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(Happy Monday! Today’s post is from Tuti Scott, our leadership expert.)

In a room full of women leaders I remind them that power is not a bad word – only the abuse of power is.

Power is simply the ability to motivate people to do what you want them to do; to influence others. Power is manifested by how you communicate and how others receive you.

Often power is a subjective experience. There are three factors which influence the perception of power:

• Power of position – hold title and/or authority/access
• Power of wealth – have or are connected to wealth
• Power of knowledge or expertise – master of facts and arguments

Power of wealth and power of title or the ‘corner office’ are places that women and people of color have not traditionally had access to. Centuries of structural and systemic sexism or racism have kept us out of these spheres.

There are hundreds of folks who have spoken and written on the ‘light’ topic of “The history of patriarchy and the creation of race as a construct for domination.” Feel free to read bell hooks, Gloria Steinem, Barbara Jordan’s speeches, and others.

Without equal access to positions of power or power stemming from wealth (which women and people of color generally do not have) what is the best access to power in this framework? For many of us it is the third frame or knowledge, data, and expertise.

Having knowledge and data gives you the power to think, to rationalize, and to make the best choice so that you and your organization can be successful. You are more likely to get a CEO or leader to commit to a project if you make your case using established facts, data, and by explaining how the choice will impact society, the staff, and the constituents the organization serves.

We can all work toward the three ‘stations’ of power being broadened with smart community organizing, increased social capital, and the changing of who sits in the corner office. In the meantime, and on this auspicious day of celebration of International Women’s Day,  let’s also keep framing a powerful story and case that offers what we stand for rather than what we are against.

P. S.  For those of you who have a spiritual or physical understanding of the connection of sport and how this can help shape one’s approach toward power, feel free to check out an organization I serve on the U.S. Board of and their brilliant launch of International Sports for Women’s Rights Day.

Substitute, “Powerless” with “Powerful.“

“But tonight, here I am. And I feel — I feel that notwithstanding the past that my presence here is one additional bit of evidence that the American Dream need not forever be deferred.

We are a people in a quandary about the present. We are a people in search of our future. We are a people in search of a national community. We are a people trying not only to solve the problems of the present, unemployment, inflation, but we are attempting on a larger scale to fulfill the promise of America. We are attempting to fulfill our national purpose, to create and sustain a society in which all of us are equal.”

- from the 1976 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address by Barbara Jordan

(Happy Monday! Today’s post is from Sande Smith, our communications expert.)

I finally found it – my new apartment in San Francisco. In a little bit more than a month, I saw 40 apartments!

When it came down to the final two, I was stuck trying to decide between an apartment with lots of sun, bay windows and French doors or one with arched doorways, 1,000 square feet and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I chose the view.

At first my choice felt frivolous, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. First of all, every time I look out the window, I stop and I breathe, deeply. The view literally compels me to expand my sights – to look out beyond what’s right in front of me.

And it resonates with a goal that I’d set two years ago, when I took a 3-day class on facilitative leadership presented by the Interaction Institute for Social Change.  Facilitative Leadership calls upon leaders to be “servant leaders” who involve others in the process of change and continuous improvement that our organizations and communities require.

In preparation for the class, we were asked to think about the seven practices of facilitative leadership and then decide which one we wanted to focus on during the three days.

1. Share an Inspiring Vision
2. Focus on Results, Process and Relationship
3. Seek Maximum Appropriate Involvement
4. Design Pathways to Action
5. Facilitate Agreement
6. Coach for Performance
7. Celebrate Accomplishment

It was hard to choose, because who doesn’t want to be great at everything? But I decided that I wanted to improve my ability to convey a clear and compelling vision, closely followed by designing a pathway to action.

Why? Because I have spent much of my career being the one who does what needs to be done, rather than leading a team that carries out the work. As I’ve grown, and increased my area of responsibility, it’s become clear that not only is it impossible to do it all myself, but the outcome is vastly improved when a team of people skilled at working together produces the work.

I wanted to learn how to be the kind of leader that brings out the best in the team and in myself, while also deeply enjoying the process. After setting my focus on learning how to imagine and articulate a clear and compelling vision, the three days of the workshop proved to be just the beginning.

Everywhere I turned, I saw examples of how to do it. I saw it when a colleague insisted that we do regular presentations to staff about the work of our communications team. I saw it in Obama’s campaign, which not only included inspiring articulation of a vision of unity and hope, but was accompanied by a social media campaign that gave people the tools they needed to run their OWN campaigns on behalf of the candidate. And I saw it in fundraising letters that do a good job of describing both the problem and a vision for how the world will be different.

