A Moment for Clarity

It took a moment of vulnerability for me to clarify my personal philosophy -- which guides me in business and in life.


Among a group of peers, all seeking to demonstrate professional success, we were given a blank sheet of people and 30 minutes to map our values and start drafting our personal vision. Put our name in the middle of the sheet. Draw a spoke for an essential value. Create one-word branches clarifying the value, identifying links between spokes as they arose. Then, assess all the information and craft a vision. For example, one of my spokes: openness. The branches captured openness in relationships, in ideas and for new experiences. New experiences resulted in knowledge and growth. Growth linked to the branch of another spoke: well-being.

The exercise itself was both an affirmation and a discovery process for me, but the forthcoming moment of vulnerability was key. I was required to talk through my map with another person from the session. The listener was supposed to determine, based on my inflection, pace and nonverbal cues, which elements were most influential in defining my personal value structure.

We paired off. My partner went first, and I provided my perspective on her presentation. Then, I launched into explaining my map. But, when I was done, my listener apologized to the effect of: “I’m not sure I can help you because you talk passionately about each item. You seem to embrace everything as an opportunity to apply your skills and grow.”

Her apology was my insight. In that moment, I discovered two things – a vision and a philosophy. The four-word vision that resulted from that exchange still guides my actions still today. I seek to embody passion and growth. And, I do it knowing that collaboration is key. I don’t believe we can achieve improved results by staying within our own minds and experiences. We need the pushing and pulling that comes from talking with people of different backgrounds, opinions and values.

Workshop Announced: Engaging Your Board

Engaging Your Board will be held Thursday, October 15. I'll be leading the workshop from 9-11AM at Goodman Community Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

A non-profit Board can be among its most powerful assets -- when used correctly. Too often, Boards end up listening to committee reports and focusing on typos in the minutes, rather than providing the oversight and insight needed for the organization to remain viable amidst changing conditions. To address this problem, your board members need to know and understand the importance of their responsibilities, and you can help with concrete tools and techniques to convert even things like fundraising into rewarding tasks.

Topics will include:
* Why Board members engage and why Board members fade
* Intentions versus actions: understanding the value of alignment
* Re-focusing related to fundraising
* Steps for energizing your board

Cost: $40. You can pay at the door or via invoice. Substitutions are allowed; no-shows will be billed. Download a flyer or register via e-mail.

Communiversity on Collaboration

Excited to be facilitating a Constructive Conversation on collaboration to kick off the University of Wisconsin Center for Nonprofits 2009-2010 Communiversity series.

We're taking a fresh approach to the typical lecture style and facilitating an interactive session intended to engage attendees to share their insights and input on concerns, opportunities and requirements for successful collaboration in our community.

Setting the stage will be insights gathered from registrants and others through a short survey: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229K92DZTET.

If you're in the neighborhood of The Pyle Center on September 22 from 4-6PM and have a few hours to dedicate to connecting with colleagues and community members, join us. Registration information was at http://bit.ly/AkiFE.

Missions Don't Talk, People Do

Missions don't talk, people do. So, how your people articulate the mission and represent the organization's intentions can be the difference between feast and famine. It can make or break that impression you seek to leave with stakeholders. Step back and consider what tools you have in place or what conversations you've had with people about that key message you want to share with people in order to spark some needed action or what traits you want to emphasize through your actions in order to reinforce the organization's value and position. Become intentional in building a brand and become clearer in your intentions. Then, watch your organization move forward and advance its mission.

A 5-Step Communication Formula

There are models for nearly everything these days, and communication is no exception. Since where there is one model, there are usually others, use them as a reminder of good practice. This five-step model builds on people's need for empathy and repetition, and it can be used to develop a presentation for a group or a response to a question.

1. Empathy. Demonstrate that you are listening and that you care about other people's input.
2. Conclusion. State your premise, the short message you want the audience to remember when they leave.
3. Responsible Actions. Provide supporting details to show how your conclusion is justified and true.
4. Restated Conclusion. Tell them what you told them (your premise) so they'll remember it when they leave.
5. Future Actions. Share the hopes or plans for the future to emphasize your long-term interest.

Say it, Live it, Be it

Words are powerful, particularly when they align with action. Be clear on how your organization wants to be positioned and remembered, then consider how you are the critical element in making that impression a reality. How you live your life is the foundation for your organization's image and for your image as an employee of that organization. For mission-driven and forward-thinking organizations, you will likely help align the organization's impression with its intentions by listening intently, thinking innovatively and delivering with your heart and soul.

Show You Care to Connect With Your Audience

Credibility goes a long way in connecting with an audience. Research shows that 50% of your impact on an audience is all about you. It is how you show your concern and demonstrate empathy. Empathy involved listening more than anything else and requires that you listen for the question underneath the questions so that you can connect with the emotion of the audience. You don't have to agree with someone to emphathize, you do have to acknowledge their concerns. For instance, "I appreciate your concerns," "It is fair for you to be upset," etc.
The next time you are speaking to a group, talking with staff or dealing with a stakeholder, remember that people do no care how much you know until they know how much you care.

