The Blueprint

Have you ever heard someone say, “You have to learn from your mistakes?” Are you, perhaps, someone who has articulated that popular phrase? If you’ve never heard or used that phrase – then good for you – and don’t start using it now! For those of us that have encountered and even repeated those words…I have a new quote for you, one that my grandmother used to say: “When you know better, you do better!” Now don’t get me wrong. I agree that people should learn how to improve and avoid making the same mistakes. However, I am certain you can learn best from accomplishments! Just think about it. Let’s look at the story of the Three Little Pigs… The little pig that built his house of straw was faced with a near-death experience as the Big-Bad Wolf “huffed and puffed,” and blew his house down. That poor little piggy soon realized that straw wasn’t the best material for a home as he scurried over to his little brother’s house, which was built of wood. Well, as the story goes, the wolf went to the wooden house as well, and though it took him a little extra time, he was soon able to “huff and puff” and blow the wooden house down! So both pigs, determined to escape the probability of being turned into bacon and pork chops, quickly ran to their sister’s house, which was built of brick. Now that Big-Bad Wolf was extremely hungry, or just a crazed stalker, because he followed the pigs to the brick house and went to “huffing and puffing” again! That wolf huffed and puffed, puffed and huffed, and tried all types of other things – but he was unable to blow down and get into that brick house! So let’s bring this back to context. Which pig do you believe had the strongest baseline for future decisions? The pig that built her house of brick had a much stronger foundation (literally and figuratively). And if that pig decided to build a larger house or even a skyscraper, do you think she would begin by trying to figure out what’s wrong with the straw and the wood? I doubt it! She’ll start with the brick, and may even try to figure out an even stronger material to use. As business, organizational and community leaders, we can no longer spend time trying to figure out why straw and wooden structures or systems are being blown apart. We must focus on the things that we know work well, go straight to the bricks, and build from there! If you are a leader interested in focusing on accomplishments rather than problems in order to build a Culture of Excellence, then this is the book for you. But, what is “A Culture of Excellence?” One day as I was describing the characteristics of Organizational Excellence to a group of social sector/nonprofit leaders, someone commented, “That’s unrealistic for a nonprofit organization; your description sounds more like a business.” My initial response was, “Well, aren’t nonprofit organizations businesses?” The young lady, eager to defend her assertion, stated, “You know what I mean…those are corporate standards!” Unfortunately, this is a common misperception. Too many folks believe (including many of us who work in the social sector) that the tenets of organizational excellence only apply to private businesses. According to Collins (2005), greatness has nothing to do with the actual industry and is not a corporate characteristic rather; it is attributed to the philosophies and practices of the company or organization. An organization of excellence involves both creating and sustaining a high-performing environment. Organizations must have the right type of infrastructure, identity, and culture to foster and achieve excellence. The formula is simple, in theory: I call it, P’s in a Perfect Organizational Design (P’s in a POD)! Corny? Perhaps, but in a moment, I bet you will get the Point! Organizations must possess the following components to achieve and sustain a culture of excellence: •Philosophies and Principles that are well defined (i.e. vision, mission, values, etc.); •Passionate, Professional, and Proficient Staff; •Proven Effective, High-Impact Programs and/or Products; •Policies, Procedures and Practices that guide success and produce results; and •Plenty of diverse resources (financial, human, etc.). Additionally, the nonprofit leader, usually the Executive Director, CEO, or President (depending on how titles are delineated), while modeling the organization’s Core Values and reinforcing its mission, must cultivate a foundation that is built on collaboration and learning. After laying a strong foundation, it is important to BUILD upon it to establish the organization’s culture and environment. According to Carlson (2003), without a concrete culture of an organization and positive reinforcement, progress will be minimal and success will be painstaking. Carlson stated, “Culture is the personality, the soul of the organization –respect it as a powerful force that can help or hinder your efforts to be successful. Find its strengths and utilize them well. Change the parts that no longer work” (p. 41). It is important for nonprofit organizations to take time to recognize, understand, and invest in organizational culture, as it is the foundation upon which excellence can be built. This book is the by-product of my doctoral research and serves as a tool for those who are striving to develop A Culture of Excellence within their organization. Information and experiences shared are relevant for any industry, but focus primarily on nonprofit organizations, which “exist to bring about a change in individuals and in society” (Drucker, 1990, p. 3). My years of practice and research have helped me to develop a “blueprint,” which can serve as a guide during your construction or redevelopment process, as you BUILD your organization’s Culture of Excellence. I will share with you some of the power tools needed for organizational transformation: Collaborative Leadership; Learning Organization Theory; and my personal favorite, Appreciative Inquiry. All of these change management “tools” have been studied extensively, just not so much in the nonprofit sector (also referred to as the “social sector”). Utilizing these tools, this book will embrace the social sector and describe leadership and best practices needed for determined practitioners/leaders to attain, maintain and sustain “A Culture of Excellence!”