We will not be able to transform the world if we don’t become very good at stopping, taking a breath, and giving ourselves space to widen our sights. We must imagine, describe and co-create our vision of the world that all of our fundraising and advocacy is trying to create. Research shows that people work with greater commitment and excitement when they are guided by a vision and feel their efforts can make a difference.

Can YOU see it?

Substitute  “This is what I want you to do,” with, “This is where I want us to go. Together, let’s figure out how to get there.”

“When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”

~ Audre Lorde

Happy Monday (night!) I’m a bit slow on today’s Know Abundance blog post. I’ve been prioritizing hanging out with people in person, face-to-face, instead of connecting via words on a computer screen.

There’s just something about seeing someone’s eyes and having the chance to hear a laugh that trumps any Facebook or Twitter update.

A friend gave me a book recently that I love. The message is simple and yet profound.

The author, Cami Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 33. She spent months immobilized by depression, unable to stop thinking about how the disease would ruin her life and dreams. She became addicted to her meds and self-absorbed in her problems.

She had a friend and spiritual adviser, Mbali Creazzo who told her that she needed to stop thinking about herself. “If you spend all of your time and energy focusing on your pain, you’re feeding the disease. You’re making it worse by putting all of your attention there.”

She encouraged Cami to spend some time focused on others – and to do this by giving away 29 gifts in 29 days. But Cami insisted that she needed to focus all her attention on her own healing, she was worried that focusing on others would sap energy she needed for herself.

Mbali replied, “Healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum, but through our interactions with other people. By giving, you are focusing on what you have to offer others, inviting more abundance into your life. Giving of any kind is taking a positive action that begins the process of change. It will shift your energy for life.“

And it did! You can read Cami’s inspiring story in her book: 29 Gifts – How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life. Or watch a video of her on the Today Show as she describes how the simple act of giving transformed everything.

Now, 29 Gifts is a global giving movement with nearly ten thousand members in 42 countries. I joined today. My first gift was $5 to the man who sings love songs at the train station entrance in the evenings. His music is always a gift to me after a long day of work – a reminder of the joy of giving and sharing without expecting anything back.

What do you have to give?

Substitute, “What’s in it for me?” with “What do I have to give?”

“By giving, you are focusing on what you have to offer others, inviting more abundance into your life.”

- Mbali Creazzo, who inspired the 29-day Giving Challenge

(Today’s post is from Elizabeth Husserl, our money expert.)

As fund raisers we can often feel the awkwardness that comes with asking for money.

We know that our donors want to support our causes and are willing to put their checkbook forward when we do our yearly appeals. Yet, even knowing that we are channeling money to something worthwhile does not make the awkwardness go away.

What would money say? “Don’t be afraid to ask for me”. The more clarity you have on what you need, the more you can accurately communicate that to the world around you and the more you can relax into knowing that there is enough.

In the work I do with individuals and groups, the scariest moment often comes when I ask people to look at their money flow- how exactly does money flow into and out of their lives? This feels terrifying at first because it means looking, it means knowing, and it means facing up to any discrepancies that arise.

But when we go through the exercise and put the numbers down on paper we see that the numbers really just want to talk- they tell us what we need to make our projects and lives a reality. They give us a cornerstone on which to base our plans.

By looking at numbers and doing the “budgets” (or what I prefer to call conscious spending plans) we can then take a deeper step into our projects, our organizations and our lives. We can move beyond the fogginess of “not knowing” into a place of clarity and empowerment where asking becomes more of a spiritual practice of communicating to life that you do know what you need in life.

The question then becomes- how can the flow of abundance provide? (The trick here is then to let abundance flow to you without being attached to what that looks like.)

Ask money to come to you. Look at the dialogue you are currently having with it. Don’t be afraid to invite more into your life- you are big enough to hold it.

Happy Monday!
- Elizabeth

Substitute, “Not asking” with “Asking for what you need.”

“Very often, when campaigns fail, it’s not because people didn’t give, it’s because they weren’t asked. In fundraising, asking is the name of the game.

The problem is, only for the rarest person is asking for a gift easy. For most of us, the discomfort is so strong we’ll invent 100 excuses to procrastinate.

Despite any training, despite any inspirational send-off, asking will always be the biggest challenge.

What can temper the fear to some degree is keeping in mind that prospects, who are usually more sensitive than we expect, respond favorably to solicitors who are dedicated and genuinely enthusiastic about the causes they represent.”

- from Guidestar’s: 20 Biggest Fundraising Mistakes

(Happy Monday! Today’s post is from Tuti Scott, our leadership expert.)

