Assessments

I am sure we have all seen a variety of assessment instruments.  Board self-evaluations, 360 degree CEO assessments, exit interviews and customer surveys come to mind.  Perhaps the most effective and efficient evaluation tool I have come across was developed by the Gallup Organization and outlined in the book, First, Break All the Rules authored by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.


The copyrighted questions are as follows:

  1. I know what is expected of me at work.
  2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
  3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
  4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition and praise for doing good work.
  5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
  6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
  7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
  8. The mission/purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
  9. My associates (fellow employees) are committed to doing quality work.
  10. I have a best friend at work.
  11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
  12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

The Gallup organization found that a high level of agreement to these twelve questions indicated a strong workplace.  The assessment became known as the ‘measuring stick.’  The data they collected was extensive (as one would expect from an enterprise know for its surveys) and outlined in the book.


How would your staff answer these questions?  Would you consider these questions as part of an exit interview?  How might your board respond if you altered the questions slightly?

Turn Right To Go Left

In the movie Cars, Doc teaches Lightning McQueen that sometimes you need to ‘turn right to go left.’  After many painful attempts, Lightning finally learns the art of the power-slide and cornering on dirt.  Sometimes the opposite force works more effectively than common logic would recommend.

Checking on my social community of Facebook friends I see friends stuck everywhere from Frankfurt to Turkey and on to Dubai.  They are waiting on the cloud of volcanic ash to disipate enough to allow for air travel to resume.  Suddenly booking a EuroStar train ticket is next to impossible, bus tickets are in high fashion and long road trips are the only alternative for everyone from Opera singers to cyclist trying to get to their weekend performances.

You never know when the world might turn right to go left and your organization may be the unexpected beneficiary of a global power-slide.  Being able to respond in real time to opportunities has become a competitive advantage for many organizations.  Is your enterprise ready to counter-steer?

Putting the Tribe Back Together

I have watched a couple organizations struggle to keep all their constituents connected as part of one tribe.  These are groups who started small and formed a loyal base of supporters.  As the cause grew and the membership increased suddenly there was need for new staff, databases, email newsletters, and phone systems.  Now the staff who were part of the organization’s early years and the original members are trying to regenerate the intimacy that they so cherished.  They have proposed multiple strategies and programs to re-create community.  Some of the initiatives are goals in the strategic plan.

It took me a while to see the common denominator in theses causes.  The challenge is that the tribe has grown larger than the organization’s could handle.  As Seth Godin points out in the aptly named book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us a tribe needs two things.  The two elements are a shared interest and a way to communicate (they also need a leader as Seth points out later).  In the case of the aforementioned organizations the shared interest had begun to deviating and communication was fractured.  There is another point.  At about 150 members a tribes typically begins to outgrow a level of intimacy and either splits into separate tribes or become less of a community.  That is why a national organization such as Alcoholics Anynomous has local chapters, so individuals can form their own tribes within a local community and still connect to a larger national tribe.  For an independent day school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade it might mean allowing tribes to form within the Elementary, Middle and High School.

Are you providing your tribe with information that resonates with their shared interest?  Is your enterprise constantly enhancing communication not only to the tribe but between its members?  Does your tribe need to split in order to thrive?

Fundraising Tremors

This week has been a busy one for those in the professional fundraising crowd.  The Association of Fundraising Professionals held their annual conference which I followed on Twitter using #afpmeet.  There are some great links, resources and videos if you search using this hashtag.  Additionally, in the April 8th issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy you can find the annual Fund-Raising Services Guide title, Keeping Donors Loyal in Tough Time.  A couple bullet points from the insert that I found to be most helpful.

   * Ask donors for advice- it makes them feel involved and valued.
   * Focus on the most-loyal donors, and give them more attention.
   * Be specific in thank-you notes about the results of donors’ gifts.
   * Donors want accountability along with thank-yous.

Some resources from the AFP conference include:

The Nonprofit Times put a series of videos online from the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference.


The Chronicle of Philanthropy created a Conference Notebook that they updated throughout the event.  An entry entitled, What Makes Donors Give: A New Study Offers Clues was fascinating.


