The DelCor Connection Blog

Culture eats strategy and processes for lunch - My interview with Avinash Chandarana

In preparation for the upcoming CESSE and ASAE Annual Conferences, I have been gathering information and scheduling interviews with some of the key speakers and thought leaders for the conferences. 

Today's interview (to be followed up with a video interview) is with Avinash Chandarana, MCI Group's Director of Global Learning and Development. He is the speaker for the opening keynote plenary at CESSE 2011 in Vancouver and I wanted to ask him a few questions about working with international cultures. 

 

KiKi: What do most people *not* understand about (connecting or interacting with) managing people from different cultures? 

Avinash: Underlying, "invisible" core values and attitudes often differ dramatically from one culture to another. One culture and therefore its people are neither right nor wrong than any other but just different in how they think, feel and act. This permeates into differences of communication style, etiquette, concepts of space and time and aspects of how business is conducted. Such differences are a source of great richness and diversity, but by not understanding what makes individuals from cultures other than your own behave in certain ways  can lead to frustration, broken relationships and loss of business opportunities.

 

KiKi: What is the best piece of advice you have for an association "going global" with new employees in other regions?

Avinash: Learn to play the game according to the rules of your target markets. Don’t assume what works in terms of member services, benefits and overall stakeholder needs in your country and region will automatically translate to other cultures. Learn which values, traditions, and social norms drive behaviour amongst stakeholders in your target regions of the world. Understand and adapt strategy based on what members and prospects want from the organization by conducting thorough qualitative and quantitative research with key stakeholders before embarking on a global campaign. Similarly, hiring new staff within the country requires a thorough understanding of what motivates and drives them to be successful based on cultural influences. What makes them tick? In most Asian cultures for example, continuing education and training represents a significant benefit which directly impacts recruitment, engagement and overall staff retention.  And if transplanting any staff from HQ to lead a local team in another part of the world, ensure they go through cultural immersion training and have them develop their CQ (Cultural Quotient)  

 

KiKi: How would you describe your presentation style?

Avinash: Energetic, conversational and personal. I enjoy the opportunity to communicate and share my passion for subjects that have impacted my life and that have shaped me into the person I am today.

 

KiKi: What is the number one message every person should get from your presentation at CESSE?

Avinash: ‘Culture eats strategy and processes for lunch ’ Cultural interaction is a business imperative that needs to be managed – it cannot be left to chance. Develop a global mind-set to make culture work for you rather than against you to achieve competitive advantage.

 

Please watch this space for the follow up video interview that I will have with Avinash following his presentation in Vancouver. 

 

Association Bloggers Share Their Favorite Posts of 2010, Part 3

In this, the third and final installation of the “Association Bloggers Share Their Favorite Posts of 2010” series, well-known association bloggers share their personal transformations, passions, and problems they overcame in the workplace .

This series has been a joy to work on primarily because I read everything these bloggers write and to discover the posts that meant the most to them has given me (and you, dear reader) the opportunity to take a glimpse into the story behind the posts – the thoughts, fears, and hopes that still linger as the days go by and the trackbacks grow fewer.

You may find it surprising, as I do, that any of these bloggers would consider closing their blog and not writing any more. Comments are usually the only kind of feedback bloggers receive and there are far more lurkers than engaged commenters on a blog. If any payment be made to these wonderful bloggers as a result of this series, please let it be made in comments on their blogs.

Now, for the last installation of association bloggers sharing their favorite posts of 2010…

Truths About Volunteering
Mariner Management Idea Blog
Author: Peggy Hoffman
URL: http://www.marinermanagement.com/idea-center/topics/truths

In many ways, I think “Capital Bike Share – a case study for associations” was the most fun because I love to cycle and see their idea as so replicable for associations (and anyone!).  I think that what they are doing is such a great example of meeting people where they are and in the same breath creating a community. http://www.marinermanagement.com/idea-center/20100921/capital-bike-share-a-case-study-for-associations 

But, I am having a load of fun with my series “Truths about volunteering” http://www.marinermanagement.com/idea-center/topics/truths You know that I am the “queen” of creating the new volunteer model. In fact it’s now my 2011 resolution! So the truth series really energizes me. In fact I feel one coming on!