What an interesting time to be in the job market!  I have had the opportunity to speak with many people over the years about how to “create your dream job.” Now, more than ever, it seems that new practices and ideas for job search and creation are needed.

I spoke recently at Ithaca College (my alma mater) on a career panel and the following points resonated with many:

1.  Discipline, focus, and visualization are undervalued and underutilized. So much can come from follow up, follow through, and attention to detail.  Taking the time to reflect on your conditions of satisfaction and actually writing out the values you want in a work space helps to manifest what you want. The more people you share these conditions and values with, the more opportunities for visualizing and expressing the setting and context of where and how you want to do your life’s work.

2.  Follow the Four Agreements.  In short, (1) be impeccable with your word, (2) always do your best, (3) don’t make assumptions, and (4) don’t take anything personally (adapted from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book The Four Agreements). I love applying these ‘practices’ to personnel and work transition conversations.  They always seem to be so fitting!  This is especially true when speaking with groups of women where there may be an overabundance of estrogen creating the tendency of ‘taking things personally’.

3.  Demonstrate your balance of feminine and masculine power traits. These qualities are not assigned to either gender but merely reflect the ability to be inclusive, fluid, and exterior focused (feminine) as well as being goal oriented and linear (masculine).  Think about how in an interview you can express your capabilities or work efforts from a linear, driven space as well as defining yourself as a team player who is in tune with others and incorporates a variety of opinions and goals.

4.  Build relationships outside the traditional circles of connection. What if you made it a point to meet someone each month that was not from your college, your generation, your race, or your professional field?  And what if you asked them three questions about their life’s goals and shared yours?  I have heard so many magical stories of people who mentored across generations with a connection that was formed by someone taking a risk and inviting someone new into their dreams.

5.  Volunteer for a nonprofit. If you have time on your hands, reach out to the 1.8 million nonprofits that are in need of staff support and expertise.  Offer up your skills for a period of time to help with a specific effort.  Within this space you may have the opportunity to meet some folks (see point 4) that you would not normally interact with as well as build your skills and resume.

Some helpful sites for job searching;

USAJOBS.GOV (remember, the government is the largest employer in the country)

ChronicleofPhilanthropy.com (a breadth of opportunities across nonprofits and foundations)

WorkforCongress.com (jobs all around the DC area and not just in congress)

Idealist.org (great site for volunteering and job postings)

Substitute, “Doing the same thing” with “Trying something new.”

One of the saddest lines in the world is, ‘Oh come now – be realistic.’ The best parts of this world were not fashioned by those who were realistic. They were fashioned by those who dared to look hard at their wishes and gave them horses to ride.

-Richard Nelson Bolles, What Color is Your Parachute?

(Happy Monday! Today’s post is from Sande Smith, our communications expert.)

The movie Avatar has set off quite a buzz.

For some religious conservatives, it’s a blasphemous film that advocates the worship of nature. For some progressives, it’s a film that tells the same old story of racism and colonial domination.

Despite any shortcomings, I am still deeply touched by the film – its messages and its imagery. Having seen the film a second time, one of the messages that resonates most profoundly for me is the power of collective intelligence.

When the Nav’i, the people of the planet Pandora, first meet the human, Jake Sully, the Nav’i tell him that his people are ignorant, and unwilling to learn. They say they have not been able to teach his people because you cannot fill a cup that is already full.

Sully answers that anyone will attest that his cup is empty, because he’s never been a smart man. He’s not a scientist; rather he’s a member of the “Jarhead clan” – a warrior. And he’s a broken warrior at that. A man who’s entire identity has been shattered by the loss of his legs through war. Broken, he is ready to learn a new philosophy, and a new way of being.

What heals Sully is opening up to a different kind of intelligence – one that is informed by interconnectedness. The Nav’i can physically link in to the creatures and the trees of their planet, and literally upload and download memories, sensations and insight from all living beings, past and present.

They have access to a shared pool of meaning, a phrase coined by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Greeny, Al Switzler and Ron McMillan, authors of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High.

While researching why some people are more effective influencers than others, the authors found that the super-influencers excelled at managing and facilitating high-stake conversations. These are conversations where big decisions are being discussed and made: salary changes, whether or not to move a facility, a promotion, misunderstandings between staff, giving a boss feedback on how to do her job more effectively, asking a friend to repay a loan.

They found that the people who excel in holding these crucial conversations are able to find a way to get all of the relevant information (from themselves and others) out into the open. “At the core of every successful conversation lies the free flow of relevant information. People openly and honestly express their opinions, share their feelings, and articulate their theories. They willingly and capably share their views, even when their ideas are controversial or unpopular.”

