NPTech New Year's Resolutions

Submitted by Holly on Tue, 01/06/2009 - 7:20am.
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Flickr Photo: VoetmannFlickr Photo: Voetmann

Personally, I like New Year's resolutions. Sure, they're kind of cheesy. (And yes, every year, I say I'm going to lose some weight, then rarely do. I really like bread!) But I like them anyway because, for a few moments every year, I check in with my priorities, take stock of the world around me, and see where the two connect.  

That's also important for the nonprofit sector to do as we begin 2009. We should all look at what we'll need to accomplish, the environment in which we'll do it, and promise ourselves a couple things about how we'll get that work done.

Here are the resolutions I have for NTEN:

1. Use Technology to "Work Smarter."

I used to hate it when managers told me we'd have to learn to work smarter.  I'm the kind of girl who takes pride in doing things the most efficient way possible.  But everybody -- and that means YOU -- gets into ruts.  We develop ways of doing things and never revisit how efficient the process may be simply because we don't want to be bothered. 

In 2009, we're going to need every second of every day to do our work.  We need to invest time to scrutinize our everyday business processes to see if we can make them more efficient. In our case, this means we'll move more customer service features online to try to reduce the number of phone calls to our office.   

Investing a few staff hours up front may save you oodles of time over the long run. That's definitely smarter.

2. Experiment with Technology.

I know that in times of uncertainty, our first inclination is to stick with what we know, to do what we do best.  In 2009, we're going to be called upon to do more than we ever have before as a sector.  This need, combined with a new set of communications tools, presents the best opportunity we may ever have to change the way we do business.

Though it will seem like we don't have a penny or minute to spare on experiments that may fail (and most likely will), figuring this stuff out is kind of like having a baby: there is no "good" time. So, do it now, when it matters most.

NTEN will experiment with widgets, Facebook, and a few other things this year. And, because of resolution number three, we'll be sure to let you know how it goes. 

3. Share Your Successes (and Failures).

We're all in this together.  There's no need to treat your web stats or email open rates like the recipe for Coca-Cola. Let's help others learn from our mistakes by openly sharing our failings.  Let's boost the sector's success by inviting everyone to learn from our wins. 

It's the spirit of community that's going to get this nation through the rough road ahead. And it's the spirit of community that's going to help our sector get us there faster.

If you're looking for some more inspiration, check out these other bloggers who are sharing their resolutions: