I have heard six different commencement speeches during the past couple of days. They were all very good, but the best one was from an undergraduate student (now a new graduate) from the Smith School of Business at Maryland, Manas Kulkarni. The theme of Manas’ message was “Now Let’s Go Fail.” You can hear the entire speech at this link and fast forward to the 54 minute … [Read more...] about “Now Let’s Go Fail”
Should Nonprofits Run Like a Business?
As a professor in a business school who is a former nonprofit CEO and consultant to nonprofits, I am often asked: “Should a nonprofit be run like a business? Easy answer, “No.” A nonprofit should be run like effective nonprofits are run. However . . . . . There is a lot we – in the nonprofit world – can learn from business best practices. Far too many nonprofit … [Read more...] about Should Nonprofits Run Like a Business?
Strategy & Salary
Do you have the team you need to implement your strategy? Far too many nonprofits look at their “Salary” budget line item as static. “This is all we can afford. We need to find the best person possible for this amount of money.” This folks, is NOT being strategic. Sometimes, a strategy calls for a certain kind of talent on the team. And oft times, a certain kind of … [Read more...] about Strategy & Salary
Multitasking is the Enemy
And yet, it is like an addiction. Aided and abetted by our numerous devices, we all do it. I am not going to try to convince you to go cold turkey and stop totally. But I am going to point out what we all sacrifice when we multitask: creativity and strategic thinking. We know that multitasking robs us of focus. None of us would be very happy if the doctor performing … [Read more...] about Multitasking is the Enemy
Build High Performing Teams
Effective teamwork is becoming more and more important for the success of any organization. While tons has been written about it, building high performing teams seems to remain a mystery to many people. Here are what I think are the four most important steps you can take to build a high performing team: 1. Select a teamwork model. You need to decide what you think are the … [Read more...] about Build High Performing Teams