Of course, that’s the key to true collaboration and connection. If I believe that I have all the relevant information, then I feel connected, trusted, part of the whole. The group mind is nourished and the best decisions can be made by drawing upon the pool of shared meaning.

The authors explain that in a very real sense, the pool of shared meaning is a measure of the group’s IQ. The larger the shared pool, the smarter the decisions. And even though it may seem excessive to have so many people involved in decision-making, when people openly and freely share ideas, the increased time investment pays off because of vastly improved decisions and greater buy-in.

The film Avatar invites us to imagine what it could be like – a community that has access to and is enriched by the knowledge that has been accumulated and cherished over generations. Any person can tap in and be simultaneously fed by and contribute to the whole.

What are you doing to make it safe for people to share their experiences, concerns, their dreams and vision? How are you contributing to the development of collective intelligence in your own family, your organization, or community?

Substitute trying to know it all yourself, with asking, “How can I tap into and contribute to collective intelligence?”

Homage to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (deity of Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism)

With body speech and mind in perfect oneness
I send my heart along with the sound of the bell
May the hearers awaken from forgetfulness
And transcend the path of anxiety and sorrow

May the sound of the bell merge deeply into the cosmos
In even the darkest places
May living beings hear it clearly
So that understanding lights up their hearts
And without hardship they transcend the cycle of birth and death.

For full passage, and a description of the sangha (or community building in Buddhist practice), click here.

Happy Monday dear Know Abundance readers,

I was busy all weekend hanging art and covering my windows with black trashbags and black curtains for the next Frisbie St. Art Show: Illuminating Shadows – Art Show in the Dark.

So today’s post is fairly short. I’m excited about a new book that just came out by Kathy LeMay called The Generosity Plan.

I heard Kathy speak about the book on Friday and was inspired by her vision of a world transformed by everyone, “Doing what they can, with what they have, where they are. (This is a Teddy Roosevelt quote Kathy used to sum up the heart of her book.)

Kathy says, “There’s no single dollar amount, no particular activity or cause that is better than another, no income level or demographic that matters to generosity, no set variable that is best for giving one’s self to another in time of need.

It’s about finding your passion, envisioning a better world, and putting yourself on the path to making that vision become a reality.”

The Generosity Plan can help us all learn how to better share our “time, treasure and talent” to improve our communities and the world.

Substitute, “I don’t have enough to be generous” with, “Everyone has something to give.”

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

Happy Monday! The outpouring of support and donations for Haiti has been incredible.

In less than one week, millions have been raised from individuals, corporations, governments, foundations and religions institutions around the world.

Everyone is giving.

Over $500 million pledged from Europe, $100 million from the U.S., $5 million from Canada, $1 million from India and China. And the list of government support keeps growing.

Corporations have also been pledging millions of dollars: JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanely, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Google, McDonalds, Comcast and many others.

More millions are coming from the NFL, Hollywood stars and from individuals worldwide who have made donations to various charities. The Red Cross has raised $20 million through text message donations alone -  a new trend that fundraisers are sure to be talking about for months to come.

Seeing how quickly we can mobilize to help each other on a global scale - setting aside our national and business interests, our politics, our racism and classism and our obsession with ourselves – is truly inspiring.

A week ago we were focused on what we didn’t have: a robust economy. Today we are all focused on what we can give and how we can help.

Do we have to wait for tragedy to work together in this way? Is there another impetus besides catastrophe to activate the power of our collective compassion and to motivate us to stand unified in our efforts to end human suffering and help those in need?

Where is all this money coming from? What were we spending these millions of dollars on before the earthquake in Haiti?

Substitute, “What does this have to do with me?” with “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?‘” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a “thing-oriented” society to a “person-oriented” society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.

A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life’s highway.

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

(Happy Monday! Today’s post is from Elizabeth Husserl, our money expert.)

As fundraisers, money comes with the territory. We are constantly asking for it, receiving it and hopefully finding enough of it to support our good causes.

We all have a unique money personality. And the people who fund our causes have them too.

Why is it important that we know our money personalities and the money personalities of our donors?

Because our money personality determines our relationship with money, how we ask for it and how we give it away.

For example, we might have a donor who has an “Innocent” archetype or personality, they may really want to give but feel overwhelmed at the steps of following through. Will it be a complicated process? Will it mean jeopardizing their own sense of financial safety and security? The “Innocent” values safety at all cost.

A “Tyrant” archetype likes to hoard. They often have a lot of money and are great prospects for giving, but have trouble letting the money go. Their growing edge is to open the hand that holds and to connect to the deeper needs that are asking to be healed, which can often happen by contributing to causes they believe in. Both of these archetypes may have a similar difficulty in allowing their money to flow, yet require different strategies.

