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Low-Wage Workers and Nonprofits: A Must-Read Article by Jan Masaoka

We don't talk much about how many low-wage workers there are in the nonprofit sector. (The reasons are no doubt complicated, but I wonder if we're ashamed or defensive.) Writing in Blue Avocado, Jan Masaoka doesn't shy away from the topic. In Low-Wage Workers and Nonprofits, she looks at the problem head-on, admits that the path toward "just paying people more" is far from obvious, and offers short, medium, and long term approaches, including flex time, paycheck options, employee assistance, cafeteria plans, and so on, as well as discussions and advocacy that can be pursued by consultants, board members, and managers. There are plenty of articles I will recommend as valuable, where reading them is a good idea - reading this one is a responsibility. Make sure everyone you work with has seen it. Posted: 6/2/09; 6:03:31 PM #

How to Counter Resistance to Change

Peter Bregman's How to Counter Resistance to Change is valuable, but a wee bit confusing. The title suggests that the author believes people resist change, but that is just there to draw us in - since most of us seem to believe that people do, in fact, resist change. But then he points out something that anyone who is paying attention will realize: People make all kinds of changes all the time. It's not change that people resist, it's BEING changed. I find this is especially true in the world of nonprofit technology, where we still insist on the idea that people just don't want to change and then we act to try to make them change (for example: by threatening that they will fall behind, or through excessive hype).The author proposes specific change management approaches to address this dynamic, which will seem obvious once you read them. I just wish I saw them in action more often. Posted: 6/2/09; 5:56:32 PM #

A Practical Guide To Implementing Web 2.0 In Your Organization

It's been too long since I linked to Dave Pollard, but his recent Practical Guide To Implementing Web 2.0 In Your Organization reminds me why I like his work. He pulls no punches. His reasoning is firmly based in the realities of human communication. And he is clear and thorough in his presentations. The focus here is on specific tools (which in another author's hands would worry me, because we get obsessed by tools and forget their purpose). He presents his eight favorites: real-time conversation, virtual presence, mindmapping, blogs (and newsletters), canvassing tools, simulations and planning, affinity detectors, and facilitation. Posted: 6/2/09; 5:47:18 PM #

Remediating Cultural Services in Second Life: The Case of Info Island DK

A Danish library system tried to build a presence in Second Life. I'm not sure why they thought this was a good idea, but then its been my impression that most Second Life projects are driven primarily by people who think it's cool. That's a powerful motivator, but not always one that produces strategic discipline. First Monday has now published a paper on this project, entitled Remediating Cultural Services in Second Life: The Case of Info Island DK. The paper is worth reading, but I'm disappointed that it brushes off the fact that none of the three target groups - project members, library professionals, or library users - adopted the tool. It looks to me as though they never did even the most basic communication mapping - looking to see whether users of the library were also users of Second Life! Posted: 6/2/09; 5:29:10 PM #

A New Intersection: The Surprising Effectiveness of an Online Art "Class"

Jillaine Smith has been in one of those open spaces we all find ourselves in from time to time, when we're wondering how things connect in our lives and what's going to happen next. In A New Intersection, she shares a discovery she made when taking an unusual online art course. The new intersection she's referring to here is that of ICT and art instruction, with intriguing observations about surprising details. Posted: 6/2/09; 8:28:53 AM #