Nick’s Book Blog

Now, you all know that I'm a fan of Julie Morgenstern's books on organizing. This is because I believe that the underlying philosophy is useful for just about any undertaking from accounting to volunteering, etc. And I happen to be doing some research on this topic for an article I'm writing. So the book has got really good perspective on getting more done, and on feeling more zen about life in general. Now, you should go get the whole book if you find yourself interested in what you can do to be more productive, or if you have OCD tendencies ane wish you could just pick up an edge to your organizing activities. One reference she gives comes from Abby Marks-Beale, a corporate productivity specialist who helps busy people manage their time, reading and email. You can check out her website here . How to Read a Sunday Paper A daily edition of a big city newspaper contains approximately the same number of words as a typical novel. And the Sunday edition contains the same number...

Maybe it's just me but reading this book is like being hit over the head. It has tons and tons of lists and policies and the like, but it assumes an alternate reality. This alternate reality involves people who want to volunteer and therefore make themselves spreadsheets of the kinds of experiences they would like to encounter in the process of volunteering. It involves boards of directors who sit down and methodically merge volunteering into the organization's strategic plan. Now, to be fair, the book is very good at providing example documents to use in beginning a program. These would be good for someone running homeless shelters or other outreach-intensive organizations. Or as part of research on volunteering. But even this poses a problem since they're just thrown at you without any context, visual or otherwise. I am serious, the book would be useful in those instances, so go out and get it if that applies. However, if you're an ASAE/trade-association type, this on...

Have you ever heard of it ? I'm not that crunchy, but it could be fun actually...

Here's their year-end coverage for '05. Pretty interesting stuff.

This one is pretty good. "Be careful of every order you give. Once you give an order on a particular topic, you are responsible for always giving orders on that topic."

I'm excited I found the recipe for the Zuppa Toscana soup that they have at Olive Garden. Now I don't have to go there any more just to get the soup! UPDATE: Made the soup. It's a pretty good knockoff. Tips: make sure everything is cut up quite small. Drain the italian sausage very well if you don't want to skim fat off the top (still tastes good, though).

So, I'm cleaning out my office and getting ready for the new year. I am throwing away lots of mags, but I had put post-it flags on some articles I came across in 2005. This article , while about entrepreneurship, has lots of applications in the association environment. It is also useful for productivity in general. This is a VOIP primer (originally in Entrepreneur ). Also - I've found this blog to be an excellent resource for this emerging disruption. Also, an article I snagged from the February issue of Executive Update on keeping members and modeling pricing for dues seems useful. The same issue has a great discussion of " bad board behavior " and an interesting piece on what's called one's " likeability factor ."

Back to the library with two books I didn't get to: Common Sense Business , by Steve Gottry, looks likes what it claims to be. Clear structure and basic, if useful content. Emotional Intelligence at Work , by Hendrie Weisinger. I picked it up because I've been wondering what "emotional intelligence" looks like. When I worked for the therapists, they used the term constantly. Another book I'm taking back is the Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership. I have read the book before and picked it up for a review. It is an excellent compilation of articles to help with all kinds of association challenges.

Okay, I finally started putting my books into Library Thing . Since I've got a "book blog," I figured that was the least I could do. Now, you all will realize that I'm not much into the whole social tagging phenomenon (although I am not antisocial!) so I have not availed myself of those provisions. They quote the Christian Science Monitor on their homepage: ""LibraryThing appears poised to turn the cataloging of books into a form of communal recreation." I like the idea of cataloging one's own books. In the old days, they had so few there was probably not much of a need. But nowadays, we can accumulate books pretty darn fast, and you gotta keep a handle on your inventory, know what I'm sayin'?

I'm a little embarrassed I got this book. I have been thinking about the whole "soft skill" thing a lot recently, and kind of reflecting on the fact that it really is good relationships that have the power to make just about anything happen. So, the book seemed interesting from a skim, so I picked it up and read it. Really, the book is kind of facile and way too autobiographical about the author, Leil Lowndes , whom I'd never heard of before. But apparently, she has a cult following, at least to believe what you read. However, if you look at the book from a "tip" perspective, there are some useful tidbits, and the points she raises are basically wise reflections from someone who's good with people. For instance: When I knokw in my hear that something is right, I will go for it. Whether it's as important as racial relations or as insignificant as cracking a click in one high school, I'll be the first to stand up--or sit down--for my folks. Yes, th...

I follow A List Apart somewhat, mostly because I like to follow web happenings and design, not because I know anything about how to do that stuff. Also 37 Signals for the same reason. However, I find lots of things that help me organize my thinking about association management. For example this post talks about usability. Of course this is immediately applicable to web design, like duh. But it also can be applied to dealing with volunteers. Why, you ask? Because website users are volunteers coming to your site. How do you make them happy, and keep them? Do the things this article says. How do we make volunteers happy and keep them? Read the post and think about it.