Knowing your own money personality will help you recognize those in others. Feel free to email me at ehusserl@hotmail.com if you would like more in depth information on various money types and how to work with them. You can also read Money Magic by Deborah Price.

For now I leave you with 5 money personality insights to illuminate your day:

1. You are not your money personality, but your money personalities work through you. If you are too anxious to look at your “money matters” or in this case your money personality, out of anxiety, paralysis or fear that it determines who you are, financial “fuzziness” will never be lifted. Don’t be fooled- you are not your money personality- your different money personalities speak through you to give you important information on how to best manage your money life.

2. Your money personality doesn’t disappear because you don’t look at. If we don’t pay attention to our money personalities they will act out in louder and more extreme ways. Money personalities continue to exist regardless of how conscious or unconscious we are to them. Like finally deciding to face your bills, if you square your shoulders at your money personalit(ies) you actually may be surprised at what’s in store.

3. Your money personality has an important message for you. For example the “Innocent” personality desperately needs more information and a financial team of support. The message here is “you do not have to do it alone.” All of the personalities have something important to say. The sooner you pay attention, the quicker your money personality will work with you instead of against you.

4. Different personalities require different strategies. We do not fit into one box. We are all too different and unique to be molded into one. Our money personalities are the same. Get to know the different personalities that you inherited or acquired along the way and understand your unique take to money. Avoid the headache of doing it blindly.

5. No matter how much work you do to better manage your money, if you don’t look at your money personality, it will rule your financial life! Like a partner or spouse who absolutely hates being ignored, so do these different parts of us. No one likes not being seen and we act out of line until we get the attention we deserve. So next time your money anxiety is knocking on the door, stop, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, put the bill down (momentarily), and ask that voice or feeling, “Who are you? What do you want? What are you trying to say?”

Like any relationship, it is conscious conversation, compassion, and love that creates lasting change.

Substitute, “My unconscious relationship with money doesn’t really matter” with “I’m getting to know my money personality.”

“It is our less conscious thoughts and our less conscious actions which mainly mold our lives and the lives of those who spring from us”.

– Sam Butler, The Way of All Flesh

(Happy Monday and Happy New Year! Today’s post is from Sande Smith, our communications expert.)

At the start of a New Year, many of us make resolutions. I certainly enjoy reviewing the past year and thinking about ways to improve my work, my health and the results of my actions.

But inspired by color, I’ve decided to approach change differently this year. For the first time, I asked my braider to weave strands of red into my black braids. After all, I told her, it’s a new year, and I have a new job, so it’s time for something different.

But what’s the point? Why does a new job call for new hair? And how much of what seems new was already present? In other words, maybe I’m bringing to the foreground something that I’ve wished for a long time: more color, more adventure, more spark.

I often think of the work that I do — communications and public relations — as a bright and fiery function that inspires action and excitement about the meticulous work and outcomes that an organization creates. My new red strands acknowledge jubilant energy, while reminding me to consciously celebrate and interweave these qualities into my activities in the coming year.

I am reminded of the field called “Appreciative Intelligence”, which encourages us to recognize and act upon what is already there. In their book, Appreciative Intelligence: Seeing the Mighty Oak in the Acorn, Tojo Thatchenkery and Carol Metzker, say that Appreciative Intelligence is the ability to perceive the potential within the present, to see the mighty oak in the acorn.

Appreciative Intelligence® has three components:

• Reframing,
• Appreciating the positive,
• Seeing how the future unfolds from the present. To learn more: http://www.appreciativeintelligence.com

Substitute, “Resolving to be something new” with “Resolve to be more of you!”

“Where there was desert, [Stef Wertheimer-Tefen] could see vast neighborhoods. Where there was poverty, he could see the unlimited human resource of collective imagination…he reframed everything.”

- Tojo Thatchenkery

Happy last Monday of 2009!

I want to thank you for reading our Know Abundance posts this year.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the mix of topics and the new voices we’ve added the past few months.

Your feedback is always welcome. Let us know what you like and don’t like and if there are things you want us to talk more about in 2010.

This blog was started as the economy in the U.S. was tanking and recovery wasn’t in sight. Even then, the world around us was full of abundance. But our focus was on scarcity and lack, panic and fear as we faced the unknown.

We are being asked by necessity to create new systems and new ways of being with each other and living life on this planet.

How do we untie ourselves from an economic model based on endless consumption with scarcity as a key motivator? We realize that everything we need, we already have.

Start with yourself. Give thanks for what you do have. Let that be enough.