With 15 years in public relations, occasionally it helps to stop and ask, “Why did I get into this profession?” Before answering that, a bit of pre-PR background. I was on the other side of the desk in the world of journalism before making a career change. Specifically, pop culture — music, comedy, the occasional …

Development is, by definition, the process of creating and enhancing relationships with (potential) donors. It is the introduction of (prospective) donors to a non-profit organization, building their interest in the organization’s mission/services, developing in them a passion for the mission and a commitment to the organization’s future, getting them to make-the-gift, and maintaining the relationship …

I live in the Kansas Flint Hills. It’s ranch land, no more than 4 people per square mile. (No surprise, then, that I do most of my coaching by telephone.) But we are a community. And we have no shortage of issues requiring leadership. Leadership is not the same as Authority. As we blog about …

What’s the difference between a code of conduct and a rulebook? A rulebook certainly sets outer parameters as what is unacceptable behavior. However, since most behavior is within those legal parameters, does (and should) a code of conduct dictate how employees should in fact conduct themselves at work? Imagine if a supervisor asks an employee …

In my travels around the country providing workshops on the topic of working spiritually, I’ve found consistently that people are looking for ways to have their work make a difference and to feel energized in a richer way in their work. I want to explore here a few ways that you might examine spirituality in …

In Part 1, we reviewed myths 1-5. In this Part 2, we review myths 6-10 Management Consulting Myths. 6. Myth That All Consultants See the Same Problem the Same Way Each consultant brings his or her own particular view, or “lens,” through which they view organizations. Also, each has his or her particular biases and …

Purpose of this Customer Service Blog This blog helps you improve your customer service by providing articles, opinions, commentary and many related resources. The blog is for a general audience, including beginners and those advanced in customer service. The benefits of strong customer service are many, including that it ensures: Clear understanding of your customer’s …

“The Hokey-Pokey of Fundraising” Whether it’s a Corporation, a Foundation, a prospective Major Donor or the recipient of a mass solicitation, they’re not going to write you a check if the process doesn’t satisfy their needs. Getting a Corporation to want to give to a non-profit organization (NPO) is a simple matter of learning, understanding …

(Much of this blog post was published in April of 2010. This post is republished now with additional information from guest blogger, Alan Hough, whose valuable comments are added later on below.) A common question about Boards is “How many members should we have?” Usually that question spawns a range of answers. For for-profits, some …

In this post, we’ll discuss one of the most important phases in strategic planning – a phase that far too often is forgotten, resulting in plans that sit untouched on shelves. The plan for a plan should be developed by a Planning Committee and should answer 15 important questions — do this before the planners …