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Managing the Nonprofit Organization (Part Five)

Developing Yourself

1. You are responsible

Nonprofits lack resources. You cannot blame this for shoddy work. That is bad. "Then you begin to blame the world," and you become a victim. That sucks. Don't do it. Self-development is important for nonprofit executives, staffers and volunteers.

2. What do you want to be remembered for?

Craftsmanship counts is what he says here. I like the way that's put because I like the idea of crafting things, and coming up with a deliverable from an idea is very rewarding for me. So this is a good validation for that perspective.

A quote: "You can only make yourself effective, not anyone else. Creating a record of performance is the only thing that will encourage people to trust you and support you."

You should gather feedback on your own performance. I always think about this in context of looking for jobs. When you get a rejection letter, you should probably call them up and ask them what you could improve, etc., but I never feel like doing this. Still, I could ask a boss or colleague for feedback more comfortably.

You might need to repot yourself, to give your roots room to grow.

Go visit people on their turf. It puts them at ease and helps your relationship. He uses the example of a pastor who visits his parishioners at their place of work so that he can better put himself in their shoes.

3. Nonprofits, the second career: interview with Robert Buford

4. The woman executive in the nonprofit organization: interview with Roxanne Spitzer-Lehmann

5. Summary: action implications


By Peter Drucker
ISBN # 0887306012

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