My Father Gave Me A Name - Then Walked Away - Gen X and Associations
Association Subculture Blog
Author: Shelly Alcorn
URL: http://www.associationsubcultureblog.com/2010/05/my-father-gave-me-name-then-walked-away.html

I think "favorite" isn't exactly the best term for this post.  However, it resonated deeply with my audience and that's why I selected it.  It was difficult to write in the aftermath of loss.  I have not forgotten the readers who emailed me privately and shared their own, similar stories.

When I started writing it, I wasn't actually sure where it was going to go but I believe we have to use our real life experience to be able to ask the hardest questions about what we do individually and collectively on this planet.

Speaking from a deeply Generation X point of view, the call to action was stark.  However, it remains a truly authentic expression of how I really feel about what we do as association professionals.  This post was about turning negative events into positive outcomes.  It makes the case that not only do some of us believe we must drastically shift our thinking in order to move our associations forward into a new era, we also have the experience that proves we can.

An Association Takes on a Web Redesign: The Big Finale
@unhatched’s posterous
Author: Joe Flowers
URL: http://unhatched.posterous.com/an-association-takes-on-a-web-redesign-the-bi

I think it's going to be a surprise for a lot of people, but my favorite post of 2010 wasn't about not renewing with ASAE.

The posting of this blog was a significant milestone in my career as an association professional. For nearly three years I've negotiated with our Board of Directors, Volunteer Leaders, members and fellow employees to get a new website budget approved. I sent out the first round of RFPs (which I learned was a bad idea later on) weeks after starting my job here. I went from a tiny budget to no budget to a large budget to no budget over and over and over again.

 For me this post represents more than a few ideas or a catalyst to an amazing conversation. It represents literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours of stress, misery, frustration, revelation and complete, soul-embracing happiness. To be able to have control of a project so massive and important from start to finish that turned out the best possible way is a feeling I still can't appropriately put into words. That post is about as close as I'll get. 

What were your favorite posts? Would you like to know more about the bloggers? Would you like to hear from any other association bloggers? Just want to share your thoughts on the posts? Please share with us in the comments below!

Association Bloggers Share Their Favorite Posts 2010, Part 1

Association Bloggers Share Their Favorite Posts 2010, Part 2

Association Bloggers Share Their Favorite Posts 2010, Part 3

Association Bloggers Share Their Favorite Posts of 2010, Part 1

 

One thing I love about my job is fulfilling the expectation that I be well-read on current association topics in the industry. Every day I read many blogs, some in the association blogosphere and some not, and I save my favorite go-to blogs in a Google Reader folder called "sweetspot," so I don't miss anything (and so I can easily pull from them for the weekly DelCor Social Media Sweet Spot web show).

I asked several bloggers from that "sweetspot" folder, some of my favorite association bloggers, to share which posts of their own they particularly enjoyed from 2010. This is part 1 of a series of posts devoted to their answers. Enjoy a sampling from four extraordinary bloggers I follow every week.

 

Paying the Price for Truth
Get Me Jamie Notter blog
Author: Jamie Notter
URL: http://www.getmejamienotter.com/getmejamienotter/2010/02/paying-the-price-for-truth.html

Truth has been a big theme for me this year and has become central in my work. This post builds off comments to an earlier post about whether a culture of truth starts at the top (the answer being, no).

Wherever you are in your organization, you need to come to grips with how much truth you really want to put out there, and I'm arguing that investing in the truth can bring you some big returns.

Since that post, I would argue that truth has continued to grow in importance for organizations, and it's connected to the growth of social media acceptance. The social internet, to some extent, has opened the floodgates on truth because it gave everyone the power to broadcast, and I think this is changing our expectations. When we see organizations, we are expecting to find more truth and more transparency. The organizations that are jumping on the social media bandwagon would be smart to notice that once they are on the wagon, they may be expected to be more truthful.

Think Your Lurkers Aren’t Engaged? Think Again
Mizz Information
Author: Maggie McGary
URL: http://www.mizzinformation.com/2010/07/think-your-lurkers-arent-engaged-think.html

This is a tough one! Looking over my blog just depresses me now, since I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been inspired or able to keep up with it lately. However, if I had to pick just one post as my favorite for 2010 it was Think Your Lurkers Aren’t Engaged? Think Again. It’s my favorite for several reasons:

1)      First and foremost, because Andrea Ross’s video is so moving and inspiring, and I was glad to a) find her video myself and b) share it with others.

2)      Because her message resonated with so many, and on many levels. It’s a message about the power of lurkers, and about the fact that connecting with PEOPLE is what social media is about; it’s not about numbers. We want people to share our stuff because then we get to take the numbers to our C-suite and say our efforts have been successful; in reality, there’s more to it than that.