And lastly, here are a couple of of interesting tweets from the conference:


AmyBlogTalk: #afpmeet Archbishop Tutu philanthropy is the opposite of selfishness #Cinch: http://bit.ly/bapzYB

gonnagetthere: #afpmeet “You cannot separate fundraising from leadership anymore” Karla Williams Session on NPO Leadership Models (via @TammyZonker) Amen!

ToDiFor: 66 percent of high wealth donors said they quit giving because they did not feel connected any longer #afpmeet

BTalisman: RESOURCE: #nfp Posted links to handouts, info etc from #10ntc and #afpmeet http://bit.ly/c8KNc7

Tolerance and Thrashing

Is there somebody at your organization that always has the wild ideas?  You know the zany concepts about radically altering the way your organization does business?  Does this individual contain an bottomless well of new approaches?  Does your organization thrive on the suggestions or is it disruptive?


One of the concepts I have come to readily adopt is the idea of thrashing.  Thrashing is represented by the active brainstorming and manipulation of a new or existing idea.  It can take place in many stages of development and its impact varies.  Perhaps a visual representation offers more clarity.





Thrashing works exceedingly well at the inception of an idea.  It is what allows a foal to find its legs and begin to walk.  Without a willingness to put everything on the line the foal is doomed to suffer an unfavorable evolutionary ending.  Thrashing works less well when done later in the development stage.  The results can be more destructive than productive.







Seth Godin’s book Linchpin makes an interesting case for the value of thrashing.

“Thrashing is essential.  The question is: when to thrash?  In the typical amateur project, all the thrashing is near the end.  The closer we got to shipping, the more people get involved, the more meetings we have, the more likely the CEO wants to be involved.  And why not?  What’s the point of getting involved early when you can’t see what’s already done and your work will probably be redone anyway.  The point of getting everyone involved early is simple: thrash late and you won’t ship.  Thrash late and you introduce bugs.  Professional creators thrash early.  The closer the project gets to completion, the fewer people see it and the fewer changes are permitted.”



Tolerance is an amazing part of any organization’s culture.  It allows for innovation and new concepts.  An enterprise with a willingness to tolerate a wide range of ideas is powerful.  Having a value system in place to be accepting attracts lots of fans.  However, creating an agreement about when the time for input is being closed is equally important.  At some point you need one person to make the decision, even if it is a decision to vote.  One person needs to take all the inputs and write the strategic plan.  One person needs to be empowered to enter into a contract on behalf of the organization.  If you thrash late you may never seize any opportunities now matter how great the idea.

Mixed Message

I caught a couple minutes of an National Basketball Association game on television this weekend.  During the broadcast a commentator highlighted the environmental sustainability steps taken by the NBA.  I thought, ‘good for them.’  As I held this thought I watched a commercial jet take-off from our local airport and I began to wonder.  After a little time on the internet I discovered that a couple of NBA teams are working to incorporate carbon offsets or green architecture into their franchises to mitigate their carbon footprint. What I could not find was a program to address the impact of the NBA’s travel schedule.  82 games a season with 41 away games equates to 82 at least segments in a private/leased jet (before you account for preseason and playoffs).  Thirty teams play in the league which totals 2,460 take-offs a season.  Just focusing on the air portion of the travel I could not discover any specific initiative to schedule games in a manner that prioritized efficient air travel.  If the NBA wants to incorporate a real statement about its commitment towards sustainability they might focus on scheduling games using the same strategy of a small company.  If you put a sales associate in New York, why not continue to New Jersey, Boston, and Philadelphia instead of flying back to Denver or Los Angles between visits to each city?

Major League Baseball, the National Football League, National Hockey Association, and collegiate sports all have an opportunity to make an remarkable statement about their environmental sustainability commitment.  It is a positive step to see conservation and sustainability programs in place but if this is a core value for a league, address the largest sources of your environmental impact.


If Walmart started charging five cents for each plastic bags at checkout, it would give license to many stores to match their lead.  If one professional sports league addressed their carbon footprint caused by air travel it would put a spotlight on all the other leagues.


Is your organization living its core values?  Do you need to show-and-tell all the steps you have taken or is it self-evident?

Beyond Donation to Contribution

I donate to organizations and causes that generally align with my personal values.  I am usually moved because they grab my attention.  The organization is remarkable enough that I take the time to donate.  Many causes fall into this category and most get a donation of some predetermined value.

