot afford gas and tires.
People and foundations are prioritizing their giving. Corporations are barely thinking of giving. Nonprofits must prioritize their spending. Tension is increasing between donors and service providers.
It's tough to ignore the passion of the servant's heart, but the reality is either:
a) don't cut back on services and close the doors this summer or
b) scale back and try to make it to the end of the year. Depending upon how long the row is, you may well get to do it all over again next year.
Faith is an important element here. Yes, God will provide and can stop a locomotive. But He gave you the brains to get off the tracks before the train comes. Now is a time, not just for prayer, but for some thought leadership.
Forward thinking nonprofits will be looking for more partners, collaborators, volunteers, and even mergers. Is it all about you and your nonprofit - or is it really about who or what you serve? As with every crisis, there are opportunities.
Can some administrative services be combined with other nonprofits in your sector or geography? Is there someone willing to create an administrative outsourcing business for nonprofits? At what cost? Who can help peer organizations get past egos and come together to serve the common good?
The response to Suarez's question was that it's time to shift nonprofit thinking to the "new normal" (my words). There is an immediate need for survival. You must manage through this week and this month.
But the row may take many months to hoe. What are your plans for the new economy that does emerge next year - or the year after next? Are you ready to consolidate? to share resources? to share responsibilities?
The new economy is the new normal. There is help for the asking. Is it time to add some partners to your paceline?
There are answers to all these questions. There is hope - it is not a new concept.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Weather Tweets
It's a new year and time for many of us to start using our new toys. Over at Channel 8, ABC's affiliate in Dallas, WFAA TV is using Twitter to get the weather out.
The chief meteorologist, Pete Delkus, started sending tweets two days ago - right before the big ice storm.
Is this innovation by the corporation? Or did his teenage daughter embarrass him into using a new tool of the 21st Century? It doesn't matter. It's working. Good for him.
He's now got over a thousand followers. Lets see where this goes. If there's too much info, those tweets will fall into the area of noise. It will quickly get tuned out.
If it's timely and pertinent, that group of followers will continue to grow. Tornado season is still a few months away for Dallas. Check out how many peeps follow the tweets when big, black clouds start forming in the west.
Many nonprofits are already in their tornado season. Twitter may be a great resource for the stormy days ahead.
It's so simple. It's so cheap. Why aren't more nonprofits using it to get the word out??
Whether you want to send a quick update on the day's news to your followers, an urgent message to your staff or volunteers, or a dire plea for funds to your impulse donors you have little to lose and lots to gain.
Maybe it's time to embrace some change for the new year.
The chief meteorologist, Pete Delkus, started sending tweets two days ago - right before the big ice storm.
Is this innovation by the corporation? Or did his teenage daughter embarrass him into using a new tool of the 21st Century? It doesn't matter. It's working. Good for him.
He's now got over a thousand followers. Lets see where this goes. If there's too much info, those tweets will fall into the area of noise. It will quickly get tuned out.
If it's timely and pertinent, that group of followers will continue to grow. Tornado season is still a few months away for Dallas. Check out how many peeps follow the tweets when big, black clouds start forming in the west.
Many nonprofits are already in their tornado season. Twitter may be a great resource for the stormy days ahead.
It's so simple. It's so cheap. Why aren't more nonprofits using it to get the word out??
Whether you want to send a quick update on the day's news to your followers, an urgent message to your staff or volunteers, or a dire plea for funds to your impulse donors you have little to lose and lots to gain.
Maybe it's time to embrace some change for the new year.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Who's on Your Bus?
Voltaire said "the perfect is the enemy of the good." Collins said that "good is the enemy of great."
Most of you know of Jim Collins, management consultant, teacher, author, and rock climber. His books include Built to Last (1994) and Good to Great (2001). In the latter, he studied 11 companies that made the leap from being merely good to being truly great. Their performance greatly exceeded that of their peers and resulted in sustainably extraordinary results for at least 15 years.
Out of his 11 outstanding performers in 2001, two are pretty iffy right now. Circuit City, struggling to remain profitable, is closing 155 stores and laying off 17% of workforce. Fannie Mae was recently placed into conservatorship.