It's the little things by Rodney Coates

I was inspired by these words from Mr. Coates, and he graciously agreed that I might share them with you here.

It seems that every time we pick up the local paper or turn on the TV -- the news, for those working, continues to be bad -- layoffs, furloughs, reductions in salary, budget cuts, plant shut downs, and the curtailment or suspension of services and programs. With all of this bad news, it would be easy to assume that it's all about the Benjamin's. While money is tight and while the economy continues to demonstrate its fragility --what people provide as employees is far more than what we can quantify economically. It is, in fact the intangibly and incrementally small sacrifices that many employees provide which is at the core of any corporate, institutional or community success.

All too often, when we look at success we fail to recognize or even reward the little things that so many employees do under the radar. What is success if not the policeman who helps the little old lady cross the street, the fireman who climbs the tree to retrieve the family cat, or the teacher who sits with a troubled child. Success is the nurse who reads to the comatose patient, the janitor who stays late to allow the kids to play an extra few minutes in the gym. It is also the coach who gives life lessons, the clerk who reminds us that we paid too much, it is the secretary who brings in homemade cupcakes, the agent who meticulously keeps our records, and the mail person who rain, sleet, snow, or hail makes sure that the mail gets delivered. And yes it is the delivery person, the trash collector, the cable installer, and the telephone operator --who smiled even when they were being disrespected, fixed the problem even when the problem was caused by us, and who worked diligently in some of the most difficult of circumstances to provide service to us. All of these servants, and those who are not mentioned here, should get more than a pink slip when times are hard, or ignored when times get better.

There was a time when our economy was in far worse shape than it is today, when we found more creative and sustained ways to show our gratitude. In the past we were more willing it seems to share smile, a thank you, and even the occasional apple for the teacher, the chicken for the pastor, or the box of candy for the mail carrier. In little but significant ways we demonstrated how much we truly appreciated all the little things that so many people did for us.

It is obvious that we have never been able to pay for all the little things that so many dedicated, loyal, and caring persons do for us on a continuous basis. These are the people that diligently serve, educate, protect, and inspire us. So, in these times of economic upheaval let us take time to value, reward, and acknowledge the little people. A smile, a kind word, a thank-you cost so little, but will mean and say so much. Try it and see, I guarantee that regardless of economic instability -- our communities will be enhanced.

{Rodney D. Coates is professor of sociology and gerontology at Miami University. He can be reached at coatesrd@muohio.edu}

Use a Bridge To Make Your Point

Our actions are a bridge between intentions and impressions. A 'bridge formula' to answering questions should be part of your strategy when you're representing your organization. It works well in a media interview, as part of a panel discussion or during a meeting. Even when you think you're in an impossible situation or you are talking about a sensitive issue ... follow the formula:

• listen to the question
• answer the question
• give a bridge
• state your message

It allows you to answer a question directly and still emphasize what you wanted to say. Bridge phrases include: "however," "but/and," "what I do know," "what I can tell you," "our primary focus," etc. So, the next time someone asks you a question, give the formula a try. Just remember to answer the question and make sure your message is somehow related to the question!

Solid & Stellar Leadership

Solid leaders have the ability to communicate a clear vision with explicit expectations. Stellar leaders then engage stakeholders (internally and externally) using the tools of technology and respecting individual working styles to move the organization forward.

A Recipe for 'Brand Evangelism'

Take one part clarity, mix with equal parts curiosity.
Let rest until consistency rises.
Add two handfuls of commitment.
Mix well with communication until conversations occur.
Look for connections.
Season as desired.
Share with others and remake when needed.

Thanks to Ryan Drumwright for sparking this post.

Selling Social Media Within Nonprofits

As you look to make the pitch for social media within your nonprofit, a few threads arise:

1. There is value for social media, if the organization is ready for it. Get the house in order. Start with the basics. Go one integrated step at a time. Know what you want to get out of the endeavor, tie the "sell" to the outcome.

2. Social media can't be ignored. It needs, however, to be used effectively and communications experts may be just the ticket to achieving positive returns on any investment. Use it to connect with your target donors, go where they are, not necessarily where you think you want to be.

3. You can lead the way and target new channels, if you have a clear and consistent message you are prepared to support with the investment of time, talent and/or treasure to get it out there in a timely manner.

Above all, remember that social media requires strategy in order to be effective and it must be integrated into your larger organizational objectives as a potentially powerful distribution channel.

Calling All Mission-Driven Organizations: Send Questions

When giving a presentation or making a pitch, I'm at my best when responding to questions. It lends focus and allows for the audience to make a better judgement call about whether or not the information might help them move forward. Those on the receiving end have often heard me say that I can talk for hours on the topic at hand, but without their questions, it might all just be interesting talk rather than helpful insights they can leverage when they walk out the door. So, here's the thing... What are your questions related to:

• organizational development
• mission-driven leadership
• nonprofit structure & governance
• strategic planning
• communications
• ideology & identity
• brand building
• fundraising & development
• nonprofit collaboration
• stakeholder engagement
• capacity building

Post them here as a comment, send them to info@timpanogroup.com, tweet them to @melanieschmidt ... Together, we can advance greater clarity in how to enhance mission-driven organizations and help the people connected to them engage more effectively.

