Leadership Always Plays a Role

I am working with a FANTASTIC hospital that is launching an effort to build a Radiation Therapy Center. What this project will mean to the community is beyond words. Knowing first hand the journey through cancer treatment (my father), I am incredibly honored to be working with these amazing people to make a difference.

My first week onsite, we discussed the employee campaign. According to their timeline, the campaign was slated to begin in a matter of weeks. WEEKS? There really had been no preparation, not because of a lack of effort, but more of a lack of certainty - where should it fit in the campaign timeline, etc.

NOW! Let's do this NOW! These were the words that came out of my mouth and we were off.

Employee campaigns can be incredibly successful or utter disasters. More and more organizations are focusing on participation and not monetary goals. Really, one follows the other and so we developed a plan. We would kick off the campaign on November 1st and run it for three weeks - up to the holidays. Teams? Yes. A new employee campaign name? Yes. New marketing materials? Yes. A crazy tight timeline? No doubt! Amazing employee champions? CRITICAL! And we had them.

Us philanthrogeeks know the value of leadership. We understand the concept that if we have the right leadership, we can be successful, well, most of the time. And yet, I see so many employee campaigns that do not select the right leadership, do not support them and ultimately do not succeed. Not this time. These employee champions were AMAZING. They had two weeks to prep and three weeks to accomplish a whirlwind campaign. They were ready and the competition was on.

Leadership is not always about the most affluent, although it can be. It is not always about the most vocal nor the most well loved, although those, too, play a role. Leadership, most often, is about passion, about respect, about energy, about insight, about making the right choices, at the right time, in the right way, with the right people. Leadership is knowing what your role is and creating a path that moves you toward success.

Thanks to the employee leaders in this community hospital, in three weeks, they had 79% participation from employees. That is incredible! There was no real culture of employee giving, there was no long term planning or fancy this or that, there were simply four incredible leaders who made it happen with the immense support of a CEO who leads everyday.

Leadership.... it's what's for dinner.

So are movements... but don't get me started on that concept. Instead, I'll just post this TED talk and save my movement blog for another day.

Tips, Tricks and Tales from the road

I spend a good bit of time on the road. Ok, I spend the vast majority of my time on the road. This fact affords me the ability to meet and greet with some fantastic, some interesting and some.... well, other people while in the air, sitting in airports, going through security lines, picking up a rental car, checking into a hotel, and a vast array of activities in or near the hotel lobby. I've decided that some of these tips and tricks and possibly a few tales may provide a chuckle or a bit of insight as you next pack your bags.

1) TIP: If you have seen Up in the Air with George Clooney, there are many things about which this movie is correct. Let me begin with airport security lines.

When choosing the "best" line, always look for other business travelers. If you see several people in line with a Gold, Diamond or Platinum (or the equivalent, I fly Delta) frequent flyer tag, follow them. I promise you, they already know to take their computer out, have their liquids in a bag, etc. They have slip on shoes and easily removed belts and they are in a hurry - always.

If you see a line that is shorter in appearance, but it has small children or even medium sized children, do NOT, I mean it, do NOT get in this line. I can assure you, they are frazzled and while in a hurry, will unlikely be organized or efficient. This also holds true for older adults. While often just as cute and cuddly as small children, IF you are in a hurry, I can assure you that following cute, in this instance, will not result in a happy ending.

2) TIP: Be aware that when in flight, alcohol will affect you in a different way than when on the ground.

I was sitting next to a nice man in business class (love free upgrades!) during a flight from SLC to ATL. This is approximately a 3.5-4 hour flight, depending. This nice man, too, must have been upgraded as his eyes grew excited upon the realization that he could order free drinks.

First of all, just because you are ABLE to order an adult beverage for no charge does NOT mean that you always SHOULD! Sure, take the edge off...it's been a long week, I get it, but the 8am cocktail, unless heading to vacation, I just don't understand.

