Not All Partnerships are Created Equal
(This post is part 2 in a month-long series on partnerships) In Part 1 – When is a Partner Not a Partner?, I explained that nonprofit organizations that work in …
When is a Partner not a Partner?
(This post is part 1 in a month-long series on partnerships) Many nonprofit organizations and public agencies do their work in partnership with others. Not only are such partnerships seen …
Be SMART to Get Where You Want to Go
If you don’t know where you’re going it’s not only hard to get there, it’s nearly impossible to know when (or if) you’ve arrived. When you boil it down, there …
Strategic Planning Simplified
The process associated with strategic planning often overshadows and undermines the usefulness of strategic planning as a tool. Overemphasizing process has led many to forget that effective strategic planning can help an organization: …
More on Leadership vs. Management
In a recent post we outlined the differences between the functions of leadership and the functions of management. We discussed the importance of both functions within any organization, even though …
The Basics of Sharing Leadership
by Karen Buck and Cindy Willard We often think of leadership as a solitary exercise. Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Martin Luther King. Yet there are also great leadership teams – think …
Leadership – Practice vs. Style
Leadership practices are those things all leaders do – the very things that make those individuals leaders. While a variety of opinions exist regarding what qualifies as a leadership practice, …
The Functions of Leadership and Management
In my work with public agencies and large nonprofit organizations, I often find that the functions of leadership and management are not carried out. It is important to understand how …
Dust-Covered Plans
One question I always ask while preparing for any planning process is: “What needs to come out of this process for you to consider it successful?” Do you want to …
How do You Make Decisions?
We cannot be all things to all people. Successful organizations (agencies, programs, etc.) focus on who they are, what results they need to achieve, and who they need to engage …