I’ve been reading Almost isn’t Good Enough: The Human Connection Changes Everything. This isn’t a book review. That will come soon. This book is written to people who are running or involved in not-for-profit work. The author is standing the world of not-for-profit on its ear and challenging some long standing traditional view of how a not-for-profit is run, and how it takes on the basic clear task of following a mission.
As stated, this is not a book review. Wayne Elsey is a proven man in the world of for-profit business and not-for-profit organizations. He “gets it” on such a deep level. I’m reading this book because of my interest in both worlds. So let’s look at some takeaways that I’ve gathered so far from this book that can be applied to any business.
Making a difference
When teaching in the corporate world, I ask companies about their philanthropic works. I often suggest that they strategically support those not-for-profits and the community with their online influence.
“Making a difference in the life of someone else, though, is something that everyone has the capacity to do, regardless of where one is in life and career…
It will create energy around you that will attract others, change lives and offer the opportunity to leave a legacy of change in the midst of a culture of access. “
Clarity
“Success, wealth, and impact are not philosophical ideas to be debated within the halls of academia. They are characteristics grounded in a focused effort over a long period of time that lead to transformation.”
Many times we associate the words mission statement with not-for-profit, but a business should have one too. If you’re not clearly focused on achieving that mission, you’re just working. If you find the clarity of your mission and follow it, you will be on the path of success, wealth and impact.
Valuing People
Janet Effron wrote a great post called: Company Policy in there she asked
“Is it your practice to hire stupid people?”
That stuck with me. When I work with companies, I often ask to train, not only upper management, public relations, marketing, and sales people to use the tools of social media, I ask to train support staff, and a variety of other positions within a corporation. Why? Because, people are what make your company strong. It is the people that you have trusted to represent your brand in the real world, that make your company shine. You should trust that they will make you proud online too, with proper training of you policy, goals, and a clearly defined strategy.
It is our “belief that everyone is at the table because they bring something of value. To that end they are expected to bring that value everyday” You want to “create a culture of empowerment…
It’s vital that we not create barriers to conversations but empower the experts we retain to perform at their highest levels.”’
Are you creating a culture of empowerment, and valuing the people you have chosen to be a part of your business? Do you give them a platform in which to express their knowledge of your product or service, and to become branded themselves as an expert in you field of business; and thus your business is branded thru them? Or do you simply let the PR guys get this new media stuff?Wayne “gets it” no matter if you are talking for-profit or not-for-profit :
“It’s all about the people.”