Author: whatifconcepts

Empowering those that inspire so they can excel at the work that matters.

Shadow

If you could let one member of your organization shadow you for a week, who would you choose?  What would they gleam from the experience?  What would you hope that they witness?  What barriers and challenges would you hope were recognized?  Which talents would your shadow daily?  After a week of shadowing, what feedback would be valuable?


Imagine you allowed new hires or volunteers to shadow the CEO, Board Chair or a senior member of the organization?  Would this be more effective than a formal orientation?  What message would it send about trust and transparency in the organization?

Inspired

Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them.

Simon Sinek, Start With Why
I hope we all have had the experience of walking into a business or enterprise where the interactions just feel different.  The people who greet you are remarkable.  They create memorable moments.  Your interactions are authentic.  They are inspired.  They can even exist in unexpected places.  Airline call centers employee some remarkable team members who standout because they act as an advocate for the customer instead of part of a policy enforcement agency.  This catches our attention.

Has your organization built a team of inspired leaders?  How to you keep the level of engagement growing?

90 Minutes

Wondering how to engage individuals who are too busy to serve on your board?  Or a young entrepreneur who has has expressed an interest in enhancing your programs?  Have an organizational opportunity but unsure of how to proceed?  Hoping to evaluate options with the insight of professional wisdom?

A strategy that has worked well for a number of enterprises:
Invite a small group of individuals with appropriate expertise for a 90 minute table top session.  Send the attendees a relevant synopsis of your organization and an outline of the topic you propose discussing.  Provide food and beverages.  Keep your introduction to fifteen minutes when framing the issue.  Turn the meeting over to the participants and get their council.  As the session wraps-up ask permission to keep the participants updated on the organization’s progress.  Report back on any actions taken as a result of the meeting.

Some of the benefits of this strategy include that you use the participant’s time wisely.  The attendees use their expertise to further your mission and they in turn become familiar with your organization.  Many times these individuals become resources for future sessions, committee members, or even board members.  If the connection is strong many will become donors and fans of your cause.  They will recruit others to be involved.

Would you commit 90 minutes to gain the wisdom of others?

Trust

How does your cause demonstrate trust?  Is is done with words?  Actions? Programs? Volunteers? Partnerships? Relationships? Everyday? By proxy?  Through all individual or key leaders?  With a large megaphone?

Which organizations do you trust?  Why?  Which ones would you recommend to a colleague or friend?  Which organizations would you trust to take care of a friend no matter when and how they interacted?  What makes these organizations so trustworthy?

Keep your eyes open for trust today.

Tattoo

Under what motivations would an individual get a tattoo of a Fortune 500 company on their arm?  Which corporate seal would you be willing to walk around with to display every time your bare arms were visible?  How much would you need to cheerish their product?

What if you could not even own the product?  Would you get the tattoo then?

The company needs to represents something greater than its products, perhaps a movement.  The next time you see a Harley-Davidson tattoo on an individual, ask them why they felt compelled to advertise for Harley-Davidson for the rest of their life.  My guess is that their answer will not be about their ‘hog’.  It is what the motorcycle represents.  It is a movement.  It is about freedom.  It is about patrotism.


Would anyone put a tattoo of your organization’s logo on their arm?  Is your logo representative of your programs and services or a movement? Is the logo tied to a static enterprise or a cause in motion?  Is there a point of entry where I can align my reasons with your enterprise’s purpose.



Why would tens of thousands of people walk around with a yellow rubber band on their wrist?  Why would politicians and heads of state add this accessory to their wrists?  The LIVESTRONG campaign provided a perfect opportunity to align a cause in a public manner and bring one’s own story.  It was a symbol of solidarity and support with those who were fighting, survived, or been lost to cancer.  But more importantly it allowed the wearer to bring their own story.  To be part of the movement and represent the personal.  The wearer could share their connection to somebody impacted by cancer and yet be part of a cause.


What is the point of engagement for those seeking to intersect your cause with their own stories?

 

Board Members Wanted

What would a “board members wanted” advertisement look like for your organization?  How would it stand out from another nonprofits?  What attributes would you list?  What would be your unique selling proposition?  Could you answer why your cause is worthy of support without listing facts and results?  How would you define your board’s chemistry?  Can you define the loyalty of your board members?  What could you do to differentiate your organization for the others in your community?