How I Spent #BlackoutTuesday
If you didn’t know, yesterday was #BlackoutTuesday. The idea started in the music industry and spread quickly across social media. Among the purposes were to interrupt business as usual, and to use the time to read, reflect, and take action in support of Black Lives Matter and the fight against white supremacy and racial injustice.
So that’s what I did.
The #1 Way To Alienate Your Hard-Working Team
We've all been there -- your accomplishment, which you've spent months on, gets credited publicly to your superior. They just smile and nod, taking all the credit and seeming to forget that they have a team behind them.
And then the moment a criticism is levied, the same leader immediately turns it toward their team, skirting any responsibility.
How to Handle a Crisis... and Come Out Smelling Like a Rose
Six minutes. That's how long it took to realize that the flood of calls and emails meant that we were about to have dozens of angry constituents on our hands.
Now, a couple of weeks later, I'm thrilled that, rather than losing important relationships over the debacle, we've actually improved our reputation among most of the affected families. Here's how we did it.
4 Reasons Nonprofit Spouses Are Awesome
Today is my tenth wedding anniversary with my amazing wife Danielle.
Like many nonprofit leaders, I am blessed to have a spouse who deserves sainthood for her support of my nonprofit career. Here are just a handful of reasons that spouses of nonprofit leaders are awesome.
How to Spend More, Smartly, on Development
In my last post, I showed you how to use a smart management tool to get a handle on your budget and figure out how much your organization should be spending on development.
If you tried it out, I'd bet you a box of off-brand ball point pens that it told you that you're underinvesting.
The 10 Steps To Solve Your Budget Troubles
Virtually every nonprofit struggles to balance its budget. Attempts to bring it into balance usually involve some combination of cutting expenses (often sacrificing future growth), and stretching the fundraising goal past the point of confidence. But it doesn't have to be that way.
How to Give a Great Media Interview
As nonprofit leaders, we're often called upon to speak with the media. For many, this can be one of the scariest responsibilities of being a leader. But with a little practice and a few key points, you can knock it out of the park.
A Quick TechSoup Tutorial
There's an incredible resource out there, dedicated to providing affordable technology solutions to your nonprofit organization. I'm shocked how many nonprofit leaders don't know about it.
Can You See Where You’re Going?
Last week, I took a couple of much-needed days off from work. It's been an outrageously busy couple of months, and I needed a little "me time." On my list one morning was to fix the cloudy headlights on my 11-year-old car -- they've been getting so cloudy that it's reducing the amount of light cast on the road ahead of me.
As I sat in the driveway buffing my headlights, I asked myself, "Why has it taken me months to get to this? What was more important than seeing where I'm going?"
An Enduring Mark on Richmond
John Bryan retired this week after more than five years as the founding president of CultureWorks here in Richmond. For those outside Richmond, CultureWorks is the champion for arts and culture in the Richmond region.
John is a mentor to many and a friend to all. Despite decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, he has a naturally inquisitive spirit and a lasting commitment to continuous learning. He has left a truly enduring mark on Richmond -- in more ways than one.
When You Make a Mistake...
Like it or not, we've all made our share of mistakes. It's what we do next that determines our success as a leader.
3 Reasons To Be Likable
There's a simple way to be more effective in every interaction with other people: start by being likable.
There are three ways that being likable will help you as a nonprofit leader:
What's the Point of Personal Productivity?
I have a whole series of articles cooking in my head about personal productivity: how to go paperless, how to use an iPad to tame your to-do list, how to regain your sanity by cleaning up your office, and more. But before we tackle any of that, we need to address a critical question:
What's the point?
Picking Up Trash, and Other Leadership Lessons from Summer Camp
The summer after I graduated from college, I worked as a counselor at Camp Kanata outside Wake Forest, North Carolina. Having never attended summer camp as a child, this was a completely new experience for me. But nearly twenty years later, I still think of it every day.
The Executive Director's Role with Call Notes
Call notes are like getting regular service for your car: you can keep pretending that you don't need to do them, but sooner or later, you won't be able to get anywhere.
How To Stand Out During and After Meetings
There is a simple trick to standing out during your meetings and continuing to impress afterward. It's so simple that it's astounding that not very many people do it. What's the trick? Schedule time in your calendar to prepare for and follow-up from meetings. When you schedule a meeting, you should actually add three appointments to your calendar.
3 Reasons to Stop Sending E-mails at Night
It's 9:45 p.m. and you're working at home, because "if I don't get a few things checked off my list tonight, I'll have a terrible day tomorrow." But whatever you do, don't click "Send."
There are three reasons you should not send e-mail after about 7:00 p.m. in the evening:
4 Things I Learned on a Grant-Review Panel
I had the pleasure of serving this spring on the regional review panel for the Virginia Commission for the Arts' annual funding cycle. It was a fascinating process, and I learned a few key things worth sharing:
Outsourcing the Low-Hanging Fruit
You have them -- we all do. There are probably several responsibilities you "have to do" that make you feel like you're wasting your time. But do you really have to do them?
3 Words You Should Never Say
You're a nonprofit executive. You represent a mission. You build consensus. You rally staff, volunteers, and the community. You do not own anything, and it is not all about you. Therefore, the words my, me, and I should rarely, if ever, pass your lips.