So this guy is, understandably, excited and orders a Jack and Coke. Ok, no biggie. It's 6pm, I get it. Then, about 20 minutes later he orders another one... and another... and another. Yes, four Jack and Cokes later and we are only passing over Tennessee. He now has a blatant disregard for my "silencing" headphones, which are not intended to work to silence obnoxious, intoxicated and "invading my personal space" people.

Needless to say, he got the hint when I looked at him, removed my headphones, told him that perhaps he should ask for a bottle of water and that I truly did not care to have a conversation with him at that time. Seriously???

3) TIP: Respect people's time.

I was doing Campaign Planning Study interviews in the deep south for a hospital. I had been in this location for about three days and I was exhausted and ready to get home. My last day of interviews, I had to travel down to speak with a physician that was associated with this hospital and then drive about an hour and a half to catch my flight home. I arrive on time and wait in his waiting room - now feeling like a pharmaceutical rep - for about 15 minutes. I realize this gives me approximately 45 minutes for the interview and honestly, most physicians are in such a hurry that they get straight to the point and never talk long, well, almost never. This physician took every question I had and went on a tangent that had NOTHING and I mean NOTHING to do with anything relating to the study. As the time for my departure came and went and I realized that I had NO information that was useful, I considered just putting my forehead down on the table and weeping until he understood my frustration. I finally stopped him mid rant and told him that I really appreciated his time and passion for all things healthcare, but that I could not, at any cost, miss this flight home. Baffled, as apparently no one had ever DARED to interrupt him, he fell silent. I grabbed the opportunity with full force, stood, shook his hand and left.

Once out the door, I bolted to the car and literally flew onto the highway...until I came to a stand still. I am now late, sweating, frustrating and wishing that I still sucked my thumb for a bit of comfort before I lost my mind when a nice trucker pulled up along side, honked, asked me to roll down my window and proceeded to see if I wanted to get off at the next exit. SERIOUSLY?????

Moral of the story: Never assume that people will respect your time. Always be sure to leave for your flight an hour before you think you have to if you have a meeting just prior. The meeting, most often, will run over and there is no doubt that if you are in a hurry there will be a tube strike, a wreck, a traffic jam or an obnoxious and out of his gourd trucker to stand in your way.

4) TIP: When on a plane and you have someone beside you or on either side of you, share the arm rests. This is especially true if you are in an aisle or window seat. That poor person in the middle already has to be squished between the others, so cut them a bit of a break and give up the arm rest.

5) TIP: If you are flying into a beautiful area - mountains, sea, etc, and you have the window seat, please remember that just because you are sitting in that seat does not mean that you are the only person wishing to see the sights. Sit back and enjoy the view - your entire head doesn't need to occupy the window for you to see what is happening below. Thank you from all of us who prefer the aisle seat.

6) TIP: If you, like me, prefer the aisle seat, you canNOT be disgruntled when a person in your row needs to use the bathroom. They already feel bad about having to ask you to get out of your seat so that they can get out, so chill out - it isn't a big deal and YOU picked that seat with full knowledge of what that meant.

7) TIP: Plane seats have limited leg room. Unless it is a long flight and you do it with care, please consider NOT slamming your seat back upon take-off. If you have a child behind you, no big deal. If you have someone who may not need as much leg room, fine. But if you are sitting in front of someone who is 6'5", your discomfort in not reclining ALL the way back will be nothing compared to you breaking his legs.

8) TIP: If at all possible, please do not bring a bag/plate/etc of food onto the plane just before take off. The food smell permeates the cabin and lasts forever. I completely understand not having time to eat and having to grab and go, however, there are choices you can make that won't make others shoot daggers in your direction.

9) TIP: If you are not in a hurry to catch your next flight, allow others who ARE to deboard the plane before you. This doesn't mean you have to let everyone off, but if you have a 2 hour layover and the person behind you has 20 minutes, let them go first. Also, if someone who is sitting in front of you had to place their carry-on above you, get it for them and pass it forward. It slows EVERYTHING and EVERYONE down for them to backtrack to their bag.