Avoid These Strategic Planning Missteps

Following are three easy-to-avoid missteps in strategic planning ...

1. Thinking strategic planning is a one-retreat sort of solution. Rather, strategic planning is a *process* from vision to strategy to planning through reality checks to implementation. Successful strategic planning integrates a way of thinking and a model of engagement into the organization's culture.

2. Not taking ownership for the planning, the process or the outcomes, instead connecting it (intentionally or otherwise) to the consultant. Outside perspective is vital when facilitating and crafting a framework for progress, yet it's long-term usability and success hinges on internal commitment to moving it forward.

3. Limiting the engagement to a small few. Greater success can be yours when your open some or all of the process to a larger majority of those affected by or influencing the ability to make progress.


Thanks to Roger Phelps for sparking this post.

How Tweets Affect Your Brand

Twitter can be captivating, fun and affirming. When framing the tone of your Twitter profile (which shows your listing of tweets), remember your reputation. When you're tweeting on behalf of an organization, stay true to your organization's voice, tone and intent. When tweeting for yourself, consider how you are presenting yourself. You never know who might be reading ... An interesting litmus test can be to review your profile through the eyes of someone who might hire you for job or a promotion. What do your postings say about you and your commitment or contribution?
Thanks to Peter Abraham for sparking this post.

A Brief Break

My thanks to Jody Glynn Patrick of In Business for the challenge of taking a break to compose a 60-word story (title and all). It was a good exercise reminding me about point of view, storytelling, creative license and the fun of writing outside of work. My submission is below, you can read more at the IB Update site.

Gazes & Grills: In a moment, I lift my gaze and our eyes lock. He, clinging to the wire basket getting his evening’s fill of suet; me, striving for perfect grill marks on our evening’s protein. Stopped, we assess. Neither moves. Both seeing the short distance yet feeling a shared purpose. Each happy to allow the other’s pursuit of food.

Making Change Actionable

When 'the ways things have always been done' is no longer working for you -- or your organization. Forge a new path. Get beyond business as usual and pave a new way toward greater success.


Refocus and recharge based on an honest assessment of what's desired, what's doable, what's in the gap, what needs to happen to get from now to next year, and how you'll know if you've achieved. Engage stakeholders by seeking and delivering clarity around expectations, curiosity about different ways to achieve success, commitment to a path of action and communication that connects those involved/affected with intention and action. Align people around the purpose and put the systems in place to support their success.

Don't overthink. Don't overdo. Keep it simple and keep it focused.

Engagement as a Brand Indicator

Depending on how you present yourself, respond to others and adapt to changing circumstances, it would seem quite likely that an organization's brand is based in its engagement model --- insomuch as that model reflects the core ideology and impression the organization intends to reinforce among stakeholders.

Effective brands deliver a consistency in tone, message, presentation and action across mediums and interactions. They are borne from engagement and they connect on a sensory level, providing an idea of what to expect. They have an intention about them that is clear, consistent and understood. Extraordinary brands take it to the next level. Reflecting the organization's ideology, they inform the actions taken by not only the organization but also those who become its stakeholders & advocates. Plus, they adapt to changing conditions while remaining recognizable within contemporary standards ... all the while making the necessary connections among what people sense, what people experience and what people share.

Thanks to Mark Herbert for sparking this post.

Social Media Success Starts with Strategy

The most successful social media endeavors occur when the organization recognizes that social media is a distribution channel rather than the be-all-end-all communications solution. Social media success means integrating the various platforms into the rest of the outreach/communications plan and dedicating time/resources to keeping them fresh.

Social media can be a big distraction for many resource-strapped nonprofits (many of whom don't have dedicated communications or outreach staff). A few questions that can be helpful for the nonprofit in setting the stage:

• How does the social media platform complement other efforts?
• Does using social media allow the nonprofit to streamline other things it is doing?
• How will you leverage the culture of each social media platform to reinforce your intent?
• Do you have an effective Web site to reinforce your online presence and reinforce/validate the messaging you are sharing?
• Do you have a messaging strategy to ensure focus of intent, purpose and desired outcome across platforms?

Experimentation is a great thing and social media is one of those areas where the field of experimentation is quite vast -- and fun! Nonprofits should be experimenting, trying different things, talking with stakeholders (donors, funders, clients, employees, etc) about how they are working ... but not at the expense of its strategic intentions for moving the organization (and the mission) forward.

Thanks to Chuck Zdrojowy for sparking this post.

How Relevant is Your Strategic Plan(ning)?

Strategic plans can be incredibly beneficial in moving an organization forward. The process through which they are created can be enormously helpful in refocusing and recharging staff, Board, volunteers and other stakeholders --- particularly at times of transition, stress or challenge. So, I'm curious ... http://tinyurl.com/krfrqe

Thanks, in advance, for taking the time to answer the quick survey. Stay tuned for what the results reveal...