Author: Jason McNeal

Go to any college or university and interview alumni who are proud of their school. “There is just something special about this place,” you will hear over and over in various forms. The reality, though, is that there isn’t that much truly special (or different) about the place. It’s an institution of higher education (like,…

Every year, every decade, every generation brings with it societal-level questions that are complicated and unsettling legally, socially, politically, morally, and ethically.  The U.S. has had to confront some of its thorniest and deeply disquieting societal issues and questions since its founding. For instance. . . From 1787 until 1865 and the passage of the…

“What are you going to say, ‘no’ to?” I asked this question of a client when their alumni relations team was looking at their annual planning calendar and it was clear they had more great ideas than they could implement. I posed the question not only to get them to think about prioritizing their list…

“If we are going to have success in this next campaign, we will need to find new major donors.” Almost certainly you have heard a board member, a president, or someone else state something similar.  Or, perhaps, you have said something similar! While there are a variety of issues related to this type of statement,…

When we attempt a new task, most of us usually aren’t that good at it. It can feel awkward the first time we attempt to ice skate.  Presenting for the first time in front of a group can create anxiety. Baking a cake for the first time can be a messy (and, perhaps, a less…

This past Friday night, my teenaged son and I traveled to Nashville, TN, to see the University of Tennessee Volunteers play football against the University of Virginia. We stayed at a Hilton hotels property that night and, upon check-in, the front desk attendant asked if she could have my mobile phone number to put on…

Positive thinking, or maintaining a positive attitude even in difficult circumstances, has been shown to have various tangible personal benefits.  From workplace productivity to stress reduction to higher brain functioning, working on seeing the good in people and situations is smart. Negative thought patterns, on the other hand, are correlated with a number of less-than-helpful…