Facebook or FacelessBook

If a person you only knew as a friend on Facebook asked you to loan them a $1,000, would you?  If you did, would you expect to get the money back as promised?  If you met the same individual in-person and they reached out their hand to confirm the terms of the loan and you could look them in the eye, would it change your decision?  

These were a couple observations shared by a participants on a conference call with Simon Sinek earlier this week.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that convenience was replacing the humanizing part of a relationship.  Consider this, how many social sector causes do you support that you have either direct contact with a representative of the organization or visit the enterprise’s physical location?  Conversely, how many causes do you support only through a virtual relationship?  Are there organizations that you interact with only via the internet, mail, or some form of third-party contact?  If you measured the impact of these relationships does your connection to one group feel stronger? 

I certainly feel more connected and inspired by the organizations that I interact with on a human-to-human level.  Of course it is not possible for all the causes to reach me on this level but the degree of my engagement and philanthropic priorities lean in favor of the groups where there is a human-to-human relationship.  There is a reason that colleges maintain a class agent program.  It is far more meaningful to speak with a classmate than be bombarded by emails and phone calls from a member of the advancement office that you do not know.  Many times, planned giving officers spend years cultivating and connecting with possible benefactors before a gift instrument is ever created.

The value of a face-to-face meeting is not going away anytime soon.  As Simon pointed out, consider that even the blogging world holds a convention in Las Vegas every year.  If there was ever a group that was equiped to meet on a conference call it would be bloggers but instead they choose to gather in-person instead of virtually.

So now about that $1,000…

Network

Who can you call when you need a lifeline?  Who do you connect with to share ideas and discuss opportunities?  Who has a network that offers relevant resources and ideas for your area of focus?  

I had the chance to met with a good friend and fellow consultant yesterday and it was great reminder of the importance of having a confederacy of professionals.  A brain trust or personal board of directors to help expand your thinking.  As a consultant in the occasionally remote-feeling state of Idaho the ability to network is sometimes less likely than my colleagues in New York or San Francisco.  That said, building a collaborative brain-trust is essential. Who can a CEO turn to when considering how to channel the enthusaism of an Board Chair?  And likewise, where can a Board Chair turn to strategize about keeping trustees focused and practicing great governance?  As a consultant, where can I share innovative strategies and learn from the experiences of the few who are engaged in fulfilling a similar purpose?

What keeps you awake at night and who do you call?

 

Best Intentions

I just returned a $9 check to United Airlines.  They had graciously offered me the tidy sum as reimbursement for misplacing my bag for four days in the Rome airport.  After days of promising me that my bag was in luggage delivery van on the way to our hotel I finally embraced the fact that somebody was not telling the truth.  I returned to the airport at my own expense and found the bag in the luggage storage area.

The bag was found sitting on a shelf where it had vacationed for three days.  United’s actions did not match their intention.  I hope my investment makes a difference in fixing their broken system.


We have all had a similar experience.  It can be memorable for the wrong reasons when you are left to your own resources and savvy to solve a problem that was created by a lack of completion.


It is a good reminder to deliver what we promise.  I often receive mail stating that I should expect a follow-up telephone call to discuss a potential donation.  The majority of the time I do not receive the call and can only assume that the organization found other funders to invest in the cause.  The intention may have been honorable by the execution was lacking.

Partnerships

If you could borrow employees from another organization for one project, which employees would you select for what project?  Have you considered bartering for an in-kind trade?  I recently saw an HR representative create a number of employee manuals for local nonprofits who returned the favor by getting their volunteers to support the HR representatives organization’s major public event.

Not everything needs to be paid position- consider what assets you can exchange.

Artists

If you are an artists and look at a block of uncut stone, how do you decide which image to create when you see a thousand possibilities?  An Italian artists today told me that he chooses the form that aligns with his purpose.  Perhaps it is the same for our causes.

Ghost Writer

If you asked your closest partnering organization write down strategic goals for your organization and then did the same for them, what would be the result?  Would they focus on the same initiatives that you have selected?  Would they define your organizational purpose in-line with how you perceive yourself?  Would they apply your resources in a similar fashion or uncover a new arrangement?


Why not ask them to partner and hold a 90 minute table top session and see what the results reveal?  It could be illuminating or even revolutionary for your cause.


Seth Godin’s blog today speaks to the power of planning with the buddy system.

Your Story

Storytelling is such an important part of creating connection.  Consider how well we know the adventures of Lewis & Clark because of the journals they kept during their explorations.  If you have read the journals in entirety they are long spells that are mundane.  But what we recall and share are the highlights.  Surviving an early winter passage over the mountains in later-day Montana without rations.  Wintering on the Pacific coast.  Separating into two parties and then being reunited during a clash with natives.

Which stories does your cause hold out front?   Is there a narrative about your enterprise’s founding?  A personal narrative from an individual who was transformed by your organization’s services?  An emotional hook to draw-in your audience and make your work authentic?