Project Management in Nonprofits

It seems the usual way for the Project Management discipline to enter nonprofits is through their IT departments.  Most if not all IT departments that generate software or arrange hardware installations have some level of understanding of Project Management tools and techniques.  So the good news is that there is an avenue for Project Management to enter nonprofit organizations.

Unfortunately, I have heard and observed that only bits and pieces of the discipline make it out of the IT department.  There appear to be some misunderstandings.  For instance, moving post-it notes around on a wall is not Agile (a popular approach to managing projects, especially in software development); and, as one of my professors said to his students in the first class of my first grad school course, "Knowing how to use Microsoft Project doesn't mean you know how to manage projects".  Using Kanban and project management information systems are useful tools for a project manager.  However, execs who are initially introduced to them usually miss the point.

The central idea is to obtain business value by getting the most out of what you have, and if you don't have enough - to recognize that and decide whether it's worth it to get more or just can the project.  There are many layers of skills needed to do that but unfortunately it seems most nonprofit execs only get a superficial introduction to cute tools rather than a full explanation of how to use Project Management to focus organizational energy like a laser in order to further their organizations' strategies.

Guess it's about time I make an article about the use of Project Management in nonprofits a higher priority.

ejt
NPManagement.org

NPManagement articles about teams are buzzing again

Articles about teams on the NPManagement.org site have surged again.  This happens quite frequently.  Sometimes they stray from the top for a month or two, but there is always a resurgence of interest.

Is this because many recognize the power of teamwork and they want to tweak and slightly improve what their teams deliver?  I doubt it. 

My guess is they are members of teams that are major sources of headaches and they're looking for something to make that dull throb in their foreheads lighten up a bit.  I hope they find the info on the site helpful.  If even a few people find something that helps them obtain the sense of mission, empowerment, and sheer energy that comes with great teamwork, the site is well worth all the effort that this team puts into it.

ejt
www.npmanagement.org

New article at NPManagement.org about making management decisions

We will miss Steve Jobs.  He drove the invention of things that I didn't know I wanted, and soon I needed them.  But it wasn't his legendary force of will alone that led to success, it was also because Mr. Jobs put the "art" back in smart.  His decisions were often risky and frequently brilliant.  Mistakes?  Of course.  That comes with taking risks (and with being human), but the payoffs more than made up for any losses.  A lot more.

This post isn't meant to be an homage to Steve Jobs and the NPManagement article isn't the secret to having his success.  However, the article "The Art and Skill of Decision-Making: Are you making good managerial decisions?  Are you sure?" addresses some major pitfalls in how we make decisions.  These are not problems that arise due to a manager being substandard in some way.  They arise because managers are human.

If you're human, you might want to take a peek.

ejt
NPManagement.org

Summer Hiatus

NPManagement.org is on hiatus until September.  New articles will be added only intermittently until then.  One article expected in September deals with decision making.  From what I've seen so far, it's going to be interesting - and useful.

EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization

Do You Have a Strategy?

Have you developed a strategy for your organization?  Or are you trapped in wishful thinking?  Some state a strategy that is so much of a stretch, it sets their people up for failure.  Others confuse goals with strategy.  The concept of "Bad Strategy" has gained some traction, and an article that makes the distinction between effective strategy and "Bad Strategy" clear can be found at the McKinsey Quarterly site here.

As a social worker who is a project manager, ensuring solid linkage between my projects' objectives and the nonprofit organizations' strategies is a critical success factor.  That is, a project that achieves objectives aligned with "Bad Strategy" will have poor results, even if the project is successfully executed.

If we all read and utilize the information in this article, "Bad Strategy" might become a lot harder to find. 

ejt
Management in the Not for Profit Organization

Social Networking: Helping or Hurting Organizations?

I am an advocate of utilizing social networking tools.  I participate in LinkedIn discussions on how to do so, and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on that might help me do it better.  I especially like the real-time exchange available through things like Facebook and Twitter for use in projects, where each person's actions/decisions often immediately affect everyone else's work.

However, it appears that not everyone takes the time to learn about how to use social networking tools before diving in.  A recent study described by Chris Nerney of ITWorld (article found on PCWorld here) explains the lost productivity (measured as an overall 1.5% drop) experienced by organizations when employees are doing their FB thing during work hours.  In other words, they're not just using social networking to get work done.  They're virtually hanging out with their friends instead of doing what they're paid to do.  While I view this largely as a supervision issue rather than something inherent in social networking (anything can distract people if we're not careful, not only social networking), I am genuinely concerned about something found in an IBM study mentioned in another article by Mr. Nerney.  It turns out that many organizations are using social networking incorrectly, and they are suffering for it.  As Mr. Nerney put it, they're "botching" it.  The IBM study pointed out how they are doing so, and the issues ranged from incorrect assumptions to poor motives to improper execution.

According to that study, it turns out that people don't network with a company because they want to be its friend.  They want something tangible from their involvement.  And 60% of them say they need to believe a company is communicating honestly before they'll interact with that organization.  So if we use social networks as just one more boring form of billboard, with a thinly veiled sales pitch as its main message, hang it up.  Unless you are willing to give something that people want, don't bother with social networking.  But if you are interested in real and real-time exchange with people, learning about your market, and potentially forming a constituency through open and honest dialog, then go ahead - set up that Facebook page and Twitter account.

EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization

Today's article: They Loved You Once, They Can Love You Again: How to Win Back Lapsed Donors

The article posted on Management in the Not for Profit Organization today was provided by Sumac.com.  It provides good advice about restarting donations from those who have been supportive in the past, but who have let that support lapse.  I plan to put the knowledge I gained from reading it to good use.

EJT
www.npmanagement.org