Good to Great and the Social Sectors

Those of you who have heard an OCLC speaker recently may have heard us quote a small monograph by Jim Collins, the author of the best selling business book Good to Great. Collins noted that many of the people who were attending his lectures and book signings were executives in not-for-profit organizations. He thought that in trying to implement business strategies in these organizations, they were on the wrong track. So he wrote this short piece, Good to Great and the Social Sectors.

Jeff Penka, one of the folks behind QuestionPoint, has pointed me to a site that features audio excerpts from Collins's lectures. One quote jumped out at me:

A key link in the social sector is "brand reputation,"
built upon tangible results and emotional share of
heart, so your potential supporters believe not
only in your mission, but on your capacity to deliver
on that mission.

So how is your mission holding up? Can you convincingly tell supporters why you exist? And can you convincingly tell them how you will make your mission a reality?