Are We Conscious Yet?

Peter Drucker and Paul Light call for nothing less than a radical shift in thinking about nonprofit management. When combining and extending their thoughts on mission, performance and, in a fundamental way, our very reason for being, a loud call is heard to stop marching toward mediocrity as if it were the only course available. Both men ask nonprofit managers and their boards to open up to high performance as a way out of a second-class existence.

Before we apply their teachings, we should engage in a bit of self-examination. How did the sector get to this point? I believe it is a matter of consciousness. Do nonprofit managers really read capacity-building books and then slap their foreheads from the overwhelming revelation that high performance is right around the corner for anyone who sets reasonable, quantified and appropriate goals?

The underlying cause of low performance simply cannot be that we never thought any better before. Obviously, managers know about goals and how to set them. The root cause of our malaise has to be hidden, or just beyond our consciousness, or simply avoided and ignored until everyone agrees that the Emperor looks dandy in those new clothes. We must wake up.

Light comes close to identifying consciousness as an important factor when he suggests a loss of soul if the sector adopts a more business-like definition. To avoid losing our soul, he suggests forming aspirational goals to lead us to high performance. "Aspirational" has two usages. I'm guessing that Light intends to convey the sense of having a strong desire or a longing for success. 

Next: More from Light and Drucker