I contribute to organizations who provide me a chance to engage and interact.  A staff member calls to ask for advice.  I attend an event and suggest a resource to enhance the program’s effectiveness.  I communicate with a board member who helps keep me advised on the enterprise’s focus.  I serve on a task force.  I bring the organization ideas and feel the resources are considered.  I am able to use my talents on behalf of the cause.  I understand how I can impact the mission and programs of the organization.


I donate to these organizations also but at a much higher level.  Not only do they receive a financial contribution ten times greater but they get my talents.  I do not have time to contribute to every nonprofit but appreciate the ones that provide the opportunity.


Are you trying to cultivate donors or contributors?  How do you know which approach will most engage an individual?

Beat Coach Pete

I ran in the Beat Coach Pete fun run this morning.  Coach Pete, the Boise State Football Coach hosts the 5K running race that starts on campus and finishes in the football stadium.  The race raises money for the general scholarship fund at the college by allowing participants to make a donation at the time of registration and Coach Pete pledges to contribute $5 to the general scholarship fund for every competitor who beats him in the race.  

What I like about the event is that is that it uses the coach’s celebrity to benefit the whole community.  The race has a grassroots feel.  The course map appeared only the morning of the race.  Buster, the Bronco’s Mascot was riding a tricycle around the start area.  Participants ranged from collegiate cross-country team members to families out for a walk.  Finishing in the stadium was a nice celebration as the crowd grew as each minutes passed and more finishers arrived.


I can only assume that Coach Pete does not have the time to join a nonprofit board or serve on many committees.  What he does have is the status and ability to create an event by being present.  Many causes wonder how to manage individuals who have high community profiles or even reach celebrity status.  This event took two hours of Coach Pete’s time and the return on investment from a monetary and experience measurement was positive.  

How can you partner with high profile individuals to benefit your efforts and maximize their participation?

Highlight Reel

A couple years ago I had a friend who upon viewing the first Mission Impossible movie with Tom Cruise remarked, “my life would be even more exciting if there was a theme song playing everywhere I went.”  Imagine for a second if the social sector had ESPN producing television highlights every evening on the accomplishments of nonprofit organization.  What would a two minute SportsCenter clip spotlighting your organization look like?

Does your organization have a highlight package?  A YouTube link that showcases your enterprise performing its world class talents.  An advocate who tells the most inspiring stories.  The client with a testimonial about how your services transformed their life.  A self-published book with vivid images of your mission in action.  An email audio file with a voices so full of character that it captures the listener and they think of five people to forward it to immediately.  Where do you direct people who want to know more about your programs?  If the local evening news called tomorrow to do an inspirational piece on your cause, would you panic or celebrate?

Who Set Your Organization’s Shot Clock

Basketball adopted the shot clock to speed-up offense and curtail the pass and hold strategy used by some teams as a delay tactic.  I see many nonprofits that have inherited a shot clock in their board and committee meetings.  Somewhere in the organization’s history the norm for a board meeting became a specific duration, let’s say 120 minutes.  The moment you reach the self-imposed deadline papers get shuffled, members push back from the table, mobile phones appear on the table (if they have not already), and some attendees just walk out.  Clearly the meeting is over even if all the items on the agenda have not been covered.

Why do we accept these inherited duration limits without question?  Obviously it is easier to calendar meetings on a consistent day of the month for a set time.  That said, I am certain we have all attended meetings that needed less than ten minutes and others that could have used three hours.  Human nature seems to work towards a goal so if two hours are scheduled then often groups will meet for two hours regardless of intended outcome.

I am encouraging a review of your enterprise’s time management practices when it comes to meetings.  In my consulting practice I am asking clients to consider a half-day agenda in place of their standard full day retreat.  It takes more preparation but the reward is that these engagements have been more focused on the most important topics.  Often the retreat task force takes greater ownership of crafting meaningful recommendations for the whole group’s consideration and response.

Lastly, consider one of the advantages of Policy Governance (also known as the Carver Model).  Policy Governance is used by city and school councils among others in the social sector.  Many times there is single issue that has drawn the vast majority of the constituents who are there to advocate their position to the elected officials.  Policy Governance agendas allow for these issues to be placed at the top of the agenda if the council or board deems them the most important item.  Why not lead with what the majority of the people have gathered to hear (unless wearing your fans down is the preferred strategy).


How might your organization benefit from a new time management culture?