But the rest, Abbott, Gillette (purchased by Proctor and Gamble in 2005), Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris (now a part of Altria Group), Pitney Bowes, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo, are at least hanging in there during these turbulent economic times. Getting it right on 9 out of 11 is not a bad grade especially in today's economy. The guy seems to know what he's talking about.
Back in the day - when times were good (2005) - Collins wrote an excellent monograph for those of us in the nonprofit world. Entitled Good to Great and the Social Sectors, he reemphasized principles that distinguish good (or mediocre) organizations from great ones. Note that he's not talking about business practices. He is talking about disciplines that benefit all organizations.
Today, in the nonprofit world, I believe one of his points is especially important. It's about getting the right people on the bus.
Unless you're living on another planet, you've already looked at your income and expense projections for the coming twelve months. You've undoubtedly looked at the sad prospect of making cuts. This is stewardship 101.
The tough choices get down to decisions on cutting programs or services (which will hurt your mission) or cutting staff (which is your most expensive cost). This is not a good time for anyone, but it is a vital time to ensure you have the right people on the bus, sitting in the right seats.
Nonprofits are often harder to reorganize than businesses for more complex relationship and emotional reasons. How do you tell an employee who's also a donor or church/auxiliary member that their performance is not good enough? What's the ripple effect among other volunteers if you eliminate a position or bring in a replacement volunteer?
Chances are you have some long-time, very nice, barely competent employees. Can you imagine not having that big smile and big heart around every day? But what if that wonderful person is not carrying the load? Or actually hurting the mission?
The bigger question is: during a recession, can you afford the luxury - the outreach to someone who's taking up a seat on the bus? This is the time when you have to be doing more with less. When the team has to be pulling together. When the paceline has to be working together to go further and faster with less effort.
Nonprofits are nearly always challenged by efficiency. This very difficult time may be the very best time to gently let someone off the bus, or move them to a seat they can share with someone else.
Please tell me that I don't sound like Dwight K. Schrute.
Collins concludes with some simple reminders: "The right people can often attract money, but money by itself can never attract the right people. Money is a commodity; talent is not. Time and talent can often compensate for lack of money, but money cannot ever compensate for lack of the right people."
What a remarkable opportunity exists now to strengthen your team for the long haul.
Most of you know of Jim Collins, management consultant, teacher, author, and rock climber. His books include Built to Last (1994) and Good to Great (2001). In the latter, he studied 11 companies that made the leap from being merely good to being truly great. Their performance greatly exceeded that of their peers and resulted in sustainably extraordinary results for at least 15 years.
Out of his 11 outstanding performers in 2001, two are pretty iffy right now. Circuit City, struggling to remain profitable, is closing 155 stores and laying off 17% of workforce. Fannie Mae was recently placed into conservatorship.
But the rest, Abbott, Gillette (purchased by Proctor and Gamble in 2005), Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris (now a part of Altria Group), Pitney Bowes, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo, are at least hanging in there during these turbulent economic times. Getting it right on 9 out of 11 is not a bad grade especially in today's economy. The guy seems to know what he's talking about.
Back in the day - when times were good (2005) - Collins wrote an excellent monograph for those of us in the nonprofit world. Entitled Good to Great and the Social Sectors, he reemphasized principles that distinguish good (or mediocre) organizations from great ones. Note that he's not talking about business practices. He is talking about disciplines that benefit all organizations.
Today, in the nonprofit world, I believe one of his points is especially important. It's about getting the right people on the bus.
Unless you're living on another planet, you've already looked at your income and expense projections for the coming twelve months. You've undoubtedly looked at the sad prospect of making cuts. This is stewardship 101.
The tough choices get down to decisions on cutting programs or services (which will hurt your mission) or cutting staff (which is your most expensive cost). This is not a good time for anyone, but it is a vital time to ensure you have the right people on the bus, sitting in the right seats.
Nonprofits are often harder to reorganize than businesses for more complex relationship and emotional reasons. How do you tell an employee who's also a donor or church/auxiliary member that their performance is not good enough? What's the ripple effect among other volunteers if you eliminate a position or bring in a replacement volunteer?
