Perspective

This morning greeted me with the sound of honking horns and ten minutes of emergency sirens.  I rolled out of bed and went to the fitness center for a workout.  I did not feel the need to look out the window or turn-on the TV for a news update.  In New York City for meetings, I expect the urban background noise and would worry if it were too quiet.  However, had the same racket been produced in my neighborhood in Boise I would have grabbed a phone and perhaps a large stick as I headed for the front door.  Why does the same set of circumstances cause no alarm in one setting and would come closer to panic in another?

Environment sets expectations.  Live near a hospital and you expect sirens, fly on a stormy day you can anticipate turbulence, or engage with a nonprofit and you can expect an unquenchable thirst for resources.  Of course, not all of these conditions are true all the time but the expectations can be set.

It makes me wonder what expectations we are setting as our members of the social sector.  Do we perpetuate the perspective or create a new paradigm?  Are we the best kept secret or the cornerstone of the community?  Are we explaining what value we add to the community or do we express what we need from the community?

The Board’s Role

Star Trek’s Captain Picard use to utter, “make it so” and the command became action.  I often find a parallel in strategic planning.  Boards dream great visions, set lofty goals, and turn to their Executive Director and in either word or action say, “make it so.”  The consequences of vision without resources can be overwhelming and disheartening from the staff’s prospective.  An in-tune board chair must comprehend the bandwidth of the enterprise.  Consider asking the following questions to the board:

  • Do we have the expertise to manage the goal?
  • What resources are required?
  • What role can the staff play?
  • What role does the board need to take to champion the goal?

There is a difference between “make it so” and “let us all commit to the initiative.”  I would suggest that often a strategic initiative is treated like a ‘to do list’ which can be leveraged to another party.  A true strategic priority requires all parties to participate, much like a summit attempt on a high alpine peak.  Without the commitment of the entire party, the rope lines and high camps cannot be established and no individual can be placed high enough to summit the peak.  “Make it so” should be “let’s go.”

Preferred Customer

Three telephone calls tonight that started with some form of the intro, “you are a preferred customer and therefore….”  I listened politely and declined the new limited time offer of additional service (insurance, travel protection, purchase protection).  Each call made me wonder, does being a preferred customer mean more harassment?  I cannot seem to opt-out of the offers from these corporations so now I must decide if doing business at all is worth-while.  


How does your enterprise treat its preferred customers?  Do you know what they wish to be contacted about?  Are you building a relationship on trust or transactions?

Free Space

I walked into a Barnes & Noble and was amazed to see the transformation that has taken place.  Missing were the bookshelves with best sellers that had greeted me upon entering.  New shelves with greeting cards, writing supplies and toys filled one corner of the store.  Lego roams where classic literature once held court.  A couple of tables that appeared similar to an Apple Store displayed a hands-on area to test the Nook e-reader.  A Starbucks in the middle was clearly the busiest portion of the enterprise.  As I departed through the movie and music section, I was wondering how the Redbox across the street was impacting sales.  On one side, Barnes & Noble was embracing the e-reader with a commitment to the online delivery format.  On the other side the company was holding firm to the traditional sales approach to selling CD and DVD.

In the social sector, we have been quick to adopt social media and ‘donate now’ buttons on our homepages.  We have been more reticent to leave some methodologies.  For example, I often hear how labor intensive and exhausting an organization’s last strategic planning process turned out.  I will offer new models and encourage a more inspired and engaging approach.  Many times the initial reaction from the enterprise is to reluctantly suggest they should stick with the tried and true, no matter that it means torture by boredom.

Is it change we resist or is it our loyalty to the known?  What leaps of faith have you made that have reaped great rewards?  What is the least amount of change you could take that would have the greatest impact?

Broken?

I have yet to successfully navigate the Express Self-Checkout line at an Albertsons store.  Each time I place more than one of my own bags into the bagging area, the screen locks-up and I need a supervisor to clear the warning.  So today I asked about the problem and I was told it is easier if I use one of the store’s plastic bags.  This policy does not seem very environmentally friendly to those of us trying to be sustainable. Albertsons even sell reusable bags to encourage a more sustainable approach, which seems like a mixed message after today’s conversation.

I also noticed that my Preferred Card fuel credit expires after 30 days if it has not been used.  So if you happen to drive a fuel efficient car, walk, bike, or use public transportation on a frequent basis your discount is deleted.  The current program rewards drivers of vehicles that gets fewer miles per gallon than those who use less, regardless of how much business you do with Albertsons.

The sustainability message and actual practices are not compatible.  The walk has to meet the talk and with a few adjustments a broken system could be one that is consistent with the message.  The good news is just a small amount of effort would deliver a greater sense of trust and authenticity, two things that cannot be faked or delivered in a marketing message.

Does your enterprise’s systems meet your sustainability values?

