Hello

Just finished meetings today that outlined the importance of introducing yourself (a nod to the book, Checklist Manifesto).  A case study from an independent school where a divide between faculty and staff was creating growing tensions.  An outside facilitator worked with both sides, bringing attention to the issue.  No formal mediation was done, just focus groups to collect information and feedback.  Two weeks later the issue was reportedly resolved in feedback from the faculty and support staff.  No action steps had been implemented, no group discussions, gatherings or reports.  It appears that a raised consciousness had allowed both sides to take the extra step of introducing themselves to each other and individuals spent a few extra minutes having meaningful conversations.

Who could you introduce yourself to that you have taken for granted or assumed you had already been introduced?  What difference might it make?

Jet Fuel and Supplies

Does your organization have a budget that forecasts three years from today, five, ten, or twenty?  Has anyone taken into account that the new building you about to put online will increase utility and maintenance costs?  Is there a line-item to show that the grant which has allowed the organization to hire two full time equivelant employees will expire in two years?

Many organizations hold strategic planning session and annual retreats to try and expand their horizon somewhere beyond the next board agenda.  The ideas and concepts that are developed are often inspiring.  A great retreat can plaster the most dynamic and liberating ideas all over the walls with the help of Post-Its and large poster boards.  The energy is palpable and the groups exits with the belief that their organization is going to shine brighter than ever.  What so often gets missed is the power of inertia.  If the financial realities of the planning is not developed in concert with the ideas, there will be no fuel in the rockets and breaking your organization’s current orbit will be impossible.  A year goes by and the organization is on the same trajectory, circling the same star, in the same order it has always held.

Part two of a great planning exercise should be the consideration of the resources required to launch the initiatives.  It takes a tremendous amount of power to break an organization’s current orbit.  Change can be scary, difficult and require lots of energy.  When it is happens it is remarkable and can alter the shape of your universe.

Does Age Matter More or Does Your Time in History?

Interesting article in BusinessWeek on the The Lost Generation of Entrepreneurs who did not have the opportunity to launch and guide new enterprises from start-up to more mature organization. An opportunity that had benefited the generation that proceeded them in the 1990’s.  Given the economic challenges these opportunities have been far more scares. Guest blogger Jeff Bussgang explores the very small list of entrepreneurs who succeeded from 2000’s compared to their predecessors.


Recalling Malcom Gladwell’s, Outliers: The Story of Success which looked closely at the birthdates of successful entrepreneurs:  Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Balmer, Steve Jobs, and Eric Schmidt all born in the years between 1953-1955.  Their births seems to coincide with a moment in time when technology was in its infancy and the canvass was blank, awaiting their artistic touch. 

It makes me wonder what will this period in time be known for when we reflect back?  Will it be banks to big to fail, quants, two wars, deficits?  Or are we going through a transformation so dynamic that the seismic impact is just beginning to reach the surface?  Consider the following fact from the book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink.  

The consulting firm McKinsey & Co. estimates that in the United States, only 30 percent of job growth now comes from algorithmic work, while 70 percent of job growth comes from heuristic work.

First let me define courtesy of Mr. Pink.  “An ‘algorithmic’ task is one in which you follow a set of established instructions down a single pathway to one conclusion…a heuristic task is the opposite.  Precisely because no algorithm exists for it, you have to experiment with possibilities and devise a novel solution.”  Essentially it is a checkout clerk vs. a marketing agent.

Are we so focused as a country on trying to save the assembly-line job that we are missing the transformational uncoupling of the Industrial Revolution paradigms from a global workforce?  If the ownership and development of ‘ideas’ (non algorithmic careers) are in demand, would we rather own the rights to creative copyright as a nation or assemble the finished product?  

When we look back, how will this lost generation be viewed?

Blame

Blame is easy, convenient and it provides a simple answer to challenging questions.  

  • Many political figures are masters of blame.  In brief ten second sound bite they address their talking points.  With outrageous metaphor they must outline how they as an individual, their party, and their legislation has been held hostage by the the opposition.
  • Nonprofits use blame.  Foundations are blamed for not approving grants.  Boards are blamed for not attending meetings or be disengaged.  Volunteers are blamed for not completing tasks professionally.
  • Donors use blame.  They give without condition but then blame the charity when they cannot get tickets to a sold out event or are seated poorly at a gala.
  • Members blame organizations for not getting enough benefits in return for their investment.  They become transactional with the institution.  Customer service becomes the focus instead of the organization’s ability to meet the mission.