3)      Because watching her video again now just gave me the kick in the ass I needed to start blogging again. Lately I’ve been wondering if I should just stop blogging—there are so many blogs out there, and I don’t have a ton of readers. But as Andrea points out in her video (paraphrased) “if you’re creating something you love and sharing your passion, and connecting with interesting, enthusiastic, genuine people and you’re wondering if your project is relevant, it is. It’s relevant to you and the people it’s connecting you with.” Just what I needed to hear today!!

And the good news is , I checked her site and she’s now cancer-free and sounds like she’s doing awesome.

The Flawed Logic With Post-Conference Surveys
The Conference Handouts - Omnipress
Author: Christopher Uschan
URL: http://blog.omnipress.com/2010/10/the-flawed-logic-with-post-conference-surveys/

I like this article I wrote because "a pocket full of bees" (on the article image) made me laugh hysterically when I found the graphic. Deep down getting feedback seems to be overcomplicated nowadays... Especially with events. I get so frustrated when someone wants my opinion, but asks for it 2 weeks later and forces me into a between-the-lines type of response. Do they want my feedback, or only what they want to hear? I believe events might be better if the organizers did a better job of soliciting feedback and doing something with it. 

What's unanswered about this topic: How are educational events measuring learning? It's a deeper question that needs a follow up six months after the event. Did what I learn at the event have long-term value.

Online Communities Grow Organizations
Socious Blog
Author: Paul Schneider
URL: http://support.socious.com/p/bl/et/blogid=2&blogaid=124

The reason it is my favorite is because the survey done by Marketing General validated the fact that the online community tools we are building and our customers are using work. With all of the communication tools available to associations, the fact of keeping communication a member benefit is still a very valuable thing.

 

Like what you see? Who would you like to hear from? Check back next Monday for Part 2 of the series!

ASAE Got It Right in New Orleans

I must admit this post has been sitting on my brain just waiting for me to write it for over a month. The notes were written. The desire was there. But it feels like it is now finally the right time - as we approach a new year with new hopes and reflections - to post what I hope we can all appreciate...a positive story about an association that did something right. A real-life example of an association identifying an area for improvement and then, carefully and methodically, going about actualizing that promise.

The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) holds a Leadership Retreat each year for the chairs and vice chairs of their many section councils and committees along with their Board of Directors.  As a longtime volunteer with ASAE, I must admit I looked forward to becoming vice chair and then chair so I could participate in these meetings where I was sure much was accomplished. 

I attended my first ASAE Leadership Retreat last year as vice chair of the Component Relations Section Council (the people who work with chapters/SIGS/non-geographic member communities/etc). The Retreat location was Providence, RI, and the receptions and host city perks were fabulous. But when it came to the actual work of ASAE volunteer leaders coming together to make a better organization, there was a problem. The group activities and facilitation did not work the way it probably was expected to. I left Providence with a sense that not much was achieved besides my personal benefit from networking with some amazing people. I felt I had not accomplished much for ASAE or for my section council. I did not have much to share with those who looked my direction for leadership when I returned.

Since that time, much has changed in the way ASAE has looks at their volunteers, and it has changed for the better. I know there are many cynics and devoted members who will naturally disagree with this comment, but let me explain why I see things this way.

Along my volunteer path with ASAE, I have participated in numerous activities and volunteered to help on everything from task forces to sessions to reviewing and writing for ASAE's books. I have made many friends along the way and have heard all levels of compliments and complaints about ASAE's work with their volunteers.

In the past year, ASAE has conducted exploratory activities like volunteer focus groups across the country. ASAE has created and promoted the online Volunteer Town Square in their Member to Member private community (this is an area where any member can volunteer to participate for listed activities (short-term, long-term) in addition to reaching out to volunteer leaders to make a point of inviting feedback and conversation with ASAE executives. In addition, this year's ASAE Leadership Retreat was a transformed experience.

I participated in one of the focus groups, I've used the Volunteer Town Square, and I can honestly say that there has been direct and immediate action taken to improve the volunteer experience with ASAE. But it wasn't until I attended this year's ASAE Leadership Retreat that I witnessed the proof I needed to tie all of these things together to say, officially, ASAE got it right.