Whack ’em and Plaque ’em

Thanking a board member or volunteer for their service is tricky territory.  Doing nothing carries the least amount of expense but has the most down-side.  It is disheartening to watch an individual fade into the night without mention or commendation.  Many times these fans slip from the radar screen, the annual report, and email list, often feeling unappreciated.  Another approach endorsed by optimist football league is that everyone gets the same token and recognition.  There are no winner and there are no losers.  As master BoardSource Governance Consultant, Sandra Hughes used to say, “you wack ’em and plaque ’em.”  A handshake and something to go on the bookshelf was the minimum standard.  

The next level up is a customized or more personal approach.  You invite the retiring board member or volunteer to an event that has a more genuine touch, perhaps a reception where a peer provides meaningful reflection.  The end-result should be the departing volunteer leaves on a high note and continued engagement is likely.  Some nonprofits offer an official committee or advisory council position to departing board members or leaders such as a past board member’s council or past board president committee.  Then there are the causes that go over the top.  A party worthy of a fundraising gala is thrown.  For all you know a cruise liner could have been christened among the decorations and fan fare.  

Perhaps a naming opportunity appears among the honors.  This approach works for some enterprises and is needed by those who worry about the legacy of their service.

The process is unique to each cause.  A certificate and personal photo can bring one person to tears and be anticlimactic to another.  Everyone receiving the same token is treasured like a varsity letter by one group and scoffed at by a partnering cause.  Finding your organization’s way is the organic part of the social sector.

Just one note, remember to get the details right for the honored individuals.  I am the proud owner of a pottery plate thanking me for my four years of service as board chair.  Just below the organization’s logo is my last name, misspelled.  It was a humorous but awkward way to wrap-up an intensive period of service.

Choice

I received a season subscription packet to a theater company’s upcoming productions.  The materials were beautiful and the options were numerous.  My issues was that I could not decide how to proceed since at least thirty ticketing choices existed.  There was no predefined packages for me to use as a baseline.  Frankly, there were too many choices.  As I considered the options, I heard a television spot for the Boise State University basketball team.  They were running a promotion that no ticket goes unused.  If you buy a package and cannot make a game you simply roll the ticket forward to future game.  It makes the decision to purchase much easier since the commitment is flexible and the system leans in your favor.  I understand an athletic team has far more seating capacity than a theater company.  However, managing the number of options is critical.  If the theater company had provided three options: want to attend one play, the entire season, or customize your own package.  This would have been an easy starting point.  You can provide the suggested path and then let the few who need to create their own package do so.  There is probably a reason that so many fast-food chains allow you to order by a number (at least the last time I patronized one).  Ordering a preselected meal combines a lot of options into a single decision.


How are you helping your patrons interact with your cause?  Does your fundraising material offer a suggested donation?  Does your membership material provide a few clear options with reasonable benefits?  Does purchasing a ticket to an event happen seamlessly and conveniently?  Is it easy to follow your operating hours?  Simplicity is manageable.

The Artisan

Thomas Friedman’s Op-Ed column in this Sunday’s New York Times, raises an interesting perspective.  He recognized the idea of individuals considering themselves as an “artisan,” a term promoted by Lawrence Katz from Harvard University.  To get at the core of the concept, Mr. Friedman writes,

“But just doing your job in an average way- in this integrated and automated global economy- will lead to below average wages.  Sadly, average is over.  We’re in the age of ‘extra,’ and everone has to figure out what extra they can add to their work to justify being paid more than a computer, a Chinese worker or a day laborer…Their work will be more meaningful and their customers more satisfied.”

It makes me wonder if a portion of the social sector has relied on being average for too long.  With the new frontier of B Corporations about to start a land rush for enterprises that use the power of businesses to create public benefit, are we entering the sunset of the social sector.  Is the 501(c)(3) endangered to become the transistor radio of the television era?  Will the demand for greater profitability in the name of the greater good attract a whole generation enticed with start-ups and the responsiveness of a business environment?  Will having an impact without the need to take a pledge of poverty become the calling card of innovative ideas?  Are we drinking from the same well and using similar maps to predicted the best path for our campaigns?  Will the idea of invested stakeholders and the development of a profitable brands take the place of doing good without the need for glory?

I wonder if the touch-paper has been lit and we will see the smoke only after the flames have reached our mission?  The social sector is at its most vulnerable and most revered in the economic recession.  Contraction and partnerships have reduced some of the overlap but much like Wall Street financial institutions, I am not sure what lessons we have learned will inform our sector’s future.

If you are an artisan, perhaps now is the time to confirm your purpose.  As an outdoor wilderness instructor once suggested, a compass is a tool.  It can lead you to safety or off a cliff, depending on your ability to use the information.  If a new frontier is opening, it is nice to know where you are starting.

Last Call
Friday Evening

Sometimes we need to remember to seize the opportunity.  Having missed a couple chances to get in a backpack this summer, I found myself with an opening to sneak into the Sawtooths Friday afternoon.  Knowing that winter weather was on the way, the window was short but the experience was memorable.  With 6-12 inches predicted tonight and tomorrow the lakes may be bidding adieu to the backpacking season.  Glad I made the journey.

Saturday Morning