“Managing the Nonprofit Organization” by Peter Drucker
Required reading for those who serve as an employee or officer in a nonprofit organization, Peter Drucker's classic contains timeless wisdom for how to manage people who aren't motivated by money.
Dear Friends,
When I was Chair of the Libertarian National Committee, I made it a point to give a copy of Peter Drucker’s management classic, “Managing the Nonprofit Organization” to every member of the board. Many of the members of our board were chosen for their position based on activism or ideals, not for previous board or management experience.
When activists get put into positions of responsibility or management, they usually bring their instincts from activism to the role. They are quick to criticize and may reject planning and building consensus as unworthy of their noble pursuit of the organization’s critical mission.
Drucker breaks down the differences in management between for-profit and non-profit organizations and provides guidance that is universal across all kinds of groups, from very large ones like the International Red Cross, to very small ones like a local church thrift store.
The one passage I have flagged in the book for quick reference is the section on courtesy. There has never been an organization that did better by allowing routine discourtesy. Organizations that tell people to “toughen up” and “grow a thicker skin” are also the organizations that have hazing and abuse scandals.
Words are not violence, but words can hurt people.
As we work with those organizations we support, we should hold ourselves and others to standards of courtesy in order to best focus on the mission that brings us together as people and to remove focus from the personal conflicts that could fracture the group.
If you would like to get your own copy of “Managing the Nonprofit Organization,” it is available from Amazon, or you could borrow it from your local public library.
Yours truly,
Nick