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BOOK REVIEW
7 Measures of Success What Remarkable Assocations Do That Others Don't
by the American Society of Association Executives and The Center for Association Leadership |
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"7 Measures of Success" is a short and remarkably insightful book of how to focus a nonprofit organization or association on effective fulfillment of mission.
The seven factors are:
(1) a customer service culture (which can be translated for clients, members, etc.);
(2) alignment of products and services with mission;
(3) data driven strategies (commitment to gathering and analyzing data to determine how the organization is doing with respect to these key factors);
(4) dialogue and engagement (ongoing conversation between staff, board and volunteers about how the organization is doing and its direction and priorities);
(5) CEO as a Broker of Ideas (the CEO or Executive Director as the key facilitator of visionary thinking throughout the organization); (6) Organizational Adaptability (developing an organization's capacity to respond to change); and
(7) Alliance Building (securing partnerships that facilitate an organization's mission).
7 Factors of Success is built upon the earlier works by Jim Collins "Built to Last" and "Good to Great and the Social Sectors". 7 Factors of Success includes practical suggestions about how to apply the factors and to measure an organization's progress.
You can order the book online through the Amazon.com website. |
| Contact Us
Patty Oertel
323-257-1125 |
Charles Watson
Oertel Group Website |
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November 2007 Edition News from The Oertel Group |
Greetings!
Welcome to our monthly newsletter. As a member of our e-news community, The Oertel Group is pleased to provide you with regular updates about issues and information that effect the nonprofit field and help to maximize your nonprofit's performance. |
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FEATURED SERVICE:
Strategic Planning: The NOW Report
A critical part of an effective Strategic Planning Process is the development of an organization's NOW Report (although sometimes called organizational status or in some cases an overview of an internally-focused organizational assessment).
The NOW Report serves multiple purposes: to ground all participants in the real world regarding the organization; to provide evidence, and in some cases, details about material strengths and weaknesses of the organization's internal status that will effect their ability to implement particular strategies identified during the planning process; and finally to help identify infrastructure issues that may require prioritization with regard to any allocation of funding and/or focus.
In a more complex organization, the NOW Report can also serve as a way to highlight key pieces of information and to simplify information into basics that Board members can understand more easily and therefore connect to the planning process more effectively.
Topic areas covered in a NOW Report often include some combination of the following:
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Financial Condition
a. Profitability
b. Cash Flow
c. Debt
d. Investments
e. Systems Issues
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Fund Development
a. Event Fundraising
b. Donor Development
c. Marketing
d. Endowments and Planned Giving
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Risk Management
a. Insurance
b. Asset Protection
c. Succession Planning
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Program
a. Overview of Services
b. Quality Control
c. Compliance Issues
d. Emerging Opportunities
e. Program - Fiscal Performance relationship
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Human Resources
a. Staffing characteristics
b. Volunteer characteristics
c. Training Programs
d. Turnover
e. Job requirement changes
f. Statutory Compliance
g. Benefits
h. Compensation
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Facilities and Equipment
a. Overview of Inventory
b. Condition
c. Capitalization and Depreciation
d. Deferred maintenance
If interested in any of the planning services, please contact us at 323-257-1125 or via email. |
THIS MONTH'S QUESTION:
Should staff members be included in the board planning retreat?
While the Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for determining the organization's mission, vision and strategic direction, the management and staff of an organization, though, are closer to immediate client needs. Therefore, strategic planning is well-suited to being a partnership between board and staff. We have generally found that strategic plans benefit from the input of staff -- both because the plan reflects current client needs, is realistic on what can be implemented and through the process staff are excited about the organization's direction (rather than possibly resisting a plan that has been handed down to them).
With that said, there are practical considerations regarding staff being present at a board retreat. First, there should not be more staff members than board members. This is based on board members retaining the ulitmate decision-making authority and this can both feel and be undermined if there are significantly more staff members than board members present at the retreat.
Also, just as it is important for the staff to feel included in the process and excited about the final plan, this holds for board members. The board members will have responsibility for implementing the strategic plan including any fundraising goals. The more the board members are involved in fully discussing the issues, the more they will "own" the plan.
If the staff size is larger than the board size, then input should be sought from staff via interviews, survey or focus groups but only management or a representative group of staff members should be present for the retreat.
Secondly, staff members should have an understanding of the role of the board, proper decorum, and an appreciation that the planning process is for the full organization and the future and not a forum for raising personal concerns.
With good preparation and an appreciation of roles, bringing board and staff members together for a planniong retreat can produce excitement for the future, a common vision and a sense of a united team to implement the strategic goals. |
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NOVEL IDEA
A History Mural.
Do you have long standing board members that tend to provide a lengthy organizational history as a preamble to their comments?
Do you have enthusiastic new board members that make suggestions without having a sense of important milestones in the organization's history?
Do you have new and longstanding managers that do not know each other and board members in a way that unites people into a team?
In recent years for organizations as varied as the California Community Foundation and STIPDA, The Oertel Group has had board and staff members complete a history mural and place themselves in that context.
The "mural" can be constructed on a continuous role of banner paper with the major milestone of the organization's history already placed along a timeline. If you have an artist within your ranks, the timeline benefits from color and a few pictures to make it more interesting; if you do not have access to an artist you can use clip art that can be enlarged and transferred via clear labels. Then board and staff members can be provided either "stick figures" that they can decorate with hair color and other personalized features, flowers or shapes (prepared on clear labels).
The participants then post themselves in the timeline and introduce themselves in order describing when they joined the organization, their role and what most excites them about the organization. The process provides some valuable history, makes everyone feel valued and increases a sense of team. | |
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Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to your friends.
Patty Oertel and Charles Watson
The Oertel Group |
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