Chances are you have some long-time, very nice, barely competent employees. Can you imagine not having that big smile and big heart around every day? But what if that wonderful person is not carrying the load? Or actually hurting the mission?
The bigger question is: during a recession, can you afford the luxury - the outreach to someone who's taking up a seat on the bus? This is the time when you have to be doing more with less. When the team has to be pulling together. When the paceline has to be working together to go further and faster with less effort.
Nonprofits are nearly always challenged by efficiency. This very difficult time may be the very best time to gently let someone off the bus, or move them to a seat they can share with someone else.
Please tell me that I don't sound like Dwight K. Schrute.
Collins concludes with some simple reminders: "The right people can often attract money, but money by itself can never attract the right people. Money is a commodity; talent is not. Time and talent can often compensate for lack of money, but money cannot ever compensate for lack of the right people."
What a remarkable opportunity exists now to strengthen your team for the long haul.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Best and the Brightest
Wow! It's a challenging time for nonprofits right now. Heck. It's a challenging time for everyone.
How would you like to be the President Elect of the nation right now? I'm fascinated - and encouraged - by the team Barack Obama is putting together for the executive branch of our government. Part of my encouragement is that he is a good listener, and he is willing to listen to some great minds to help solve the myriad problems faced by the nation.
Some of those great minds were not necessarily his supporters over the last 12 months. Does this make it a team of egos or a team of rivals? Doris Kearns Goodwin writes about the latter in her fascinating study of Abraham Lincoln.
What kind of "cabinet" does your nonprofit have? Whether you define your cabinet as your key management team or your board of directors - or both - it's important to have a diverse mix of people around you.
You need encouraging, enthusiastic people to support you, but you cannot afford to have all "yes" people. You need positive people around you, but beware of those who won't tell you the truth about what's really happening. It's good to surround yourself with the best thinkers available, but beware of over thinking your problems.
History has not always been kind to the best and the brightest. Eight years ago, the new Bush administration pleased many people with its selection of leaders. Not many of those original choices get very good grades today.
Originally, the best and the brightest referred to the people chosen to work in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. David Halberstam wrote a book by that title. With the clear vision of hindsight, we can see that those leaders of the 60's didn't manage things all that well either.
Based on history, it may be a mistake to assume that you will ensure success by stocking your nonprofit with the best and the brightest. But to avoid getting the best and the brightest people "on the bus" may be a greater mistake.
Supportive, positive - but not non-critical - people who are thinkers and listeners can go a long way towards success. With that, there's one more mistake to avoid.
All thinking and no action will get you nowhere.
How would you like to be the President Elect of the nation right now? I'm fascinated - and encouraged - by the team Barack Obama is putting together for the executive branch of our government. Part of my encouragement is that he is a good listener, and he is willing to listen to some great minds to help solve the myriad problems faced by the nation.
Some of those great minds were not necessarily his supporters over the last 12 months. Does this make it a team of egos or a team of rivals? Doris Kearns Goodwin writes about the latter in her fascinating study of Abraham Lincoln.
What kind of "cabinet" does your nonprofit have? Whether you define your cabinet as your key management team or your board of directors - or both - it's important to have a diverse mix of people around you.
You need encouraging, enthusiastic people to support you, but you cannot afford to have all "yes" people. You need positive people around you, but beware of those who won't tell you the truth about what's really happening. It's good to surround yourself with the best thinkers available, but beware of over thinking your problems.
History has not always been kind to the best and the brightest. Eight years ago, the new Bush administration pleased many people with its selection of leaders. Not many of those original choices get very good grades today.
Originally, the best and the brightest referred to the people chosen to work in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. David Halberstam wrote a book by that title. With the clear vision of hindsight, we can see that those leaders of the 60's didn't manage things all that well either.
Based on history, it may be a mistake to assume that you will ensure success by stocking your nonprofit with the best and the brightest. But to avoid getting the best and the brightest people "on the bus" may be a greater mistake.
Supportive, positive - but not non-critical - people who are thinkers and listeners can go a long way towards success. With that, there's one more mistake to avoid.
All thinking and no action will get you nowhere.
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