Taking time to stay in touch

I had a delightful lunch with two charming young people Saturday. Kristen Schultz of Crescendo Interactive, Inc..,gift planning software, and Chris Jaarda, who works in politics in Washington, D.C.

Without taking my course, Chris already practices what I teach - making time for what's important, not urgent.

He starts his day by checking in with his boss for 20 minutes, telling him what he's working on, what he knows and what he's heard. Then he checks in with his co-workers and spends another hour calling people who are important to his career.

"I don't even turn on my computer to check email until 10:00 a.m.," he told me. "By this time. I already know everything that's important. I've always worked this way and don't know any other way to work."

Chris has built up a wide network of contacts and many important relationships in his career. I predict great success for him!

Fascinating Leader

Thanks to the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, I addressed the state conference Monday. The keynote address was delivered by Bill Strickland, who, like me is a jazz lover and LP record collector.

He gave an inspiring address, woven with stories from his remarkable background from at-risk youth to 1996 MacArthur "Genius" grant recipient and visionary social change leader.

As President and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and its subsidiaries, Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG), and Bidwell Training Center (BTC, Bill has turned his centers into a national model for education, culture and hope.

Here's (a paraphrase from my memory) a comment he made. "I would never send my child to a school where the students have to pass through a metal detector. This is not a place that respects the pupils."

I was impressed by his vision to create what one reporter called an "oasis in depressed Manchester, a refuge with a door that opens on a better future." He had world-class artists and architects create phenomenal surroundings since he believes that "environment drives behavior."

His education and training centers have remarkable results - here are a few examples: "students at the greenhouse are learning skills that will land them real jobs in horticulture/agricultural industries, and there is a byproduct: The prize-winning orchids they grow are sold to local florists and Giant Eagle and Whole Foods stores. MCG Jazz has released three DVDs and 32 jazz CDs, four of which won Grammy Awards. These products don't just generate income and public relations benefits; they engender pride in the students, young and old.

Of course, I loved the stories about the jazz musicians who have visited his studio and concert hall; Dizzy Gillespie recorded a song and then gave the rights to the school!

Now, Bill and a team are replicating these centers around the county and around the world! As a father, whose son just finished high school in a good district outside Los Angeles, I believe that providing quality education is the only way this nation will succeed on a global basis. There are too many hidden, talented students being ignored by the current system where they get lost.

Bill's success has been driven by his ability to build relationships with people from all walks of life. His philosophy mirrors mine - for instance he says, “You go to a community's business leaders and speak their language. You don't go in asking for a sponsorship. You explain, 'This is what I can do for you.' You offer a partnership."

Thanks Bill, for a great experience. To read more click here

Small Town Fundraising - Montana-style

Thanks to some great new friends, Paul Kink and his wife Diane Rupert-Thomas, I have been visiting that beautiful state. Paul told me recently about how powerful a relationship is and how a phone call can lead to something much bigger.

"I go back about 35 years with this ranching family in Phillipsburg and there are only 400 - 500 people in that little town. The father survived cancer and now his 10-year old has cancer in the brain," Paul told me.

Several people decided to raise money, Montana-style, for their medical expenses with team roping (228 cowboys showed up); mountain biking; run/walks, and in the evening, a silent auction and barbecue.

"It was amazing, there were about 400 people there and they raised $100,000," Paul said.

This was an entirely community-effort - no marketing person, no executive director; just people putting up posters all over the county and calling everyone they knew.

"We didn't know we couldn't do it," Paul said.

Paul told me this story because he knows I love to hear about the power of relationships and I think, that in smaller areas, this is more powerful than anywhere else.

Click on the link or Copy and Paste the address into your internet browser window.
http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_25d74eb6-a343-11de-a136-001cc4c002e0.html

Listen to a recent podcast

I am now officially one of the Pepperdine people. Before my Leadership series talk a few weeks ago at Seaver College, Pepperdine University, I recorded an interview with Dr. Regan Schaffer on the fundamentals of relationships.

You can listen to this podcast via this link

You’ll see it as Episode 24.

Enjoy!

Great New Idea

I love learning from my students! One of the astute participants in the Ventura County Community Foundation workshop a few weeks ago sent me this tip:

"At the next Board meeting, I want everyone to get know each other better.

I want to learn personal information that is not readily apparent. I'm going to ask them to put a an interest of theirs under their name (instead of the business). For instance, under my name, instead of Executive Director, I would write Gardener. Thanks Marshall for inspiring us to get to know others in a different way!"

I think this is a great idea and will lead to a lot of interesting discussions on a personal level among her Board members.

American Humanics at Pepperdine

There is a great program preparing college students for nonprofit management - American Humanics. I have worked with a number of their chapters around the country and love interacting with our future leaders. Next week, I am returning to Pepperdine University here in Malibu as part of their Nonprofit Leadership Program.

This is an extended version of what used to be called the American Humanics Scholars at Pepperdine. The program encompasses a minor in nonprofit management, an American Humanics Scholars certificate in nonprofit management, a Nonprofit Summer Institute, the Nonprofit Professional Education Project, internships, and the speaker series.

http://www.pepperdine.edu/pr/events/2009/october/marshall-howard.htm

I find the students as eager for relationship-building techniques as fundraising professionals - perhaps even more so, since this is a crucial skill to securing a job.

I will be interviewed on a podcast as well and will post the link here next week for everyone to listen!

Ted Kennedy and Relationships

This weekend, while I was taking a mini-vacation in Ft. Lauderdale with friends, I watched the coverage of Ted Kennedy's funeral. I was struck by how many people of the opposite political views said they considered him a friend. When you examine why this is true, it's because he established a very personal relationship with them. One person said that Ted Kennedy was always the first person to call in a crisis and say, "What can I do to help? What do you need?"

After all, he could not connect with some of these colleagues on a political level, so he did it on a personal level. There's the lesson for all of us; no matter how different someone may be from us, we can all connect on the most basic, human level.