Many of us spend happy hours ensconced in our summer reading. I like to diversify mine with books that are better characterized as “reading for work.” These can yield productive and often ongoing results – they’re the gifts that keep on giving.
There are three books, in particular, that stay with me and continue to make a difference in my work with clients. I often refer to them and recommend them to clients and fellow consultants
Here are my suggestions for your summer reading pleasure. I hope you find as much in them as I have.
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by William Bridges
Because so many of my client engagements include some element of change (and we know change is a constant today!), I believed this was an important book from page one: “Change is situational … Transition, on the other hand, is psychological.”
I have come to believe that this book should be required reading for nonprofit executive and volunteer leadership. Why? Because in order to lead adaptive and nimble organizations, nonprofit leaders need to be comfortable with change and leading staff as they navigate the transition.
Bridges discusses the phases of transition and then shares insights on how to navigate this time of flux for individuals and an organization.
As part of one of my engagements advising on executive transition, the about-to-retire CEO read the book, as did the board chair. Having benefitted from Bridges’ insights, the organization purchased the book and distributed it to the board members, senior management team, and program directors. This was, in some ways, a first step in managing the transition. By having everyone read the book, a shared understanding was shaped, giving way to a unified approach and voice.
Indeed, one of Bridges’ key points is the need for communication, and a lot of it. He impresses the need to provide consistent, unambiguous messages and avoid conflicting ones when talking about change
The book is accessible and readable. The checklists at the end of each chapter are good tools for charting one’s course. Once you read Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, you will be better equipped to identify the nuances of change/transition and lead the way through.
Why Not: How to Use Everyday Ingenuity to Solve Problems Big and Small by Barry Nalebuff and Ian Ayres
This book really got me thinking. It has enhanced how I approach problem solving – my own and my clients’. Since reading it years ago, and revisiting it as I write this post, I realize that it sparked creativity in me and encouraged me to view things from new and different angles. What’s funny is that as I look back through the pages, the book is not as I remember it. I speculate that the authors would be fine with this…because I am seeing and thinking about things in a new way.
Perhaps my favorite chapter is “What Would Croesus Do?” I refer to it most often in my work. The essence of the chapter is to ignore limits. Often when working with a client on a strategic plan, there comes a point in the process when the grip of reality is very tight. For one client, the reality was their financial situation and quickly depleting resources.
At the board retreat focused on developing a strategic vision and goals for the plan, the mood in the room was grim. The board struggled to envision a vibrant future for the organization. As their facilitator, I needed to help spark their ability to set aside the immediate struggles. Having recently read Why Not, I posed two questions, “What if money were no object? What if the organization could make decisions without worrying about the financial ramifications?”
That was the game changer for the board. With permission to take a break from reality, they were able to think big and envision the future they wanted for the clients they served and the organization itself. The next step was to refine the vision to something a bit more realistic. The board’s further reflection that the strategic plan would play out over the course of three years helped them understand that, while there were no guarantees the financial situation would materially change, addressing fundraising and increasing capacity in other areas, was essential to the organization’s well-being.
Read Why Not. It is an engaging book. It will exercise your brain and expand your thinking.
Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability by Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka and Steve Zimmerman
Having had the pleasure of hearing Steve Zimmerman speak – twice – I knew it was time to read the book. He and his co-authors have constructed a clear and compelling way for nonprofit leaders to assess their organizations’ mission impact and financial sustainability. The matrix map, a key tool for conducting this assessment, has proven to be of great value in my work with clients.
In a recent strategic planning process, the executive director and senior staff plotted all the organization’s activities (program- and fundraising-related) on the matrix map. They presented it to the board at the planning retreat. In this case, a picture truly was worth a thousand words. The stark visual of the two-by-two matrix shattered some of the board’s assumptions – a program that the board thought had high impact and high profitability turned out not to be so. Indeed, it was low in both categories.
The ensuing discussion was critical in almost every way. In order to plan for the organization’s future, this board had to wrestle with some strongly held practices. With the particular program under discussion, they tested numerous scenarios: What would be the fallout of shutting down the program? Was there a way to increase the program’s profitability so at least it would generate revenue, even if mission impact was low?
The methodology and tools offered in Nonprofit Sustainability are well worth considering.
What do you recommend?
I am continually delighted by the way these books have prompted me to connect the dots in different ways and to look at things from new angles. There is so much to learn. Try out these books and let me know what you think.
I’d also love to hear about your favorite books that have influenced your work. Please email me your recommendations – I’m always on the lookout for something new and interesting! I may feature some of your selections in a future blog post.