10) TIP: The new fees for checked bags has caused everyone to carry-on. I do the same thing. However, if you have a seat in the middle or back of the plane and you see open bin space in the front of the plane, please do NOT take it. Those of us sitting in the front of the plane need that space for our bags. And then, if you do take it, we have to put ours way behind us... see TIP #9.

11) TIP: When driving long distances, I recommend that you wear pants and/or sleeves. For some reason, while on the highway, many truck drivers seem to think that if you are wearing a skirt, shorts or a tank top, you must really like it if they honk at you and perform lude gestures. I have stopped trying to figure this out, but I can provide this tip with assurance - the more covered, the fewer honks.

12) TIP: This should really have been #1. Always, ALWAYS say please and thank you. When I am in a different country, these are the only two words I MUST learn upon arrival. These words are not just for small children and they make a world of difference. Try it.

Ok, so I could go on and on and on, but I will leave it here for now. All in all, I guess the point of all of it is to be considerate. Think and then act... I know, it can be hard to do, but just imagine what a travel day COULD be like if more people did.

Truth - It's Not That Difficult

I was thinking about two movement campaigns tonight: Truth and It Gets Better. These two campaigns take a message that has not been heard or hasn't wanted to be heard or is hard to hear or whatever it is that keeps people from positive action vs. negative action, and yet they do it in very different ways.

The Truth campaign goes for shock value. The message tries to make you react to something and react at that moment. It isn't about creating a feel good moment that you will remember and hold on to. It is about rocking your current train of thought and derailing it in order to move you.

The It Gets Better campaign is powerful because it plays on human emotion. It is raw. It is real. It is truth. This type of movement campaign doesn't try to shock you (not always) into movement, but tries to humanize a tough issue that many people refuse to see as a human issue.

Both of them tell the truth. Both campaigns are not afraid to tell the truth and do not beat around the bush. The American Legacy Foundation and Dan Savage were not afraid to talk about the tough topics in a way that was both direct and effective. So why is that so hard for others? Organizations? People? Leaders? Everyone wants to hear the truth. Sure, sometimes you have to deliver it according to target audience, but regardless, you will be respected so much more if you speak truthfully, honestly and with integrity.

I have interacted with many people and organizations who/that refuse, for whatever reason - mainly fear - to be honest. Your donors, supporters, volunteers, friends, lovers, children, families and even strangers know (for the most part) when you are being honest and transparent and when you are talking out of both sides of your mouth.

Want to be successful? Want to be respected? Want to lead a movement? Want to be trusted? If you don't want to be involved, say so. If you don't want to raise money, say so. If you are feeling under valued, say so. If you don't feel as though you have the information you need, say so. Be honest. Be truthful. Have integrity and work with those around you to do the same.

Calling All Professional Change Makers

I was working with a group not too long ago that has a strong commitment to creating change in their community and beyond. Great! I like change makers. As a matter of fact, if I could change my title to Professional Change Maker, I would. But is it enough to WANT to create change?

The answer is simply, no, it is not enough. I also want to be a trust fund baby, but that isn't going to happen either. It is not good enough to wish for funding to come through your door or to wish that your board members would do everything you want them to do; we have to make those things happen. Ok, so perhaps that is a bit obvious, but it is amazing to me how many people truly believe that simply having a desire for something creates the end result after which is so desperately sought.

The question then becomes, HOW do we create change? How do we take a passion, idea, commitment and bring it to fruition? The easiest way I can say it is to have guts and follow through. It is difficult to create change. It takes perseverance, willingness, overcoming fear, dedication, open mindedness, leadership and money. It takes all of those things, but more than anything, it takes a shared vision and a commitment to take that vision and put it into action.

So step back for a minute, all of you change makers, and answer this question, "If you had unlimited funding and support and an open road, what would you like to see happen - big picture?" Then take it a step further and determine what impact that would create either in your community, region, nation, or globally.