Much of what incites us to blame is the lack of easy answers.  Blame covers large gaps in understanding with a blanket statement.  If you are using or hearing blame in your organization, pause and consider what questions have gone unanswered.  The power of being inquisitive can lead to extraordinary results.

Specialist vs. Generalist

Specialists are experts in a very specific area.  Specialist can wax an Olympian’s skis to run .01 faster, enough to win a gold medal.  Doctors specialize, you have a pediatric anesthesiologist in surgery as opposed to just a general anesthesiologist.  A travel agent can customize a vacation on cruise line in the Caribbean that best fits a client who uses a wheelchair. 


Generalist have a level of comprehension that covers a wide range of information.  According to Wikipedia, a generalist species may survive in a wide variety of environmental conditions.  Generalist are small town doctors who are miles from the big city hospital and must handle whatever walks into their clinic.


The world appears to be headed towards developing more specialists in the years to come. Have you seen nonprofit fundraisers specializing in annual fund, capital campaigns, planned giving, alumni relations, major gifts, leadership donors?  Look in the Chronicle of Philanthropy classified section and you can see the diverse requirements and specializations within the field of Development and Advancement.


Nonprofit boards are being made-up of more specialists.  The matrix many boards use for selecting new board members includes professional skills such as accountant, attorney, builder/architect, business owner, technology, human resources.  These are tremendous skill and clearly add value to the expertise of the board.  Rarely do you see the matrix list the attribute of ‘generalist’.  Who has the expertise to manage all the specialist information and mold it into a format from which a board can make the best decision?  Who has the vision that considers as many of the opinions and views before reaching a conclusion?


In the coming years, I believe generalist, an individual with the ability to think strategically and globally will become a specialist.  The available pool of generalist is being reduced every year as more individuals train to develop technical skills.


How does your enterprise balance the specialists and generalists?  Do you have the specialists necessary to tackle the details?  Do you have a generalist to bring the conversation back to 30,000 feet if necessary?

Checklists

Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande is a great reminder of how a simple approach builds long term performance and consistency.  Although the checklists reviewed by the author were developed and tested in the medical world with an aim at reducing infections and deaths the tactic is applicable far beyond the ICU.  The application of a checklist strategy to business and nonprofit worlds are evident and meaningful.  When preparing for a consulting engagement I often use a checklist to outline the client’s outcomes and manage the process.  Although it feels a bit like baby-steps it helps reduce the number of times a board retreat tries to do a 180 in the middle of the day because I missed the client’s intended outcome.  Why re-invent the wheel every time you appoint a new Chair for your organization’s largest fundraiser.  Imagine how much easier it would be to recruit a new volunteer to lead your next major event if there was clarity about the role and a template to follow.  Another opportunity exists with the orientation of new board members.  Many new board members take a couple meetings to get up to speed and begin contributing to the board’s deliberation.  Does a document exist within your organization to get the newest members involved more rapidly and effectively?  A few examples of unique checklists:

  • An outgoing Board Chair leaving a checklist for the incoming Board Chair.  The checklist outlines some basic strategies for general responsiblities over the course of the coming year.  Illustrations from the list: meet with each board member individually twice a year to hear their needs and thoughts; hold an annual gathering with the Advisory Council.
  • Board nominating procedures.  Have a checklist for the process that starts with identifying new board members and continues from cultivation to nomination.  Few boards have a wait-list of potential new board members and therefore the process is best not left for the last minute when it appears unprofessional and the pool of potential new board members may not be as anticipated.
  • Assessment of the CEO should be a consistent and transparent process.  How un-nerving for a CEO or Board Chair if the proceedure needs to be recreated each year or is only considered when a problem exists.
  • Roles of the board.  Give a checklist to each board member and allow them to mark the responsibilities as they accomplish them:  80% attendance of board meeting, Annual Fund contribution, serve on one committee or task force, attend three programs, advocate for the enterprise in a peer or business circle, write thank notes to 20 donors… the list is customized to your organization’s greatest needs but the steps are clear.



I have encouraged clients to take a few moments to design a simple checklist for some element of their organization that is critical but deemed reasonably simple.  One enterprise created a checklist for reviewing the financial statement during a board meeting.  Initially, only a few board member really knew what they were looking at during the report.  Now the Finance Chair walks step-by-step through the reports and everyone at the meeting understands the information and can truly fulfill their responsibility as a fiduciary.


What checklist might be most meaningful to your organization?  How would it change your organization’s effectiveness if you got the process correct almost every time?