A recent Seth Godin blog applauded and cautioned all the personalities, products, and trends to be featured in the “Next Big Thing” lists that smatter social media this time of year.
“But the truth of the next big thing is that you can’t stay that way. The hot bands of yesterday aren’t hot the same way they were.”
– Seth Godin
So true, Seth. So true. So, rather than give you a list of top podcasts, blogs, CRMs, or fundraising techniques that will undoubtedly expire in the not-so-distant future, I made a list of classics. Classic habits that are becoming unconventional (thus, the comparison to their trending counterpart). These habits have helped me in my career and I’d recommend them to anyone building a cause.
1. Coffee over Spam
Email will always win on efficiency, but its efficacy is dying. Rather than spam your entire list, take four donors and approach them for coffee. At least one will decline. You can manage three coffees over the next month. At each meeting, make it about getting to know the individual, not any ask. Trust me. They will ask you how they can help. Ask them to connect you to someone who might support your work. Rinse and repeat. See what happens over three months.
2. Reading over Researching
For several years, I never read anything but business books. Nonfiction, borderline self-help, but basically, how-to books. How to grow my nonprofit, how to lead, how to serve, how to market, how to build a brand, how to…whatever. I was reading for research, not fun. Each book was a challenge to change, which is exhausting. I can’t remember what book got me back into fiction, but I’ve read at least two fiction books each month for the past several years. I haven’t lost any intelligence (that I’m aware of); I’m happier, more creative, and way less stressed. Business books are great, but they need to be seasoning on your literary intake, not the entire meal.
3. Brainstorming over Scrambling
Very few people brainstorm habitually. We all do it on occasion for occasions, i.e., an event we’re planning, a marketing piece, perhaps some brand element. But, what about everything else? What about the non-creative elements of life? I find that if I make brainstorming a habit – with a team or on my own, I’m less panicked when I need a good idea. I focus on core areas of my work, i.e., subjects I’m teaching, areas I consult on, things I’m interested in learning about, etc. I use Trello to sort and store my ideas in my own personal library. They’re searchable and organized. Rather than scramble next time you need a good idea, what if you just pulled up your last brainstorm?
4. Calm Confidence over Crisis
I don’t do well with drama. Perhaps it comes from a career in the nonprofit sector where crisis management is par for the course. Perhaps it’s just a personal preference. When I began working with multiple clients, I noticed that most had a low threshold for drama…
…the email didn’t get sent out!
We sat the board president in the wrong seat!
Someone LOST the grant agreement!
The horror! The shame! The drama. Drama that usually leads to a blame game, wasted time, and bad energy.
Nothing is a crisis until you make it one. That’s right. Like most things, it’s a choice. When something bad happens, maintaining calm is the best approach to get a solution quickly and with minimal collateral damage. It’s also modeled behavior that a good leader can use to change an organization’s culture. Choose calm. It’s a classy (and classic) good habit.
5. Demonstrated over Declared Confidence
It’s always better to have someone else say how awesome you are. When it’s self-declared, it loses something and inspires eye rolls and gossip. You can be confident without sharing your life history and biggest triumphs. Don’t be the person that takes the air out of the room with stories of greatness. Instead, ask about others. Share humbly when it makes sense. Be human. Let others share about how great you are.
6. Starting Early over Always On
Have you ever responded to an email between the hours of 11pm and 3am? Yep. Thought so. Was it a crisis? (if yes, see #4 above). Answering emails when you should be sleeping looks a lot like panic…or obsession. It’s not a good look. It’s also unhealthy and exhausting. Rather than employing an “anything goes’ mentality on work boundaries, try getting up at 5am. You’ll still beat the pack, and science has proven that our brains fire on more cylinders in the early hours. The quiet hours before the less ambitious folks roll out of bed will allow you time to catch up and work on the things you really want to.
7. Truth over Fiction…or, Prediction
Stop Googling worst-case scenarios. Stop consuming research that only tangentially relates to your nonprofit, i.e, Fundraising stats from the largest nonprofits. Stop comparing yourself to someone else’s highlight reel on social media. I’ll steal one of Oprah’s lines and titles to make this point: What do you know for sure?
Everything else is hearsay or hype. Focus on what is true in the moment, and you’ll make decisions more clearly.
8. Intention and Planning over “It’ll Come Together”
It almost always does come together. But, never as great as it could be with planning. This is the fine line between “getting by” and reaching the next level. Prioritizing strategic planning and creating a system of accountability to that plan are hallmarks of rapidly growing organizations. Smart growth is not reactionary; it’s proactive and process-driven. There will never be enough time, and it will never be a comfortable time to pull in the reigns and reassess what you’re doing. Do it anyway.
9. Sticking to Purpose Rather than Prizes
Your work is impactful, valuable, and worth it regardless of whether it’s acknowledged or recognized by your peers or anyone else. The growth of “Top Whatever” lists has grown exponentially over the past decade, and with it, the dilution of what actually matters. Don’t get me wrong – if you’ve won one of these contests, that is fantastic. Congrats. But how much time, money (I hope not), and campaigning went into the effort? Work within your purpose and give it all you’ve got. Honor for good works should be given without application or competition.
10. Steady and Stable over The Next Big Thing
The endorphin rush that comes with a trending post or award is short-lived and often brings a hangover that leaves you thirsting and searching for the next high. The peace and comfort that comes with continued progress are pure joy. If you’re like most Americans, you have a new year’s resolution relating to health or work/life balance. Help yourself out by resisting hype and taking the slow and steady path toward achievement. Who knows? Maybe building a mission or career based on purpose and steady growth will become the “next big thing.”
