Should you get big names and deep pockets on your board? This question from a LinkedIn discussion group left me scratching my head. What’s the alternative — a… Read More »If I had a rich board, deedle, deedle, dum
Leadership is on my mind a lot these days, probably because I’ve missed the submission deadline for a chapter I’ve been asked to write on… Read More »When selecting a leader, be careful for what you wish.
In today’s mail, I received a frantic letter from a ministry where just a year ago, the board was patting itself on the back about… Read More »When we fail to plan, we plan to fail.
Clients are surprised by the advice, but before launching into a planning process I encourage telling stories about the organization’s past. Eager to grasp the… Read More »Finding your organization’s future in its past
“Leadership,” as James MacGregor Burns wrote back in 1978, “is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth.” But that hasn’t stopped… Read More »Minding the governance gap in leadership
When asked to serve on the transition team for the newly selected head of a ministry organization, I said “yes,” but with more than a… Read More »Announcing your new leader with fanfare
Several times a year, I watch as board members and ministry staff struggle to keep overhead expenses as low as possible. Never mind that most nonprofits have already stripped administrative lines to the bone. Overhead can’t be too lean, or so conventional wisdom tells us.
And if a brave CEO suggests pumping up the budget in pursuit of a growth opportunity, well watch out. The 990 trolls and other guardians of the myth that a dollar spent on infrastructure is a dollar robbed from mission will be all over the organization. Read More »At long last, overhead expenses get some respect
A study out of the UK tells us the average office worker spends around 16 hours a week in meetings. That’s more than 200 hours a year, or over the course of a career, 9,000 hours and counting spent holed up in a meeting room. I’ve not found similar statistics for the nonprofit sector, but my experience tells me it’s more of the same. Wherever two or three gather, there are meetings. Lots of meetings.
Experience also tells me that a majority of those meetings are poorly run, dreadfully boring, and absent a clear purpose. If you’ve ever wanted to run screaming from the room mid-way into a rambling agenda, welcome to the club. Board members, CEOs, staff, and volunteers, we’ve all experienced torture by meetings.
Enough is enough. It’s time to put a stop to the misery.Read More »Join me in stamping out torture by meetings
Not long ago here at Generous Matters, I chided churches for being late to the technology revolution, citing my congregation as a case in point. That the article was one of my most viewed to date suggests I touched a nerve – as did the push back I received from some readers.
But truth be told, congregations aren’t the only luddites out there. Colleges, universities, and theological schools, and other assorted nonprofits have their own love-hate relationships with technology and social media. In fact, wherever Boomers (my generation) remain in control (e.g. just about everywhere), you’ll find foot-dragging, nay-saying, and excuse making.
I hear it all the time. You can’t teach violin, encourage spiritual formation, build community, etc. etc. etc. Fill in the blank with your pet “can’t do.” But while some folks throw up roadblocks, others are busy doing with technology what’s been said they can’t — if not today, then tomorrow.Read More »Following the lead of Generations X, Y, and Z and “liking” it
“Look for the helpers. You’ll always find people who are helping.”
Following the bomb explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday (April 15), this comforting word from Fred Rogers has popped up again on social media sites. Our favorite neighbor was referring, of course, to advice from his mother about dealing with scary things. But it occurs to me that Mama Rogers’ wisdom is helpful as well when recruiting board members.
Okay, so it’s quite a leap from Boston to your boardroom. But stick with me.Read More »When building a board, look for the helpers