How do you measure success? Try creating a list of and prioritizing. What comes to the top? Is it quantifiable? Image an arts organization. Do they measure success by the number of attendees? How beautiful or though-provoking the pictures are? The media coverage of the exhibit? Letter to the editor (either for or against)? Is it the ‘you must see’ event in your community? The donations received?
What is your metric for measuring success?
What would you do with an unexpected free-day? Would you knock-off items of your ‘to do’ list? Do something completely unplanned? Take on a ‘bucket list’ dream? Sleep-in or stay-out late?
I find myself with a free morning due an airline delay- what to do?
You work for Xerox and after looking at your balance sheet you realize that 50% of your revenue now comes from back-of-office services. That is right, the copier business is not the 800-pound gorilla that determines your company’s economic fate. Actually, the copier may be the parking brake that is keeping you from accelerating forward. Marketplace from American Public Media had a informative interview with Xerox CEO Ursula Burns. Her biggest challenge may be uncoupling the Xerox name from the very product that made it the Kleenex of the photocopier market.
How do you innovate when you are know for one product or program? If your identity is know for a concrete deliverable it is a challenge to shift into a new product line. However, if you are known for a commitment to a purpose or belief then flexibility may be your greatest strength.
How does your enterprise adopt new ideas and concepts?
Are you asking the same questions hoping for different answers? Try reversing your query. When the question is re-framed it may just reveal a completely different answer that may provide a new perspective.
One of the great outcomes of workshops and conferences is that you have the opportunity to meet people who may share your purpose. Sometimes the experience can be a bit overwhelming as you trade business cards and contact information. A coach of mine suggested that you should create a help wanted sign that specifically outlines what outcome you are seeking.
Who do you think posted the following help wanted sign years ago:
“ Men wanted for Hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”
If you guessed Ernest Shackleton you have a good historical knowledge. Notice how specific the post reads. Interested parties are not going to mistake this for a Disney Cruise.
How does your help wanted sign read?
I would highly recommend seeing the movie, “I Am”. Shifted my thinking in fundamental ways- not often I can be entertained and transformed in the same sitting.
Is success contingent on reaching a summit you have selected as the focus of your efforts? Are there actions you can take along the way that will make your adventure more complete regardless of reaching the highest peak? Chris Davenport is climbing Mt. Everest right now but he managed to spend time skiing the Lhoste Face at 24,000 feet. In a recent interview, he suggested that his trip is already a success because he took the time to ski in the one of the most memorable location he has encountered in his skiing career. Maximizing the opportunity is one of Chris’s strengths. What can you add as you continue on your adventure?
Fundraising is a bit like playing the board game Clue. You need everyone in your organization to be traveling from room to room constantly. Go to the library, kitchen, and conservatory. It is a bit like the daily routine of taking your kids to school, spending the day at your workplace, and getting a workout at the gym. While there you can be an admbassador for your cause’s amazing work. You are a walking billboard and it is easy advertising.
The next level is start inquiring about what is taking place in each room. Is Professor Plum in the study? At this level you are asking your board and staff to start discovering what is compelling to those who have or are considering making a philanthropic investment in your cause. Perhaps you represent the local animal shelter and meet a donor who has made an initial contributions to the shelter but is a leadership donor to other enterprises in the community. You can start a conversation with, “I see you are supporter of the local theater company. I so appreciate that as I am a fan of the company and attended last season. I am wondering what makes them so compelling to you?” You are seeking some insights into what drives their philanthropic investments. What do they believe? What needs are they trying to meet? How do they decide? At this level you are an advocate, seeking specific information about what drives specific donor’s intentions.
Somebody needs to accuse Colonel Mustard of murder in the Ballroom with a wrench. In the same way, there are key people in your organization who are uniquely motivated to ask for a philanthropic investment. If you have assembled the right information from the ambassadors visiting all the rooms and added important details from the advocates then the ask is is a bit like the Accusation in Clue. You will not get an answer until you ask.
Have fun playing.
To learn more about fundraising models, Kay Sprinkle Grace offers some of the leading models worth exploration.
What-if-concepts 