If you know where you want to go and why it is so important to get there, you have just won half the battle (insert G.I. Joe theme song here). Hold a visioning session with your board and your staff. Gain their buy in and build their passion around a mutual goal, a long term vision. Then make the plan to get there. Acknowledge that it will not be easy. Accept that it is scary to make changes and to become something great.

And, if at the end of the day, you, your board and your supporters don't wish to become something great, I hope you will re-evaluate your organization's impact, mission and position in this world. There is too much work to be done to be walking around in the muck and the weeds everyday with no intention of change.

Listen, learn, build, engage, thank, listen

The art of fund development is simple: listen, learn, build, engage, thank and listen again. If you can do these things with ernest sincerity and interest, you are well on your way to success in this field. Sounds easy enough. Yet, when you combine these steps with the everyday of returning emails, filing reports, entering contact reports into the database, attending meetings, comparing benchmarks, returning calls and setting appointments, they tend to get lost. Not good people, not good.

So how can we get back to good on this? How can we take the expectations of our Board, supervisors, whomever it may be and get back to relationships, to fund development, to the reason we got into this field in the first place? My response: make it happen. How can you not?

In a time when donors are giving to fewer organizations, becoming more critical of the impact you may or may not be making, more inclined to dig deeper into who you are, what you are doing and their role in making it all happen, we have to be better. Stop blaming the economy for a lack of funding from private sources. Stop the blame game, period. Sure, sit on the floor for a minute and have a tantrum if it makes you feel better, but then get up and realize that we just have to be better. It is no longer acceptable for donors to be an object; they must become people, family, important. Why haven't they always been? I don't know, but in many cases, we do, indeed, need to get it back to good. (I couldn't help it, I had to put this song in... no real relevance other than the fact that I just quite like it.)

So how? If you can, sit down with the CEO of the organization and find out what role philanthropy plays in your organization. If you are expected to be a major capital philanthropic arm, then there needs to be a mutual understanding of what that is going to take: giving by the board, CEO speaking the mission and vision in the community, philanthropy as PART of the strategic plan, not an afterthought, a focus on RELATIONSHIPS not ROI, the list goes on.

If the CEO, board, etc are not willing to do those things, then go back to the drawing board. But IF they are and IF philanthropy is important, then your donors are important. If your donors are important, who they are, where they have been, why they are engaged, what role they want/can play for your organization are ALL important. The minute development officers are encouraged to establish relationships, build and grow them carefully and with passion, that ROI is going to increase. If the only message your development staff/you are hearing is - raise more money, NOW, make more calls, NOW, burn and churn, I can promise you, sustainability and growth in philanthropic revenue are NOT in your future.

It's time we change our own culture of philanthropy in the fund development world. We have been so worried about changing the culture within our organization that we've forgotten to look inward. I'm ready to change that.

It's working for them, why not for me?

I have several friends who work at Blackbaud (BB) and I adore each of them. Seriously, some of the very best people work for this company. No, this is not a pitch for BB, although, I'm ok with anyone having that take away, but it is a pitch for people who ask the questions and then go and find the answers. I know it is their "job", but they are REALLY good at it and because they dig and ask and find, they deliver.

BB recently delivered on the 2010 Online Giving Report. GO READ IT! A few points in the report tell us that online giving increased 34.5% in the last year and produced over $10M in revenue for a 56% growth rate year over year. AND it shows that it isn't just for small gifts anymore. The report showed that 88% of organizations in this report had at least one gift of $1,000 or more online. WOW. To me, if someone is giving $1K or more online, it probably isn't as much of a stop and think gift as it would be to most of us.... meaning, HELLO - potential major donor!

Am I happy this report came out? YES! It helps many organizations make the case that online giving is important. However, it isn't something that you can just say, "Gee, online giving keeps increasing and so many organizations are raising serious dollars online, so let's go make our online giving site really nifty and just WAIT for the dollars to roll in." I hate to say it, but unless you can predict some major natural disaster in an impoverished country, that isn't going to work.

