By Tom Peterson Coming up with a great solution to the wrong problem may feel good at the time but it can send you down a rabbit trail that wastes time and energy. Instead of spinning your wheels on the wrong question, you can get better solutions if you reframe the problem. Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg’s article […]
By Tom Peterson Do your cause a favor and adapt your words to fit the folks you’re talking with. I occasionally shop at a Target store near my house. The retailer recently mailed me a large brochure with 24 coupons: 25% off spices, 15% off pillows, 25% off sliced jalapeños. These coupons […]
By Tom Peterson Who is your target audience? Each student in my class—marketing for nonprofits and social change at the Clinton School of Public Service—creates a marketing plan for a real organization. They work on it all semester. As the weeks progress we go over their work, and almost every year, no […]
By Tom Peterson What I really need… or want! One day driving on a busy street in my neighborhood I noticed little girl and boy in their yard holding up signs, flagging down cars. A few adults sat in lawn chairs watching and laughing. I was about to keep going when I realized what was […]
“You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.” – Alan Watts By Tom Peterson Do you feel stuck, that things just aren’t working? It may be that you simply need some time off to get some distance. You may want to talk through your goals and dreams […]
The Yin and Yang of Growing Your Cause: Incremental Improvement and Breakthrough The best way to grow your nonprofit or cause is to do two seemingly opposite things at once. First, incrementally improve the things— the programs, revenue streams, branding, public relations—that are already working well. Or at least seem to have […]
We’ve all sat through talks where some blowhard toots his own horn about saving the world: I did this and I did that. Look how wonderful I am, look how great my work is. He ends by asking for the audience’s support. At best a few people may join up and at […]
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” — Mark Twain Many big efforts happen like this: Get clarity on what you want to do, define your goal Make a plan to reach […]
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” — Albert Einstein By Tom Peterson The “rover” we earthlings sent to explore the next planet over was named through a contest by sixth-grader Clara Ma: Curiosity. But it was seven thousand adults who spent five years to make the mission happen. The $2.5 billion […]
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” — Mark Twain From bold goal to strategic plan It’s remarkable how many organizations don’t have a plan. You may be mixed about strategic plans. […]