Why was the Leadership Retreat so different from last year's? They based their 1st day (with all volunteers) on feedback members and volunteers had shared in association blogs and focus groups. The 2nd day featured a special interactive workshop for councils and committees while the Board met in a separate area. The 2nd day drove home the power of ASAE's attention to members. The activity brought a shared understanding of what each council and committee was doing so that volunteers left with a sense of community and motivation for moving forward.

Could the Leadership Retreat's 1st day have focused on other issues than volunteer structure and the annual meeting? Yes. But the fact that we, the volunteer leaders, focused on issues together in a way that encouraged discussion was powerful. The 2nd day was a home-run for the meeting and I hope ASAE follows up on this way of thinking on the volunteer experience for 2011. They are making great strides and I'd hate to see that progress stop.

My Grade for the ASAE Volunteer Experience in 2010: B+

What would your grade be?

Message From the Chair: Professional Development, Madonna for the Association Executive

As printed in ASAE's Component Relations, December 2010

In 1986, I discovered what a virgin was. Madonna was everywhere on the radio, and I was spending the summer of 1986 at a camp in Arkansas with a new friend of mine, Raven, who hailed from New York.

 
Raven was the most cultured nine-year-old I'd ever met, and I wanted to be less goofy and more … poised … like she was. We went everywhere together, me in my multicolored faded swimsuit, and her in her sleek, shiny purple one that never seemed to dull.

It was on another typical day of hanging out in the camp pool when the discussion turned to music.

"Who's your favorite singer?" Raven asked.

"I dunno. It's probably between Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and Madonna." Dance music was a favorite for us, although I preferred to roller-skate to it. "Ooh, that reminds me! I just asked my dad to buy me the "Like a Virgin" tape at Wal-Mart, and I have it if you want to listen to it," I said.

Raven was laughing, incredulous, eyes flashing and eyebrow raised. An older camp guy we called "Turtle" was swimming nearby and snort-laughing.

"What? What is it?" I asked, confused.

"You asked your dad to buy you the tape? Did he actually buy it? Do you know what a virgin is?" Raven asked.

Looking between Raven and Turtle I felt queasy, panicky, and dumb. It was not fun being the last to know, and my side of the pool suddenly felt cold and alone.

CRP's Role as Educator and Student

After this initiation into the negative ramifications of being "the last to know," I took it upon myself to strive to be "ahead of the curve" in the future—to be more like Madonna herself. This holds especially true in my role as a CRP.

The component relations professional is a unique role that requires ongoing education. CRPs are often looked to as a resource in almost every facet of community building and micro-association management. What that means to the CRP is that we must always be educating ourselves while we are educating others.

Having been a CRP for three different associations before landing at my present position, I can tell you I couldn't afford to be out of the loop for too long. As soon as I thought I had seen it all, a new challenge would unfold before me, and a new quest for knowledge would begin.

CRPs and Madonna

The savvy (or even just competent) CRP learns how to be Madonna. Madonna is known for her reinvention of image playing into her underlying brand as an artist, entertainer, and icon. CRPs must adapt and evolve their approach to relationship building, education, and resources in the same manner to play into a CRP's underlying brand as a diplomat, educator, and motivational coach.

CRPs can build on knowledge and expertise in a number of ways, including the following:

• Attending monthly CRP Virtual Lunches;
• Reading the ASAE listserv and Acronym blog on a regular basis;
• Reading books and studies on team building, psychology of crowds, public speaking, how the brain works, association law, social media, and more; and
• Attending the weekly Association Chat (#assnchat) on Twitter every Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET.

If you're interested in learning more about the resources listed here or need help locating your vintage copy of "Like a Virgin," please contact me at klitalien@delcor.com, or contact our staff liaison, Wanda Little-Coffey at wcoffey@asaecenter.org, for more information. We'd be happy to talk with you about how you can get involved.

KiKi L'Italien is senior consultant, technology management, for DelCor Technology Management in Silver Spring, Maryland, and is chair of ASAE's Component Relations Section Council. Email: klitalien@delcor.com

 

Don't Shhhh...Your Voice Carries (and that's a good thing!)

When my little sister arrived home from pre-school with Kool-Aid stains on the corners of her mouth and a feisty swagger in her step, my mother followed behind with weary eyes and a slumpy sort of half walk. I was five years older than my sister and she, unlike me, was a natural born leader.

While I always tried to adhere to any semblance of rules I could identify (this habit dramatically reversed for me in high school), my sister had no interest. I was the good girl. She was the bad. I secretly approved.

