From the Chair: We are a non-profit

I was recently elected Chairman to the Board of Directors. I am ready for the challenges and look forward to working with each of you.  I posted the following to the Board of Directors to provide them (and you) with a look at how I will be approaching the next year. Look for more from here right here on the GCD Blog.

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We are a nonprofit organization. We rely on the talents, time and generosity of volunteers, but we operate using the best practices of nonprofit management. There are many different web sites, books and forums that provide organizations like ours with suggestions, guidelines, and recommendations. We aren't going to follow any cookie-cutter program or force ourselves to mold into an organization that we are not. We have unique a mission, and we will continue to maintain our identify. We will, however, consider how other nonprofits deal with similar challenges to those that we face.

During my research, I found some simple tips that aligned with my objectives.  You can read the article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-laszlo-mizrahi/10-tips-for-running-a-suc_b_1631775.html, but here are my slightly modified interpretations of those 10 tips for the next year:

• We will have a clear vision, mission statement, and performance metrics: what are we doing and how will we know we got there?
• We can say "NO" to good ideas: each proposal must answer the questions of who will do it, what is the schedule and how will it be funded.  
• Perfection is the enemy of the "good enough: this is a guiding principle of mine in any project I work
• Work backwards from the finish line: what is the end objective of each effort and let us work together on how to get there from here
• Remember to K.I.S.S. 
• Lead from the front: I can't stress enough -- work outside your comfort zone
• There is no "I" in team: we are a team, and we will accomplish our objectives as a team
• Under promise and consistently over-deliver: authorize and track projects that we can reasonably deliver
• Don't forget to take a vacation: seriously, take time to index and do what you love to do.
• Smile: I strongly encourage you to meet our fans, members, and professionals with enthusiasm and a smile. You are GCD's ambassadors. 

I will make mistakes. I expect be called out, but I am surrounded by some of the best people I know within the GCD. Many of you have a substantial body of work that clearly demonstrate you are willing to do what it takes to advance our objectives.  Very little of what I just said will be any different than what you've already been doing since joining the Board. It still bears mentioning so that you know where I am coming from.