NNEDV has a new bulletin, Privacy Concerns When Posting Content Online that's worth perusing. Particularly for those of you using social media sites like Facebook, I think it's a good common sense overview. I think it's a great one-pager to provide new staff members, since it's critical for SANEs to consider what they post and how it can impact them professionally.

Here's a practical concept for all of you managers: managing up. It's the idea of positioning people so as to accentuate the positive. You can manage up your boss, your staff and even your organization. When you think about how managing up creates an environment where people feel valued and respected, the sustainability implications become pretty clear: easier to recruit, easier to retain.

Quint Studer outlines the concept of managing up in a short piece he published in December. It's definitely worth your time. 

Many of you are probably working on some aspect of grant writing and/or fundraising right now. I know I am. So I was really interested in this short article published over at Network for Good on 6 words every nonprofit should avoid. I'm not going to say a lot about it, since it's a pretty self-explanatory piece, except this: all 6 words show up (often) in my most recent grant application.

Damn.

Having read this, I seriously doubt I am going to eliminate using these words, but I will be more cognizant of how I use them and the frequency with which I use them.

I'm also interested in any other words folks thing are horribly overused or misused in our work. Please add them in the Comments if you think of any!

Happy 2010! I thought I'd start the year off with a positive spin, a new free eBook from Seth Godin. It's called What Matters Now (PDF), and I love the way it was created--multiple short essays and other pieces from great minds in diverse fields. It's sort of an anti-resolution manifesto. Less "try", more "do". A great guide for how we might approach the new year.

My favorite so far is by the author Elizabeth Gilbert, in her piece called Ease. A short excerpt:

Dear ones, EASE UP. Pump the brakes. Take a step back. Seriously. Take two steps back. Turn off all your electronics and surrender over all your aspirations and do absolutely nothing for a spell. I know, I know – we all need to save the world. But trust me: the world will still need saving tomorrow. In the meantime, you’re going to have a stroke soon (or cause a stroke in somebody else) if you don’t calm the hell down.

Enjoy!

I hope everyone is having a happy and peaceful holiday season. In the spirit of the impending new year and the resolutions that go with it, I'd like to turn your attention to a piece I missed earlier this fall. David Brooks, in the NY Times, mentioned this article as one of his favorites of the year: If Air Travel Worked Like Health Care, by Jonathan Rauch (National Journal). Upon reading it, I understand why he chose to highlight it. It's a beautifully written and hilarious look at how complicated the healthcare system is. I was laughing right up to the point when I realized I was a part of that whole mess. A small part, but a part nonetheless.

And that got me thinking. Maybe in 2010, we could collectively resolve to be a little less a part of the confusion for our patients. Make the process just a bit smoother: by sharing relevant patient information with other providers (because it's good for patients and not prohibited by HIPAA); by assisting patients in making those follow-up appointments (rather than just giving them phone numbers); by providing more focused and specific discharge instructions, including a phone number to reach an actual person after hours (so patients know what to expect, how to manage their concerns and who to call when they just aren't sure).

In the next year, these are the conversations I'd like to have: how can we integrate ourselves more into the healthcare system (whether through practice, research or public policy initiatives); and how can we help our patients better access targeted care for both short- and long-term healthy outcomes?

Have a healthy, happy, and sustainable new year, my friends. I look forward to talking with you all again in 2010.

I like short, useful pieces on managing programs. You know that if you read this site with any frequency. But this one might just be in my top 10. A virtual strategy session for running a program in a tough economy. The author's tips are incredibly relevant to our work. I especially love #3: do less with less. Fantastic.

[And Now for Something Different About Nonprofits and the Economy, Blue Avocado]

This month in Free-Range Thinking, Andy Goodman discusses the use of stories and data in garnering support for projects. I mention it because we frequently talk about effectively making the case to hospitals and community foundations, particularly in this economic climate. It's a short article, so I encourage you to check it out (PDF). And if you like what you read, you might want to consider subscribing to the monthly newsletter.

From the current issue of Nursing Economics (and summarized by Medscape), an article on retaining an aging nursing workforce. Access is free, but registration on the site is required.

Recently I spoke on the topic of sustainability, and afterwards received an email from a member of the audience. She wrote to tell me that although she agreed with one of my messages--that asking for help is a critical part of sustaining a program--she wasn't convinced people knew how to ask for help very effectively. I'm pretty sure she's right. Asking for help is easier said than done. So what follows are some brief articles and posts on the topic. I pared down a pretty sizeable list to just a few, business-oriented ones that I hope will give you some ideas on how to effectively ask for help:

• How to Ask for Help [eHow]
• How to Ask for Help--Without Looking Stupid [Conversation Starters: Harvard Business]
• Help for Asking for Help [Point Lookout: Chaco Canyon Consulting]
• Why Smart Women Ask for Help [Diversity in the Workplace]

And if you had any doubts about just how universal the benefits of asking for help can be:

• Robots Get Smarter by Asking for Help [NewScientist]

I am thrilled to announce the availability of two new publications from the SANE Sustainability TA project: Creating a Business Plan for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, and Fostering Collaboration Between SANE Program Coordinators and Medical Directors.

These are bulletins 2 & 3 in the Sustainability 101 series. You can also download the 1st bulletin, Long-Range Thinking for SANE Program Managers.