On this particular day, my mother shared my sister's latest coup. It seems that when Mrs. Imey asked all the children to pick up the toys before the next activity, my sister refused. After multiple attempts, my sister announced to all the room "We don't have to do what you say!" and crawled underneath a piano bench. The other children took that as a call to action and followed suit and the room's dynamic became teachers vs. students in a religious preschool setting. My sister blockaded the other preschoolers behind a row of toys and eventually was captured and sent to the "baby room" to sit and think about what she'd done. She escaped and was subsequently recaptured and returned to her holding cell/baby room until my mother arrived.

My sister's words carried weight with her peers and before she even hit kindergarten, she had discovered the ability to lead.

Many organizations underestimate how many natural leaders are in their midsts, receiving newsletters, attending meetings. They fail to recognize potential ambassadors for their brands, often brushing aside casual email and phone exchanges with the very people who might carry the keys to rejuvenating a stale or plateaued membership.

My younger sister at the age of  three was able to coerce her companions to do what she did and today we see via word of mouth marketing and use of social media the power one strong voice can have.

What is your organization doing today to identify and work with those voices? Are you monitoring mentions of your association or keywords in your industry to see who is talking about you? Do you reach out to those key influencers once identified?

Your homework for today is to write down one thing you can start doing to identify your leaders inside your organization. (Hint: A member serach using job titles won't help you.)

Trout Fishing in Associations

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.  Teach a man to hack; and you have given his association some new tools for designing the future.”— KiKi L'Italien 

It has been nearly a month since the No More Talk: Hack Action meeting. 

In case you missed it, the meeting was a welcome departure from popular association topics for many participants as it was entirely devoted to examining the value proposition using design thinking.

Participants listened to a quick explanation of how to assess their thinking on their organizations' current value proposition and then exposed to a discussion of design thinking and why we should challenge our assumptions on value.

Here are some handy quotes from the meeting:

• “Getting partial answers to the right questions is always better than getting complete answers to the wrong questions”
  
• “Value props fail because they are totally inauthentic”
  
• “Get beyond the same old conversation”

The question remained: Would attendees actually do something with the new lessons? Would one session provide enough motivation to change the way an association does things, or improve their attempts to address the value proposition?

After requesting feedback from the participants to find out, we received the following update: 

KiKi,

I shared the notes from the event with the entire Public Affairs department. 

Based on that, we had a discussion about the actual problem I hacked in our directors' meeting two weeks' ago.

Based on that, we've added talking about Design Thinking to the "future agenda items" list for our quarterly leadership group meeting (all the directors & VPs in the association).  Because of what's going on with our relationship with our biggest for-profit competitor, we think Design Thinking is likely to be critically important for NACHRI in the next 2 years.

Elizabeth Weaver Engel
Director, Marketing & Sponsorship at NACHRI

DelCor thanks all of the participants for their energy, Jeff De Cagna for co-facilitating, and the many sponsors who made the day a success.

 

You Don't Have to Invent the Lightbulb to be Innovative

Regular readers of this blog already know about the upcoming innovation event DelCor is co-hosting with Principled Innovation. No More Talk is all about the action of putting good ideas into motion for associations, which is, afterall, "easier said than done."

But we can't let our mission overwhelm us in its potential magnitude. Innovation doesn't mean we have to invent the lightbulb. We should be brave and ready for anything - including tabling our ideas that are out of scope.

 
A lot of good ideas might be profitable, but are not in the scope for No More Talk. For example:

1. Sephora needs an app like Amazon's. They would make a fortune.

2. delicious should have an easy way to privately note connections who might find an article useful - this note would notify that individual (with their notifications under their management) and the article would be saved under a shared folder with an easy option for them to add it to their regular stockpile of links.

3. A "shared" housecleaning service for neighborhoods, which would allow new families to join in the neighborhood plan - or choose their own. My neighborhood could keep one crew busy all week and the cost would be lower because the crew could move from one home to the next...more business with less transportation/down time.

4. Mentos - what do you think of a Wiggles inspired "Fruit Salad" flavor?

But for associations, many times we already have ideas of what could make things better, or areas in which the organization should investigate, but to which no one from that organization is dedicating any resources.

For No More Talk (follow #hackaction on Twitter), we will start out with 4 guiding points (with a nod to Scott Berkun for his book on innovation myths and to Lateral Action blog for their Tyler Durden inspired rules.):

• You can't be too ahead of your time - inventing a laser pointer would have gotten you killed during the Renaissance.
• No fear. No distractions. Let that which does not matter truly slide.
• Always evolve. You are never finished. Accept this.
• Ask the "dumb" questions. Break it down.

