“Strategic Planning” – Articles
This Time Around, get Edgy!
With Fall just about upon us, thoughts naturally turn toward planning for 2014, year end board meetings, and next year's budget. In other words, a lot of deep thinking on some important issues. Before you default into your normal year end mindset though, why not...
A Full 180 Degree Turn
It won't come as a shock to many of you that I am a big sports fan. Always have been, always will be. For the record, I pull for any team with "Chicago" on its jersey--even soccer-tho I have no idea why people like that sport. And yet, while I follow each team, I...
Authentic Board Service is Messy
Board candidates and directors want to serve on boards that make an impact but not all of them are willing to pay the price to either exercise, or follow, authentic leadership to do so. And, unless you provide challenging and meaningful board experiences to your...
When a Board Falls Short of Expectations
There must be something in the water around here. I've had coffee with four separate nonprofit executive directors over the last 45 days, each one with the same problem--actually two problems. Their first problem is each ED believes their board is not providing the...
Got Alignment?
If you stop to think about it, leaders can significantly increase the impact of their nonprofit agencies without spending an extra dime. Say what? Let's say your agency has: Experienced leadership-CHECK! A clear and compelling strategic plan-CHECK! The respect and...
It’s Still Not Too late
Leaders and Board Members: Starting to feel guilty you did not prepare or update a strategic plan for your orgnanization's next 24-36 months? Even thought it is mid-December you still have time to develop a strategy and a plan. Its not rocket science and when your...
A Bad Idea that Won’t Go Away
Board Chairs, Directors, and Executive Directors: Heads Up! I am pretty familiar with a substantial nonprofit that I think is making a big mistake. I see this happening from time to time in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. And the results of their doing...
Be Golden in 2013
Successful leaders are always looking for ways to increase their effectiveness and the impact of their organizations. So whether you are running a small or start up organization or if your firm had a tough 2012, now is the time to reboot and set yourself up for...
Governance Part 2: Board Composition
What would be the ideal composition of your board? What skill sets should you have represented by board members that you can therefore leverage to your organization’s advantage? What does your board development committee look for in a board candidate? I’m currently...
Lencioni’s Four Keys To A Healthy Culture
At the Chick-fil-A Leadercast conference last week, Pat Lencioni identified 4 keys to a healthy organizational culture. Like so many other tips, they are easy to understand and accept, but they can be so hard to execute. Pat says the keys to a healthy organizational...
Read It and Reap!
I recently re-tweeted an interesting short article based on management guru Peter Drucker. The more I thought about it, though, the material is worth far more than a simple re-tweet. When I led a for-profit business and came across stimulating written materials, we...
Form Follows Function
Working with a nonprofit recently, I asked to see a copy of its organization chart-you know, the chart depicting how things are organized. As soon as I saw it, I became leery. The chart listed the names of people, rather than the departments they lead. This is often a...
7 Keys to the Right Kind of Board-Part 2
Last week I introduced this discussion about my friend having the right kind of board serving her organization. Briefly, I told her it depended on where her organization was in its life cycle and what it needs to succeed. Today, in part two I share more of my...
7 Keys to the Right Kind of Board-Part 1
I was recently asked by a friend of mine about the difference between an organization having a board of directors versus a board of trustees. He is trying to determine which model best helps him grow and refocus his small but successful organization. He wants to grow...
Shaping the Organization’s Future
Have you ever had to rebuild a department, ministry, or an entire organization or church? Did you wrestle with how much to structure the process versus letting others handle it? We did. One of our departments had gone through a tough period. An ego-driven leader had...
Why Most Small Organizations Fail
I recently reread an excellent book written in 1995 and was struck by the timelessness of its subject matter. And, with the holidays approaching I thought it would serve as a terrific gift for someone you know who leads an organization: any size, any type, nonprofit,...
One Hour Plan for Growth
No one can deny that planning is critical to success. While I personally thrive in an organizational culture of creativity and entrepreneurial thinking, eventually, if you want to get things done, you have to have a written plan. Still, planning can be very tedious...
Why Boards Fail-Practices That Failing Boards Do Very Well
With a tip of the hat to a certain late night TV talk-show host, I have been thinking about what makes a board “good” or “bad” and have come up with a top twenty list that covers a lot of ground. I originally titled this article “Top Five”…then Top Ten…but had to go...
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