Humans have rules for a lot of reasons: to keep public order, to show people how to play a game, to install a governance system, and to keep a family living in something similar to harmony. These are a few of the reasons that come to my mind when considering rules and why we have them.

I'm in a lot of professional networking groups. We talk about different programs that organizations can offer their members, how new offerings could work, and we try to figure out why some organizations don't give the members what they want even after repeated requests.

Recently in ASAE Collaborate, I’ve seen the conversation again about “The Bus Book” scenario. I say again because this is an evergreen topic and we should all be thinking about it on a regular basis. The Bus Book, if you are not familiar with this term, is the book that SHOULD exist that contains all the information others will need if something happens to you like you get hit by a bus. Or you win the lottery. Or you take a new job. Or you retire.

My name is Cecilia and I have a short-term disability. My disability is the result of an injury sustained in my daily life. The injury was painful and the impact on my activities of daily living (ADL) was immediate and far reaching. I spent 10 weeks on bedrest/no weight bearing on the left leg due to a tibial plateau fracture. My leg completely atrophied during this time and despite the fracture completely healing, I could not walk. I still have difficulty walking and need to use a mobility device to get around despite my improvement (I use a walker or a cane). 

In a previous post titled “Making Peace,” (September 23, 2023), I noted the following:
"After a time, the stubbornness becomes the goal, and we often forget WHY we are being so stubborn. Both parties will not give way in any shape or form. Old grievances are listed again and again as we are determined to prove that we are right and they are so very wrong."

If you subscribe to USAE News, you may have seen my September 3, 2024, guest column “The Unexpected and Accessibility: A Trip to a Cleveland Conference.” This article outlines my experience attending a conference in a wheelchair and using a walker as I recover from a broken leg. Anytime anyone loses mobility or needs accommodations for participation, it is a disability whether short-term or long-term.

Listen to the audio version of the article.

...GIRL. That’s right. Think like a leader, not a girl. Did she just type that? Oh yes, she did. And this time I encourage angry postcards because I want to hear what you are thinking. 

As I continue my recovery from a broken leg, the bone is healed. It’s all the other moving parts that still need to recover and strengthen – the tendons and ligaments that hold the knee joint together as well as the underused muscles that weakened due to 2 months of bedrest.

As regular readers of this newsletter, our blog, or my LinkedIn newsfeed know, I broke my leg in May and am continuing a lengthy recovery process. Getting around is still challenging as I cannot put a lot of weight on my leg yet. The bone is healed – the rest is rebuilding muscle strength.

I joined the nonprofit management profession in 1988 with my first Washington, DC job at the US Chamber of Commerce. As my career evolved and my next job took me to a professional society for corporate attorneys, my eyes were opened to the fact that this is a defined and unique profession.

Climate change is on everyone’s mind – at least if they are paying attention – because we are seeing a lot of things change very quickly. Storms are more intense. Temperatures are more extreme. The physical environment is being impacted. Some scientists report that it is changing faster than ever seen in recorded history.

This week’s message is based on my response to a discussion in the ASAE Collaborate Consultants community posted the week of July 15, 2024. The initial post by one of my colleagues addressed the issue of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) removing the “E” (equity) from their DEI program, leaving them with just “D&I” (diversity & inclusion).

When I was growing up in St. Louis, MO, I played a lot of sports: basketball, volleyball, and softball in the Catholic Youth Council (CYC) league. Of all the sports, in the Catholic community at the time, basketball was the most important. It’s like Texas and football.

Anyone who works in the profession of nonprofit management, especially in the area of membership associations, accepts the requirement that we are mandated by law to have a Board of Directors. According to the Google Search AI bot this is why it is mandated:

One of my favorite spiritual guides is the “Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tzu. Loosely translated, this means the Way of Virtue. It includes the concepts of integrity, self-control, and inner knowledge. The Tao Te Ching is the main text of Taoism which believes in the basic tenet that all things should live in balance with the universe.

In the nonprofit management profession, we know the importance of communication. It is vital to use the best communication tools for the target audience we want to reach, and to use appropriate messaging. For example, we don’t want to promote a certification to those in the profession we serve if they don’t qualify yet, but we may want to promote an upcoming conference to that group.

As a proponent of ethical behavior, I understand that we are imperfect beings. No one does it right all the time, and yes, ethical people likely did some unethical things in their past that they are not proud of and cringe whenever they think of it. That “icky cringe feeling” is great motivation not to do it again, but also a reminder that we usually know when we are doing something wrong.

There’s a lot of words people might use to describe me, but helpless is not one of them. Whether friend or foe, you know that I am a “can do” kind of person that is self-reliant and does my best to help others. As a solopreneur, I am always on the go whether writing, speaking, managing the business, or leading courses (just to name a few things I do outside the newsletter and podcast).

Author’s Note: I’m out of the office this week so I thought I’d reshare this take on Boards of Directors from March 2023. All 501c organizations are required to have a board of directors – what outcomes we achieve is directly related to board culture.