No More Talk is an unconference being done in unconference style, meaning: the group will drive the meeting.

Sponsors will provide several $1,000 seed funding grants to winning ideas.  Participants will have to share the following information about their idea:

• The Idea
• The Problem
• The Market
• The Business Model
• Logistics
• The Financial Plan
• The Individual or Team

No More Talk is taking place April 22, 2010 in DC. If you want to join us, please register. Folow #hackaction for more details and news.

Unpredictable by Nature (Part 2)

(cross-posted at Acronym Soup blog)

Have you heard of "design thinking?" Here is Wikipedia's view:

Design thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result. It is the essential ability to combine empathy, creativity and rationality to meet user needs and drive business success. Unlike analytical thinking, design thinking is a creative process based around the "building up" of ideas. There are no judgments early on in design thinking. This eliminates the fear of failure and encourages maximum input and participation in the ideation and prototype phases. Outside the box thinking is encouraged in these earlier processes since this can often lead to creative solutions.

Design thinking. (2010, February 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:29, March 18, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Design_thinking&oldid=346501047

In the world of associations, there is a need for busting through the "we've always done it that way" mentality and envisioning new possibilities. But we are the only ones who can do it - those of us working in the association industry. Those of us who care about our organizations and the way we spend our days and those of us who are willing to think of new ways, new questions, and new answers.

That's why I am hyper-excited about the upcoming "No More Talk" event Jeff De Cagna (Principled Innovation) and I (DelCor) are facilitating on April 22 in Washington, DC. If you have ever wanted to try something truly different using design thinking to approach association issues, this is your chance! Actually, I am really excited because I've never even heard of anyone doing something like this and it seems full of possibility. 

No More Talk is about turning words into action to innovate the association community. You can bring your idea to the table or come up with a good one there and work with a team of similarly passionate association professionals to develop that idea. Winning ideas can potentially receive $1,000 seed grants to make action possible after the event ends. But the point is not about the money - the point is about bringing together a group of people with a pioneering spirit to do something new.

This event was inspired by the active online conversation surrounding Acronym Blog's month-long focus on "big ideas" at the end of 2009. You can read some of those posts here, here, and here for more background. I guess I figured that if I was willing to voice my opinion about big ideas as a blogger, I owed the community (and myself) to follow it up with action.

Who's invited? Advocacy professionals, association folks, consultants... anyone working in the non-profit realm who want to challenge themselves to breaking new ground. This is our think tank - this is our playground - this is our chance to be unpredictable by nature. 

Don't be scared. Be excited and join us for this special event! Registration is open now and limited to the first 50 people. The cost is $30 (for meals) and we can't wait to see you there!

View the commercial here: http://delcor.typepad.com/delcor-blog/2010/02/animotocom.html

More than a Mantra

Scott Briscoe shared a thought-provoking post on Acronym Blog recently about Guy Kawasaki's and Dan Pink's message to Great Ideas Conference attendees about simple mission statements. You can read it at http://blogs.asaecenter.org/Acronym/2010/03/from_missions_to_mantras_big_d.html#comments. 

This post is just another great example of why I love the Acronym Blog. Ultimately, each staff member of an association should understand the overall goal for their organization and I think that's why Kawasaki and Pink push for one sentence or even four words for a mission statement... because how else will everyone in your organization be able to grasp that mission?

Like Scott, I say "meh" when hearing some sort of business mantra like, "your mission should be four words or less." After all, who says? Is that the make/break point of my organization - that I have a short mission statement? I seriously doubt it.

But if every person from mailroom to executive suite were able to say in a few short words what they were all driving toward, working for as an association, then I have no doubt there would be some impressive results.

Remember the "Pledge of Allegiance" we used to recite in school? What if our business day was kicked off each morning with a one-sentence reminder of the organization's goal? Just a simple friendly reminder in the background... Maybe a short daily email to everyone? Sure, it sounds silly, but who cares. What would happen? Would it work to move everyone closer to acting more coordinated together as a team? Maybe. Maybe not. But it couldn't hurt.

Scott is a fabulous writer and a great part of Acronym Blog's success. His post got me thinking. Not everyone contemplates their own personal organizational mission the same, so maybe it isn't such a bad idea to help them along by keeping it simple. Not a profound thought, but perhaps one that warrants being shared with the masses.