What Can We Learn From Business?
Okay, I’m going to reveal one of my (many) biases. I get annoyed when someone from the business community starts spouting off about how “you people in nonprofits” need to start “acting like you’re running a business.” I should hope not! Inflated management salaries, workplace abuse, the stifling of creativity — sorry, that’s not for me. But I confess, I’m probably as wrong about them as they are about a nonprofit’s loose financial controls, lack of focus, and their inflated management salaries. There’s a lot that each can learn from the other.
One book that I have re-read and am definitely sure can help any fundraising office is Michael Gerber’s “E-Myth Revisited.” It’s about how to run a successful business, but Gerber’s concepts can be easily applied to show how any nonprofit, or career for that matter, can be just as successful as a high profit, for-profit concern.
Among the many themes that apply, the one that always sticks out is “work on your business, not in your business.” That means to set up systems so that your business (your career) works on its own, allowing you to continually make improvements on processes, rather than getting frustrated with daily tasks. For your career maybe that’s making sure that you’re a regular attendee at AFP events. It could be that you plan an annual, personal retreat to step back and review your career (and personal) goals. It might be that you schedule time in your week to review the Chronicle of Philanthropy so that you’re up on the latest fundraising and nonprofit news.
There’s plenty that can go on your list, but these need to be automatic, so that you don’t need to think to apply them. So yes, there IS something we can learn from the business world!
Now, about that salary …
