Sorry if that sounds like one of those clickbait posts. It’s not clickbait, it’s truth. Really it’s a 13-word sentence that will improve your fundraising.
Not only will these 13 words improve your fundraising and development work, they could change your career, your relationships, really your life.
And it explains a lot of the craziness in the world.
Ready?
Here it is:
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
Give that another read. It’s worth it.
My buddy Roy H. Williams pointed me to the quote. It’s from the 1961 book, “Seduction of the Minotaur” by Anais Nin. (In all candor, I haven’t read the book).
Think about those words. How often have you seen decisions made on fundraising because of personality, prejudice and preference?
A board member thinks direct mail is outdated. And a perfectly good strategy is dropped because of the way “they” are.
The CEO’s assistant thinks “Millennials” are where you should concentrate your marketing strategies. And your organization wanders away from the path of sound strategy because of the way “they” are.
It take great discipline to realize that we see the world as we are. Time after time, I’ve seen opinions trump evidence, research and expertise.
13 words. Give it some thought. How should you be seeing the world? I’d love to know what you think.
st
Steve Thomas
Partner, Oneicity
(photo credit: DailySunny)