Okay, just some final thoughts on this book before I throw it into the drop box. Really a good way to summarize her approach is to say it is a softer, more relationship-driven model than Robert's. This approach seems advantageous to nonprofit groups because a lot of times, people who volunteer in these organizations are trying to connect with a community and it's good to try and work together to maintain these positive working relationships. However, Roberta's does not substitute for Robert's -- sometimes she admits this freely, other times she doesn't. Roberta's is more an approach to meetings rather than a parliamentary system. You could--and probably should--develop governance policies that would be based on some of these practices, but using this approach solely would leave you with little recourse if things really went south. Like I said, the author admits this sometimes, but other times she'd like to push her system. Like I mentioned yesterday, though,...

Well, it's been a couple of days... Things get busy this time of year. I am blogging today from Seattle where I'm visiting family for Christmas. It is warm (fifty degrees) and raining. I am trying to tie off some of the books I've been working on, but have bitten off more than I can chew. I am trying to finish off my reading of Roberta's Rules of Order , and it's such a reference that I'm just going to finalize my notes and plan on purchasing a copy. Then, I'm working on The Martha Rules , which is a business book by you guessed it, Martha Stewart. I have to say I respect her opinions on business because props to anyone who can make a fortune off of gilded pumpkins. Seriously, the book is way more insightful than her works on Christmas decorating. On the long plane ride yesterday, I began Carnegie by Peter Krass, which is of course the biography of Andrew Carnegie. On Tuesday, I had a dinner meeting at Tyson's Corner, so I stopped in at the Waldenbooks ...

Check this out, this made my day . Obtained clandestinely from the DC Web Women . Full disclosure. Note to vendors: if people have to do this to talk to a person, you have got a problem. I mean, I am a skilled internet problem-solver, but when you need a person, you need a person.

Just getting some time to peruse the latest issue; I really have to say it's better than ever. I really like the short, helpful bits of information along with giving references for more in-depth information. Some things I found useful for my work: p. 15: Case study on developing an "irresistible information resource." Looks at the American College of Rheumatology's methods for engaging an audience. p. 16: Book review of The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable. Looks like a good read. p. 20: Tips on getting gubernatorial proclamations. A good write-up if you've not done it before. Long story short: get on the phone and do some work! p. 23: "Lessons from failure." That's rough as titles go! This is basically like Ben Martin's idea for "worst practices." p. 39: Interview with Kotler on marketing for associations. The features look good if they're relevant to your work, but they aren't for me right now, so...

I went to a seminar on innkeeping in New Hampshire last weekend. (One goal of mine is to open a small inn in several years' time.) One of the smaller, operational-type things mentioned was that when you change a guest's sheets, you should put sheets on with a different color, so that people know that a service has been performed for them. So, I got to thinking today, what else is like that? There are lots of things you could point out to an employer, client, etc., to let them know that you have performed service for them. So I'm going to think about using different colored sheets more in my career in association management.

As part of some research I'm doing, I've come across this organization . They have this cool teleclass you can take for $39 which gives you an intro to the profession. I don't know what their numbers are or how successful the program is, but this seems like a great way to raise awareness and cash in on people who are exploring options. It could probably be a lot more widespread. And, since it's a teleclass, the costs would be essentially just a little staff time.

I have accepted a new position as membership manager at the Color Marketing Group in Alexandria, Virginia. I am really excited about the opportunity and can't wait to get started! I will start after things calm down from the holidays. The downside is that it's back across the river every day, but the job ought to be worth it in many respects. Also, since I used to work down there I know the area, and that's a plus.

Here's an article on niche marketing --very applicable to membership organizations.

I've been a little out of it regarding lots of recent coversations involving the long tail . Wikipedia has a good primer, and now I'm up and rolling.

Interesting topic over at Signal vs Noise . It occurred to me that my attention to designy-type stuff might not make too much sense to everyone given my association/nonprofit bent. To me it makes sense though and here's why: 1) design is more and more important in our lives and anyone who's a manager of anything ought to follow design trends at least cursorily; and 2) a lot of design and usability issues can be used as metaphors--or as models--for organizational issues faced by managers. More on this topic as it emanates from my gray matter, which is a sight to behold!

This is an article in Entrepreneur on the subject. Also in the magazine this month there's a cool little blurb about this guy who has what he calls a "wheel management system." The piece would be interesting reading for anyone who's in the business of designing a staff model. The photo shows the org chart which is wild, and looks like--you guessed it--a wheel. His system is based on a chart that identifies all employees based on their skills and expertise. The chart is constructed so that if, for example, an environmental scientist requires additional materials during subsurface drilling, he immediately knows whom to call and has the authority to do so. "There is no hierarchy," says Vigneri. "The goal is to keep the project moving forward." The thing I find interesting about all these small business articles I read is how applicable their processes are to associations and other nonprofits. Empowerment issues like these are really important when y...

