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APRIL 2009 E-newsletter
In this month’s E-note:
Surviving tough times By Stanley Weinstein (Guest Author)
Stanley Weinstein is a close and long time friend of mine and has been a transformational figure in my own personal life. He has reached the highest levels of achievement as an artist, fundraiser, author, and business owner. He has been instrumental in the success of countless organizations throughout the country. More, he is the kind of person who makes a positive difference in the lives of the people touches, and has a heart of gold. He is a unique person. If you’ve met him, you won’t foreget him.
I think you’ll find tremendous value in his article, which shares important wisdom for each of us.
Michael Kroth
Surviving Tough Times
By Stanley Weinstein
Our nation and world are going through rough economic times. People are suffering. Many have lost their jobs. Others worry about the possibility of being laid off. Retirees and soon-to-be retirees have seen their retirement funds experience dramatic declines in value – that is, if they have any such savings at all.
So, let’s put “passion” and “motivation” aside for a moment. For now, I want to talk about survival. My perspective comes from two careers that led me to give a lot of thought to this subject.
I began my professional life as a clarinetist with symphony and opera orchestras. If you know anything about that field, you know that arts organizations are often on the brink of economic disaster. For more than twenty years I didn’t know if my employer, the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra, would survive. And even when times looked hopeful, I was concerned that a labor dispute might interrupt the paychecks.
Later, upon sensing the imminent collapse of the New Orleans Symphony, I left my performing career and became the interim CEO of the orchestra. Some years after that I started my own consulting firm specializing in fundraising and nonprofit management. You can well imagine that being self-employed entails a fair amount of risk. Clients don’t magically appear. Contracts end. As the business grows others rely on you for their livelihoods.
So with this background, what have I learned? The big lesson is that those who are prepared for bad times rarely, if ever, have to experience them. My mother had an expression she repeated often. She would say, “Stanley, I’ve had so many troubles in my life—and some of them even happened.” So my first bit of advice is lighten up. Next, heed the following five bits of advice.
Learn transferrable life and career skills. Information technology and changing economic conditions have virtually eliminated entire career paths. It is also true that mastery of the ins and outs of some professions takes years to acquire. However, some skills transcend narrow career paths. Communication skills—the ability to write and speak persuasively—are valued in nearly every profession. Math skills associated with business acumen—the ability to evaluate financial statements, combined with the ability to project income and expenses—are essential to any organization or enterprise.
So, learn to use both sides of your brain. Sharpen your analytical skills; become comfortable with spreadsheets, financial statements, and “what-if” scenarios. But also learn to be creative and clear when speaking and writing. Think like a scientist but sell your ideas like a master marketer. You will always be gainfully employed.
Work harder and smarter at key times. Intense hard work is difficult to sustain. Our minds, bodies, and souls need rest and balance. But do recognize that there will be key times that will determine how your life goes for years to come. You only have one chance to make a first impression. Fortunately, I recognized this early in my life. The summer before my first year at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, I practiced my clarinet like some kind of maniacal beast. My hard work paid off. As a freshman, I was asked to perform with the Rochester Philharmonic, the city’s professional orchestra. That success led to my being accepted at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, a prestigious all-scholarship school. Those early educational and professional successes reverberated throughout my musical career.
Similarly, there have been key times in my life as a manager and consultant. Don’t believe for a minute that you can manage an organization through a crisis or sustain a new business without putting in 60-80 hour weeks. Learn to work smart by focusing on priorities and delegating so that you don’t have to keep up that pace beyond critical periods.
Practice the “Leapfrog Principle.” When you’re ready for a new position or challenge, you’ll know it. Without regard to credentials or even work experience, if you have the confidence that you have the skills to take on a responsible position, go for it. Just be prepared to work hard and succeed at the new challenge.
Practice the “Aladdin Principle.” The idea is a simple one promulgated in a book called the Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. If there is something you want in life and there is somebody who can help you get it, ask that person for his or her help. Every fundraiser knows that when people are asked why they haven’t given to a specific nonprofit, they say, “No one asked me.” Just as the genie doesn’t know how to help his master until asked, there are literally thousands of people who can help you achieve your aspirations if only you would ask.
Focus on what you don’t want to do. I knew a bank president who said that his success was due to a mentor’s help. Early in the president’s career, when he was just beginning to advance within the organization, the mentor would call each morning and ask, “What unpleasant task do you have on your to-do list today?” When the young man told the mentor the items, the mentor would say, “Those sound kind of important. I’ll call you back in several hours to see how they went.” This instilled the habit of doing the important, but unpleasant, bits of business early and then moving on to other priorities.
So do follow your passion and stay motivated. But to survive and flourish, remain flexible. Get along well with your fellow workers. Learn to enjoy the simple things in life. And consider the suggestions above. They might carry you through some interesting times. ———————————————— Stanley Weinstein has spent 42 years in the nonprofit sector. As a distinguished consultant and President of Stanley Weinstein & Co., he has provided services for more than 300 nonprofit organizations nationwide. He is the author of The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management, Third Edition and Capital Campaigns from the Ground Up, both published by John Wiley & Sons. To find out more about Stanley, please visit his website www.stanleyweinstein.com
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Michael Kroth PO Box 9557 Boise, Idaho 83707 505-450-4248 michael@michaelkroth.com www.michaelkroth.com |
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Upcoming Events & News
Lunch & Lead University of Idaho Thursday April 22nd 11:30 am to 1:00 pm Idaho Water Center 322 E. Front St. Boise, ID http://www.uidaho.edu/boise/news/lunchandlead
Michael’s book, The Manager as Motivator, has been licensed to be sold in Portuguese!
Career Development Basics, co-written with McKay Christensen and published by ASTD Press, will be out in May.
SUMMER
This summer Michael will be teaching ADOL 510 Foundations of Human Resource Development online—a great way to get started on a Master’s degree or HRD Certificate.
For more information, check this link out and click on the “Getting Started” tab: http://www.uidaho.edu/boise/academicdepartmentshub/certificateprograms/humanresourcedevelopment.aspx
NEXT MONTH
I will share five principles for thriving in difficult times, and a simple process you can use in your organization to help employees develop healthy approaches to them.
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©Copyright 2009, Michael Kroth, All Rights Reserved. |
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Michael Kroth, Ph.D. |