This article was published in the October 2014 edition of the Small Business Connect newspaper. It is part 3 in a series of 11 articles that unpacks the mind-set of a social enterprise and discusses the principles from Think like a Social Enterprise.

This month’s article discusses why it is so important to measure social outcomes. It presents the logic model which describes the relationships between inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. It also discusses how the measurement of outcomes can help organizations to refine their business models and attract funding and investment.

Josh Cox from Trade-Mark is profiled in this edition. This social enterprise links skilled township tradesman with suburban households in need of their services. This profile discusses how Trade-Mark made a major breakthrough after its started measuring its social outcomes.

This article was published in the September 2014 edition of the Small Business Connect newspaper. It is part 2 in a series of 11 articles that unpacks the mind-set of a social enterprise and discusses the principles from Think like a Social Enterprise.

When I started in the social sector in 1996, it was common for organizations to have vision and mission statements. These tended to be extremely abstract and provide no strategic focus. It is unfortunate how many organizations wonder through life without a sense of where they’re going. This article discusses the importance of clarity of purpose and the ability to clearly state one’s purpose without using jargon.

This edition also profiles Karen Moss from Steps, and organization that has healed clubfoot in over 8,200 children in Southern Africa since 2005. This organization has incredible clarity of purpose and this clarity has been a building block in its success.

I’ve discovered that social enterprise is both a business model and a paradigm or way of thinking. While the social enterprise business model is only suitable for some organizations, I believe that almost all organizations with a social agenda can benefit from embracing the mind-set of a social enterprise.

This e-book from June 2014 describes each of the 10 principles that underpin the way that social enterprises think. This is relevant to all types of organizations.

Social innovation is not a magic pill, but a process. Making a social innovation work is not simple. But when it does, it might be tempting to believe you can just duplicate the process again and again and it will keep working. But it’s not that simple. Let’s look at the reality of scaling, and some crucial questions you need to ask before trying. In this article I discuss the reality of scaling social innovation.

This article was published in the May 2014 edition of Inside Out – the magazine of the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

It is time for many organizations to rethink their strategies and learn the new rules for success. Those that are able to will thrive; those that don’t may be required to close their doors.

Kate Clayton and I have developed the Strategic Rethink in August 2013 to enable organizations to re-examine their strategies and discover what they need to focus on. Kate Clayton is a brand and marketing strategist that I’ve worked with over the years.

This Strategic Rethink is a six session programme that covers Business Strategy, Brand Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Plan and Strategic Debrief.

Read more about the Strategic Rethink and how it can help your organization on its journey.

Imagine it’s 1946 and World War 2 has just ended. Both Japanese and allied forces have withdrawn from many small Pacific Islands. Military aircraft no longer drop supplies to their soldiers on remote islands, and the flow of goods to natives has ended. Local shamans have inspired their followers to build “pretend” airfields, control towers, and straw soldiers. Some of the more inspired local leaders have dressed their followers in imitation uniforms and now parade the fake soldiers on runways. A cargo cult has been established in an effort to trick airplanes to land and drop supplies. This is ritual mimicry married to a poor understanding of what is really going on.

It is no surprise that most strategic planning processes closely resemble cargo cults and these misunderstood rituals tend to be unsuccessful and provide little value to companies. In this article from June 2012, Dr Roger Stewart and I discuss both the failure of strategy and what organizations can do to improve their strategies.

The emergence of the phrase “social enterprise” is a positive sign of change. However, the term is often defined in varying ways. In this article from June 2012, Dr Roger Stewart and I define “social enterprise” and discuss how traditional charities can start the journey to becoming social enterprises.

Here is my letter that was published in the Cape Times in October 2008 in response to an article on the potential closure of Rape Crisis. The letter discusses how this is part of a larger phenomenon. It proposes how non-profit organizations need to learn to think and operate differently.

Have you ever wondered why some organizations fail to succeed, despite hundreds of hours of strategic planning sessions and a multitude of ambitious MBA minds behind the steering wheel? We already know that these organizations need capable leadership. New research also suggests that organizations need leaders with strategic acumen, and that strategic acumen is much more like an innate ability, than something one learns at college.

This article from August 2008 dispels various myths about strategy and emphasizes the need to choose talent carefully.

This letter was published in the Cape Times in May 2008 in response to a letter by Sheilagh Gastrow. It acknowledges that it is difficult for non-profit organizations to find the funding they need to fulfil their purpose, and to sustain their operations while complying with their donors’ requirements.

However, emphasizes that the business model embraced by traditional non-profit organizations has some fundamental flaws. It discusses these flaws and what non-profit organizations can do to overcome them.