It wasn’t that long ago (pre-internet, actually) that people interested in buying a car would show up at the local dealership and begin the process of being “sold” a car. Those days are all but gone. Today, when people are interested in getting a new vehicle, they first scour the internet for their choice and…
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Why Presidents Fail
Some of you are aware that I spent my graduate school years researching the topic of why college and university presidents fail. I am pleased to announce that this research culminated in the book, “Presidencies Derailed: Why University Leaders Fail and How To Prevent It,” published by The Johns Hopkins University Press. “Presidencies Derailed” is now…
Why Empathy Matters in Leadership
“A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” You’ve probably seen this sign on someone’s desk or door in your office. Perhaps someone even has muttered the words to you in a moment of frustration. Here’s the thing about this statement — everyone agrees with it. Everyone. If…
Do Bonuses Really Work?
Following a general trend in society and, specifically, a practice held up as productive in for-profit world, our advancement profession has been overrun in recent years with examples of bonuses for exemplary efforts. Sounds like a simple and logical proposition. “Let’s reward the folks who are doing the best work!” But, there is a basic…
Reason and Relationship
Effective development officers are said to blend science with art. While it sounds nice and is easy to say, I have never really found the “science and art” phrase to be overly helpful in explaining our work. Here’s why: Being an scientist and an accomplished artist can occur from individual effort – I can…
What You Know Is More Important Than What They Know
Time to make the call on the prospective donors. You know which call it is – it’s the ask. This is big. In fact, it’s the biggest ask you’ve ever made of a prospect. You’ve set up the meeting and a member of your Board will be with you. You’ve created a call script. You’ve…
Giving Thanks and “Black-Eye Friday”
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday in theory. A day in which we pause collectively to reflect, commune, and return thanks for all the many blessings each of can count. For most people in North America, of course, we have much for which to be thankful. So, in theory, it’s an important holiday. Of course,…
The Impact of Serial Tasking on Donor Engagement
Our pressurized, over-scheduled lives seem to demand efficiency in completing multiple items on our to-do list simultaneously. Whether it is sending an email, checking a website, and talking on the phone, it isn’t unusual to find that we are doing all of these tasks (and more) simultaneously. Most of us have convinced ourselves that multi-tasking…
Food, Unavoidable Defects, and Getting Things Done
So, the Food and Drug Administration published their Defect Levels Handbook some time back. The purpose of the handbook is to identify levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazards for humans. In other words, if food manufacturers stay below these levels of “unavoidable defects” in the products you…
Talking About Tools
My father ran a small heating and air conditioning company. Summer was his busy season. When summertime heat kicks in, people will do just about anything to get relief. And if the AC isn’t working, they want it fixed. . . and fast! During the summers of my youth I went to work with my…