I have worked with many organizations who see these reports and say, why aren't we raising more money online? We have had an online site for YEARS and yet we only got two gifts last year for a total of $32.93. My response? Well, what have you been DOING to drive them online? WHY should they give to you? WHO are you targeting? WHAT is your message?HOW OFTEN are you reaching out to your current and potential donors?

"Oh, you mean we actually need email addresses? We don't have those and I just can't possibly think of how to go and get them." Yeah, ok, let's go sit down over here and talk more about this...

Regardless of if it is online giving or face to face or direct mail, what is your story? Who are you telling? Who is telling your story for you? What is your impact? How are you perceived by your donor base and those around them? How big is your network? How willing are you to change? Because, if you are not willing to change, grow, be loud, tell your story, inspire others, encourage hope, steward and appreciate, it won't matter how great others are doing online.

So get inspired people! It is so much more fun and productive to be inspired. If you aren't inspired, why not? If you are, why? Get inspired and then go inspire others. I promise this is a MUCH better solution than just waiting around for someone to press that large flashing DONATE NOW button on your online giving page.

Stand

It has been a while since my last post... obviously. Not that I needed to mention that for anyone to figure it out, but still, a long while. I could go into this laboriously long story as to WHY I haven't written, but let's just suffice it to say that life changes, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot and lately, it has been a lot. Most of the time, I can handle changes with style and grace (at least on the outside), but I don't know that I had much grace left at the end of the day, and so I just went into hibernation. But the weather is glorious and so the sunshine beckons me out again and again and again.

So what is the point of this ramble? Sometimes it is ok to stop what you are doing, examine everything and then figure out the best plan moving forward to reach the spot where, ultimately, you would like to wake up, everyday. This is true for individuals, groups, teams, and organizations.

If something isn't working and you just keep faltering, stop - take a breath or fifty - and get your feet underneath you before you try to run up that hill. Otherwise, you are just going to roll down time and again, and for those of you who have extreme motion sickness like me, rolling down a hill is about the most miserable experience out there.

If you're having a hard time raising funds, stop and think about why that is, and PLEASE, for the LOVE, stop blaming the economy. Yes, the economy isn't the greatest, yes, people are giving to fewer organizations, but the are STILL GIVING! If they aren't giving to you, then my recommendation is that you take a look inside and figure out why that is. Are you in your lead donors' or potential donors' top three priorities? If so why? If not, why not? Have you asked them?

If you can't "get your board to do anything," have you taken a look inside to figure out why that is? Did you set clear and understood expectations? Did they set expectations of you? Did they ever see a job description and agree to those expectations BEFORE they came on the board or did one of your board members on the nominating committee just pick up the phone and call a buddy?

If you are personally struggling in your job, have you asked yourself why? Is it the right job for you? Do you have a mentor you can count on? Are YOU being an effective mentor? Have you read The Leadership Challenge? Do you act like you've read it?

I'm anything but perfect. I have my flaws and freely admit them. Some I can change and some I just have to accept and acknowledge and embrace. No organization is ever going to be perfect - no matter how much so they appear. Those, however, who look inside for improvement are the ones who have a much better chance of shorter hibernation periods and higher success rates.

Here is a song (Rascal Flatts) that, to me, we should all take a read through from time to time:

"Stand"

You feel like a candle in a hurricane

Just like a picture with a broken frame

Alone and helpless

Like you've lost your fight

But you'll be alright, you'll be alright

[Chorus:]

Cause when push comes to shove

You taste what you're made of

You might bend, till you break

Cause its all you can take

On your knees you look up

Decide you've had enough

You get mad you get strong

Wipe your hands shake it off

Then you Stand, Then you stand

Life's like a novel

With the end ripped out

The edge of a canyon

With only one way down

Take what you're given before its gone

Start holding on, keep holding on

Cause when push comes to shove

You taste what you're made of

You might bend till you break

Cause it's all you can take

On your knees you look up

Decide you've had enough

You get mad, you get strong

Wipe your hands, shake it off

Then you stand, then you stand

Everytime you get up

And get back in the race

One more small piece of you

Starts to fall into place

Oh

[Repeat Chorus]