Chapter six gets in to the physical details of meeting and making that meeting work. A summary of the chapter is to keep the board happy. There's no reason to stick to all kinds of rules when the basic principle is to create an environment where people can get their work done. The rest of the chapter is basically guidelines for effective email, which can be easily found elsewhere. Chapter seven goes into how to run a smooth meeting so you can respect people's time. This is really important, actually, yet you run into so many meetings where people aren't respecting others' time and it's really a huge demotivating factor--not very long and you'll notice people aren't showing up for the meetings. So, it's best to make sure these meetings are very productive, even if that means postponing--altho that's not a good option either (my opinion). Since the author likes these little matrixy model thingies, she gives one on shared roles in meetings. So you can s...

I found this website today in the course of some research, and this powerpoint from the Forbes Group (not exactly sure what it is their focus is) is particularly interesting. Of course, being a PPT, there's not much context. Still, being in the healthcare advocacy arena, these are interesting points and I do see a lot of what's being talked about happening out there. I think it's interesting that we need to talk about the "consumerization" of healthcare at all. It should never have gotten away from a consumer-driven model, IMHO.

This is a winner , via Shawn at Big Picture Blog . Excellent resource for advocacy departments. Props to WaPo for this - CQ et al are currently running a racket for this kind of stuff. I paid $12 apiece for just a simple congressional directory for a conference I was running once - and people throw them away. There's some room in this market for some competition.

Via les boyz at Signal v. Noise , here's a list of the best web 2.0 software from 2005, from Dan Hinchcliffe. Now, I've never been particularly technophilic but I am an avid user of backpack , and the stuff just fits the way I work. I can't help it. Now, as long as you don't ask me how they code it, I will do just fine.

You should try establish a process that requires more than just a simple majority. In contrast, Robert's only requires a simple majority--50% plus one person. Why should you shoot for more? Well, because then people would be either winners or losers and the losers will make trouble. (That's it in a nutshell.) So you should use some soft skills and run things a little nicer. Summary of types of majority Anything higher than 75% is called concordance, or a substantial majority. Fifty-one to 66% is also in the supermajority range. Fifty percent plus one person is just a simple majority. She gives a clock graphic to illustrate this concept. A useful update is the discussion on the meaning of a quorum. She makes the point that the whole concept's an historical one; that in the old days communication wasn't good enough to vote from a distance. So I'm going to infer that if you're setting up your governance policies in accordance with this book, that you'd make pro...

Lately I've been traveling quite a bit. I just got back from Kentucky yesterday where I attended a support group meeting. I beat the snow coming back to BWI. (This was a little freaky though since this plane from Baltimore had a misadventure ). The objective was to try and get some leads on new leadership for the group since we lost our previous leader. The meeting was great, and I found several leads to follow up on.

From Shawn at Big Picture blog . Always good when Harvard types give you props. UPDATE: Here is the article she links to . Read the whole thing.

Okay, back the grindstone of that essential foundational critical thinger (and exciting, too!) which is governance policy. Chapter four of the book is called "Testing the current before heading for concensus." Remember the sailing ship metaphor? Still in effect. Seriously, though, I have to say that in studying up on this book, I really get into it more and more. What the author does is to really codify a lot of common sense. I used to kind of think that people who codified common sense were kind of traitors in a way, but I am finding that as I get old (what's that, sonny??) I respect being able to think clearly and articulate processes a lot more than I used to. And that this book ought to belong on a lot more people's bookshelves than it probably is. End tangent. The author has this little matrix thingy which is useful. It's called the "complexity-controversy" matrix which is a fun little app you can use to determine readily whether an issue's go...

I have been thinking a lot recently about what it takes to have a good community, and posts by Kevin Holland and others where my take-away was that most of what makes it good is the feeling of community (I don't have a ready source, so take that meditation with a salt pill). However, after hearing my spousal unit rave about the DC Web Women listserv, I went and signed up so see what's going on over there. (I know, I'm not a woman and it was especially disconcerting to see the "you've been signed up to the DC Web Women" email next to the one from Men's Health hawking their " Action Hero Workout . Tired of being a mere mortal?" it says. "So what, I hang out with chicks, you gotta problem with that? Sucka." Anyway, a glance at their website will let you know exactly what they are. I have to think that this kind of clarity is key to the founding of a great community. There's no question about what it is or how to proceed. Their operat...

Speaking of member experiences, check this out . Found thru B. Mann . Check out the world map done with Google's API.

