Your Reputation Inventory

Anna Quindlen, in her new book, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, writes about what she sees in the mirror when she looks at herself, vs. what others see.  She describes herself as “not pretty.”  She goes on to note that a recently read biography of Mary Anne Evans, known to most people as George Elliot it was suggested that had Mary Anne been “more pleasing to look at,” she would not have written her seven novels, but would, rather have married, borne children and Read more

August 17th, 2012 0 Comment

Money Talks, Ethics Walk

I do NOT believe for a moment that breeches of ethics and displays of questionable to unsavory to downright illegal behavior are more plentiful in the nonprofit sector than the for-profit sector.  But they do evoke a very different response for me.  Sad to say, whenever I read of an ethics violation in the corporate world—of which there have been far too many examples in the last 10 years—I now  just shrug my shoulders, and admit to saying, “That’s  to be expected,” and then move Read more

Own Your Reputation

How often have you heard:   “The only thing we have is our reputation?”  You’ve probably heard it from a parent, teacher, advisory, mentor, sales coach—you name it.  As it is for individuals, so it is for organizations.  The most prized possession an organization has—for profit or nonprofit, though my concern here is only with the latter—is its reputation.  So, why oh why would we turn it over to others to manipulate?

It is why I rail so against most nonprofit’s conflict of interest policies, designed to Read more