I have been looking over a bunch of strategic plans for nonprofits recently, and one huge thing jumps out at me – No Focus! Your strategy should provide you with Laser Focus. This is why the cornerstone of the strategy process I use with nonprofits is their three – five strategic goals for the next five years. And then, after SWOT analysis, we add the strategic themes … [Read more...] about Laser Focus
Chess or Checkers?
They are played on the same board, but the two games could not be more different. The rules for checkers are straight-forward and easy to learn. The same rules apply to each piece on the board. Chess has many more rules and there are different rules about how many of the pieces can move. The key in being a successful chess player is to understand the “interdependence” of … [Read more...] about Chess or Checkers?
The Coming Revolution
It’s been coming for more than five hundred years and it has reached many organizations already. If it has not reached yours yet – then maybe you need to start the revolution. It’s the overthrow of Hero Leadership. The revolution has its roots as far back as the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. Part of the "reforms" involved people saying they deserved direct access to … [Read more...] about The Coming Revolution
Mission & The Louvre
When I saw it, I was shocked. I’m talking about I. M. Pei’s pyramid, sitting in the center of the Courtyard of Napoleon at The Louvre here in Paris. How did this happen? To me, it was like a beautiful tattoo . . . . . on the forehead of a gorgeous woman. Out of place and disturbing. But what do I know? As most of you are aware, The Louvre is one of the world’s largest … [Read more...] about Mission & The Louvre
The $100 Billion Challenge
In an effort to help people “Think Outside the Box, ” I have developed a new exercise that I invite you to try out as you create visions for the future. One of the problems in getting people to think creatively is that we are so immersed in our resource constraints that it is difficult to break free from them to dream of what we really want. So here’s the exercise: Tell a … [Read more...] about The $100 Billion Challenge