You probably know how challenging it can be to concisely and persuasively articulate who you are, what you do and why (either personally or organizationally) in under a minute. There's a handy (and fun) tool available online from Harvard Business School to make elevator pitch writing easier by focusing on the questions that matter most. Check out the HBS Elevator Pitch Builder. Hat Tip to Drew McManus at Adaptistration … [Read more...]
How leadership matters: The effects of leaders’ alignment on strategy implementation
A short research publication about how leaders influence the implementation of strategic initiatives and the value of alignment between multiple layers of leaders. Research has confirmed that leader behavior influences group and organizational behavior, but we know less about how senior leaders ensure that group and organizational members implement their decisions. Most organizations have multiple layers of leaders, implying that any single leader does not lead in isolation. We focused on how the consistency of leadership effectiveness across … [Read more...]
Ditch Performance Reviews? How About Learn to do Them Well?
This article highlights some of the challenges to productive performance reviews as well as suggestions for how to overcome them. Do these map onto your experiences with performance reviews? Do you have other suggestions for how to make them less frustrating and more valuable? Ditch Performance Reviews? How About Learn to do Them Well? - Harvard Business Review. … [Read more...]
We Make Do: More Time Is Better, But Budget Is King
Space is a critical resource for many artists and arts organizations. Given the challenges facing both those who have facilities and those who want access to facilities, are there opportunities for communities to work together to overcome these challenges? This report examines the needs and availability of dance rehearsal space in New York, but includes valuable insights for anyone interested in community-wide solutions to infrastructure challenges. We Make Do: More Time Is Better, But Budget Is King — The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. … [Read more...]
Creating a Customer-Centric Business
Professor Ranjay Gulati of Harvard Business School discusses how organizations can become more customer (or audience)-centric and why this is a critical time for them to do so. YouTube - Creating a Customer-Centric Business. … [Read more...]
Principles Workbook: Steering Your Board Toward Good Governance and Ethical Practice
This workbook is designed to help organizations assess and strengthen their governance practices. It outlines 33 principles of good governance, providing an overview of each principle, key questions to guide discussions, the legal implications for each principle, and additional resources that might be helpful. There are also worksheets included to help you record and prioritize any follow-up actions that are identified through the use of the workbook. I'm curious to hear from anyone who uses this tool - did you find the conversations with … [Read more...]
Mapping Business Models
This post introduces an interesting, knowledge-game approach to understanding and developing an organization's strategic direction. It includes a mapping tool and suggestions for how to create a team session which can be focused in any number of ways - "at the very least the game leads to a refined and shared understanding of an organization’s business model. At its best it helps players develop strategic directions for the future by outlining new and/or improved business models for the organization." We've used similar mapping tools for … [Read more...]
Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us
A fascinating animated talk by Daniel Pink about the surprising things that do (and don't) motivate people. What have you observed or experienced? How do you motivate your colleagues? Watch "Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us" … [Read more...]
Video: Diane Ragsdale on Surviving the Cultural Change (Version 4.0)
This video is of Diane Ragsdale's keynote "Surviving the Cultural Change (Version 4.0)" at the Arts Alliance Illinois Members' Meeting on June 21, 2010. In this speech she challenges arts organizations to adapt to the cultural changes that have been taking place. Which of Diane's suggestions resonate with you? What are you doing (or going to do) to adapt to the cultural changes taking place? Watch Diane Ragsdale on Surviving the Cultural Change (Version 4.0). … [Read more...]
The Limits of Nonprofit Impact – HBS Working Paper
Nonprofits are under growing pressure to demonstrate their impact to funders as well as taxpayers. This working paper argues that while performance measurement is a helpful management tool, it is not always appropriate to focus on impacts depending on the scale and scope of an organization's activities and theory of change. Though the examples focus on poverty alleviation, the discussion and questions are highly relevant for all nonprofits. The Limits of Nonprofit Impact - HBS Working Paper. … [Read more...]
The Four Horsemen of the Nonprofit Financial Apocalypse
In this article Clara Miller, President and CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, identifies nonprofit best practices and assumptions which have amplified the impact of the economic downturn on many organizations. She makes the case for increasing the understanding of nonprofit capitalization so that organizations are equipped to make better decisions and create new business models that suit their unique circumstances. Hat tip to Andrew Taylor for his summary of this article on his blog, The Artful Manager. The Nonprofit Quarterly | … [Read more...]
The New Work of the Nonprofit Board
"Effective governance by the board of a nonprofit organization is a rare and unnatural act. " This article describes how to leverage the collective knowledge and networks of your board of directors so they are able to provide your organization with the strategic direction and support it needs. The New Work of the Nonprofit Board - Harvard Business Review. … [Read more...]
The Nonprofit Sector in Brief: Public Charities, Giving and Volunteering, 2009
This brief highlights trends in the number and finances of 501(c)(3) public charities, as well as key findings on private charitable contributions and volunteering, two vital resources to the nonprofit sector. Figures on giving and volunteering include the most recent data available. Data reported on the nonprofit sector are from 2007—a snapshot of the sector just before the U.S. economic recession. The Nonprofit Sector in Brief: Public Charities, Giving and Volunteering, 2009. … [Read more...]
Leaders in co-creation? Why and how museums could develop their co-creative practice with the public
This paper explores increasing co-creation in museums as a means to creating better, more relevant and innovative programming and exhibits. Using performing arts examples and business literature, Govier argues that collaborative development and co-creation should be pursued with more in mind than audience development/engagement or educational programming and outreach. While the research focuses on the application of these concepts for museums, the ideas are relevant to all arts and culture organizations. Found via Nina Simon's summary … [Read more...]
How Cultural Groups Can Use Social-Media – Social Good – The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas
This podcast features Nina K. Simon, author of The Participatory Museum, and Rob Stein, Chief Information Officer at the Indianapolis Museum of Art discussing how cultural organizations can use social media and social-media-type interactions (such as building a community of interest) to build more robust experiences and relationships. They also explore some of the risks and pitfalls of building inconsistent experiences across these different mediums. How Cultural Groups Can Use Social-Media - Social Good - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- … [Read more...]