Will you be missed

How important are you - really - in someone’s life?

If you didn’t send that newsletter or report or note this month would you be missed?

We have KPIs that focus on us - our execution and the things we can control. They’re like best practices - they’re the floor, not the ceiling. That’s the start, not the goal.

‘Ouch,’ a friend said to this question. "I doubt I’d be missed - I really doubt my organization would be missed... and I don’t know what to do about that."

I get it - it’s personal... especially for those of us who serve in nonprofits where the rhetoric includes an exchange of lower wages for a good cause.

Good cause - great cause - awesome mission - but would anyone care if we didn’t exist? Would any giver or stakeholder miss us if we were gone?

There’s no secret - it’s all about giving (much) more than taking.

Listening and not just talking.

Becoming what they need (not just being what those served by your work need).

You’ll be missed if you are a brand - adding value to people’s lives.

You won’t be missed if you’re just another option - because you’re only a commodity.