The black ten goes on the red Jack, Jack
The worst thing you can say is “I’m too busy.”
There are reasons, remedies, and repercussions available here and here and here.
Therefore:
If someone you know calls, call them back. Don’t write. Call. Today.
If someone you know writes, write them back. Or call. Today.
If you have an appointment with someone, do not text them a “crazy busy” excuse in the hopes they’ll go away. Meet. You said you would. Passive aggressiveness is still aggression…and it’s repugnant.
Be fifteen minutes early. Honoring time is the ultimate respect.
Stop being afraid that people will catch you playing Solitaire. We know you’re playing Solitaire. Everyone’s playing Solitaire of a kind. We’re not actually speaking with other people, seeking ideas and help, or evolving curiosity.
If we only express things we already know, then how do we grow?
This. Happened.
Years ago, I dined with a board member/lawyer who’d given $100,000 of unrestricted funding for four consecutive years. Ninety miles from home. Nice restaurant. Just us two.
Asked for this year’s gift.
Silence.
Then, he said, “Now, why do you do all these plays for the n**g**s? They’re uneducated, unsophisticated, they don’t like us, and you’re just rubbing our noses in it?”
I wanted simultaneously to vomit, slug, and flee, none of which are socially acceptable responses.
Dad once said that using the bathroom is the most socially acceptable way to buy ten minutes. I bought ten minutes.
“It’s not my money. It’s not my money,” I chanted to myself for about ten minutes. “It’s for the company. It’s unrestricted. We can spend it any way we see fit.”
Came back.
What would you say and do?
Positive Signs in the Nonprofit Arts Community
Some nonprofit arts organizations are making new, better choices – and it’s working.
One theater company, eschewing the managing director template (part operations director, part fundraiser, part CPA), has chosen to split the duties. They’ve brought on a strategy director to handle outside duties (fundraising, speaking, lobbying) and strategic plan piloting. The operations and financial duties lie with the general manager.
One children’s arts company, eschewing the arts-revenue template (part production house, part arts education academy), produces in the same facility as several social service agencies. They incorporate the other nonprofits into everything they do, produce a specific style of performance art that speaks to the values of their ethnically, linguistically diverse neighborhood, and gauge success by how well all the nonprofits are bettering the lives of their constituents.
New prototypes. New measurements. New realizations. Excellent work.
“Here we go, Rembrandt, here we go!” – Fans (who cheer) or audiences (who hear)?
“HOLD THAT NOTE! HOLD THAT NOTE!”
“PUSH ‘EM BACK! PUSH ‘EM BACK! NOW STEP, TOUCH, JETÉ AND HOLD!”
“S-C-E-N-E, SCEE-EEENE, SCEE-EEENE!”
Years ago, I sat in the third-to-top row of an NFL stadium with an artistic director friend. First game of the season. Even people behind us were screaming their heads off and waving their foam fingers. And the experience was more personally meaningful to them than many arts experiences I’ve loved.
Sports fans no more control the action of a game than arts fans do a play or concert. But they’re encouraged to be blitheringly engaged. And all too often, arts fans are encouraged to sit back and relax. Or shut up and listen. Like a lecture at school.
We wondered, can arts organizations find ways to encourage blithering? Or are we too clubby for that?
Cue the heavenly chorus…your nonprofit arts organization will never be hungry again!
Acting is not about performing; nor is painting about artistry; nor is music is about musicianship; nor is dancing about prowess.
Similarly, nonprofit arts organizations cannot be about exhibitions/performances.
The impact of the arts can be quantified. There are myriad studies. But the impact of any individual arts organization is not an equivalent discussion. Each organization must provide specific impact, or better, impact2.
Impact2 is the impact’s impact. As a food bank provides positive impact to a concrete number of families, its impact2 may be the number of households that escaped poverty from having had the gift of food in its worst times.
Many nonprofit arts organizations often define themselves by the quality of production. No surprise, then, that so many struggle to reach new donors. Quantify the impact2 of your nonprofit, and you’ll find your Grail.
Moribund companies value success. Great companies value happiness.
At four, it’s about happiness.
At fourteen, it’s all about responsibility.
At twenty-four, it’s all about ambition.
At thirty-four, it’s all about success.
At forty-four, it’s all about ambition.
At fifty-four, it’s all about responsibility.
At sixty-four, it’s all about happiness.
At seventy-four, it’s all about happiness.
At eighty-four, it’s all about happiness.
At ninety-four, it’s all about happiness.
Happiness trumps everything. Leadership is all about recognizing that. We have a better idea what it takes to be happy than what it takes to be successful. Understandably, those who achieve their own personal happiness only in success do not recognize that perfect, long-lasting happiness is found only when providing happiness to others. Never underestimate happiness as a motivator.
When you value happiness, you will lead a great company. Until then, all you are doing is managing one.
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