I come across all kinds of associations I wouldn't mind joining. I guess I'm a joiner, and since I am a professional Association-type, I find them interesting on a couple of levels. But here are the ones whose content seems appealing to me at this point in time. Now, if I could only afford all those dues... The Society for Marketing Professional Services Association for Volunteer Administration American Society for Public Administration The National Gardening Association (hey they're free!) Professional Association of Inkeepers, International American Hiking Society (only $30, not too bad) National Association of Parliamentarians Usability Professionals Association

I just found this site by accident. Although it's intended for Graphic Designers, I think it would help anyone who a) has to deal with graphic design issues and b) has to estimate the monetary value of their work. NB: doesn't work in Firefox.

I would like to welcome my friend Craig who has agreed to be a contributor to NBB. I have known Craig for a long time, and he is quite possibly the brightest light on the porch. He works for an association doing systems and stuff, and I will let him elaborate on his work as he will. Thanks Craig!

Given the entrepreneurial streak that comes with working for a small nonprofit, I found this post (first in a series to come) to have great advice, and to just be an all around good summary of what it takes to start your own shop. Looking forward to future postings over at Signal vs. Noise .

Roberta's Rules of Order is a book by Alice Collier Cochran , and it presents a fairly comprehensive set of rules for holding meetings. Her deal is not these rules should replace Robert's during large, formal meetings, but rather they are a good solution for smaller, informal groups that meet fairly frequently. She starts from the place that Robert's purpose was to make meetings accessible and to protect people's rights. So she says that you can use those principles to guide your meetings, while adapting certain alterations to the time-honored volume of rules. One thing that makes this otherwise quite useful book annoying is that it uses this sailing metaphor throughout. It's a very grating metaphor (milked for all it's worth) that could lessen the book's cachet if you had to do any selling at all to get a board to try something new. Fair warning! But if you've been to quite a few board meetings you will probably recognize many of the techniques that sh...

I was seriously sick last night and I was doing the insomniac-in-front-of-the-monitor thing when I read this article in the Washington Post . Dr. Helen (the InstaWife of great renown) has a write-up of the article on her blog. This is a point she brings up fairly regularly, including this horrifying policy she brought up . So, does this have an application in the association world? Now, I'm no wannabe victim, but I sometimes think that I'm very much in a female-dominated profession; and I have had some negative experiences that had me scratching my head figuring out whether the issue was really about gender. Of course, I only experience what I experience, but would be open to convo about it.

Did I spell that right? Kevin Holland has a discussion of that topic over at his blog today. Very interesting. My quick reaction is to say that a lot of associations probably *are* in danger of being overthrown. More market forces are in competition with them than ever and people have high standards. The younger folks like me make quick connections on the internet, and have access to more information than ever. The gap between the information-rich and information-poor just grows and grows, yet so many (you know who they are) says things like, "I don't do the computer." I'm like, okay, it used to be that if people were illiterate they at least weren't proud of it. I hope that's not too harsh, but I am seriously scared for people (many of whom are charged with making important organizational decisions) who have that attitude. Still, my thought is that associations in general have lots to offer people: a sense of belonging, a community, advocacy and having a voi...

I got published in WaPo ! Does this mean I get to find out who deep throat is??? Oh, wait...

I need to come up with an article outline for a piece I suggested for Associations Now magazine. I did a little research, and found these tips from RC Cyber Flyer . Have a clear central theme or message Have a narrow, focused topic Provide details the readers has an interest in Use experience and knowledge to the readers’ advantage Provide insights Key Question: Does it have those “you had to be there” details that force the readers to continue? Organization Have an inviting introduction Use logical, effective sequencing Use good pacing — slows down here, speeds up there Strong transitions link ideas Have conclusions that leave the reader thinking Key Question: Do the beginning and ending work in harmony—like bookends? Word Choice Use words that create vivid images Choose words that are not just correct, but precise Be natural – don’t have a Thesaurus “overload” Use lively verbs Moments you notice and like Have sparing, careful use of slang, jargon, clichés Key Question: How many word...

I again got this book from Garr Reynolds's suggested readings . He does have a lot of great titles there, and they're all fairly new, which is good for me since I spend a lot of time reading oldies. Anyhow, I think if you read a book like this you're going to judge your performance and continually ask yourself if you're an idiot. The three authors go pretty rough on people, calling them "business idiots" all through the book. And, chances anyone who does a lot of communicating in a professional environment will be partially idiotic, so be forewarned. But that's okay because one of the authors admits to being a former idiot, infatuated with business jargon and using such terms as "thought leadership," "value-added," and "monetize." So I did do a little bit of a self-inventory and found that I have let some jargon creep into my speech and writing. I have to admit, it is a combination of factors: a) I have two degrees in French l...