Blog
-
Thinking about triggers in work plans
I’ve previously written about the importance of generating work plans once wrapping up strategic planning. One of the most useful tools in a work plan is the concept of triggers.…
-
What you call it doesn’t matter
I was recently talking to someone who plays the staff role for a medium sized nonprofit organization. She had raised the possibility of doing strategic planning with her boss and…
-
A riddle about five frogs
A riddle that I recently was told (again). I know I’ve heard this before, but couldn’t remember where/when. If anybody knows the original source, please let me know. The riddle:…
-
E-Book Published
In early May 2013, I published my first book. Why Organizations Thrive: Lessons from the Front Lines for Nonprofit Executive Directors. In the first week, more than 100 individuals downloaded…
-
Hire for things other than just existing skills
One of my pet peeves when talking to those doing hiring for nonprofit organizations is an overemphasis on finding people with the right existing skills. A recent article suggests the…
-
A fascinating video about motivation
The question I keep asking myself after repeatedly re-watching this video is: what are the implications for nonprofit organizations? Some implications are fairly straightforward: For example, with very few exceptions,…
-
Thoughts on Engagement Organizing
I recently had the opportunity to read an excellent white paper by Jon Stahl and Matt Price on the topic of Engagement Organizing. It’s well worth the read. Here’s the…
-
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
I recently reviewed The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni. The book is part fable and part logical argument about a series of dysfunctions that Lencioni believes lay…
-
Clarifying the “why” when doing strategic planning
Often times in early conversations with clients, it becomes clear that they can’t articulate why they’re doing strategic planning. This can lead to disagreements about what process to utilize, since…
-
Get it done
I sometimes feel like there’s two types of people, those who talk about doing things and those that do them. Talkers tend to talk a good game at first, but…