Two thousand and nine is almost behind us and no one seems to mind. Most of the news was financial and it wasn’t good. We all know the headlines and our retirement accounts continue to feel the pain. So, at the dawn of 2010, I’m asking a question that, on its face, appears to be…
Category: Leadership
The Real Gift of Philanthropy
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams Most folk who work with donors think of themselves as “development officers” first and “philanthropic leaders” almost never. I have become convinced, though, that capably serving in the field of development and…
Going Quant While Staying Quaint
I have written and presented on the use of quantifiable performance measurements in the development profession for a number of years. Having a thoughtfully-crafted set of quantifiable performance measurements is a simple, straightforward, and powerful way to encourage, assess, and reward effectiveness. In general, most development professionals who care about their craft want to…
Don’t Get Things Done in 2010
Marketing guru Seth Godin’s new free e-book, “What Matters Now” includes 70 different authors’ ideas on what we should be thinking about in 2010. In the book Gina Trapani suggests that “getting things done isn’t the same as making things happen.” I read this and thought of our work as development professionals and leaders. Too often…
Tiger Should Remind Us
Tiger Woods has had rough few weeks. His situation should remind all leaders of a few principles. These are: Your “work” can not be separated from your “personal life” – No matter how good you are in your professional life, your private conduct will impact your success. By definition, being a leader means that others…
Where have the volunteers gone?
When asked to describe their work, many Major Gift Officers will respond something like, “to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects.” This perception of the MGO job description has become commonplace and I wish it wasn’t so. Why? Primarily because the answer suggests that the MGO is the one who should be…
Owners and Renters
If you want your organization to thrive, you must understand the differences between owners and renters. Owners see a future filled with upgrades, enhancements, and advancements. They envision the organization growing, quality improving, and more constituents being served. They see opportunities for more value to be added because they receive an intrinsic return. They are…
Pushing the Elevator Button. . .Twice
This past week I found myself standing in the lobby of a hotel and, having lit the elevator button with an initial push, decided that I needed to push the button again. . .and again. As I became aware of my rather foolish actions I smiled – did I really believe that pushing the elevator…
Part IV – Measuring Success The Buffett Way
This is the fourth and final entry in a series designed to question how development professionals (and others such as CEOs and Boards) should evaluate development effectiveness. If Warren Buffett were to assess the effectiveness of our development programs, what measures might he use? Below is my final answer to this question. My first answer…
Part III – Measuring Success The Buffett Way
As promised in an earlier blog on Warren Buffett, this is the third entry in a series designed to question how development professionals (and others such as CEOs and Boards) should evaluate development effectiveness. If Warren Buffett were to assess the effectiveness of our development programs, what measures might he use? Below is my third answer…