BIG’s Blog: Pursuing Perfection – Part One

I don’t think it’s coincidental since the death of Steve Jobs that there has been a spate of blogs and articles about the single-minded pursuit of getting things right. Whether that is building and producing great products, delivering a service, pursuing perfection in music or more effectively communicating the message of your mission as a fund raiser.

Suddenly related stories and insights that have been out there for awhile are being told again as they fit this theme.

A couple of weeks ago Seth Godin wrote a blog entitled, First, make rice. The point was that if you want to be a great sushi chef, you first have to learn the basics.

“Fledging sushi chefs spend months (sometimes years) doing nothing but making the rice for the head chef. If the rice isn’t right, it really doesn’t matter what else you do, you’re not going to be able to serve great sushi.”

The conscious decision to learn to make rice correctly underpins the goal of making great sushi. Great rice is the basic ingredient in all great sushi.

For nonprofit fund raisers with the aspiration of being effective fund raisers in the digital age, the first step is to make the conscious decision to inform yourself about this whole new world. Learn from seminars, or the few nonprofit fund raising groups that are actually doing it right or from consultants.

To be great, you must have a foundation of knowledge.

-Mike

Welcome to BIG’s Blog and yes, by all means forward our blog to your friends and co-workers.