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Knowing Your Market: Developing Agile Thinking and Organizational Reflexes

Knowing Your Market: Developing Agile Thinking and Organizational Reflexes

August 8, 2022

Over the last several months I have been focused on the elements of an Intelligent Enterprise—one that cultivates a culture where data is shared across the organization and used in real time to make critical organizational decisions.

I want to discuss the concept of building a heightened awareness of the environment in which you do business. In a recent article on Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector I read about the importance of developing “court sense.” While I am not an avid sports follower, I do know basketball and the importance of being aware of all aspects of what is happening around you on the court. In this article the author stated that “You can’t hone your court sense in a vacuum — or an echo chamber.” I love that message—knowing the marketplace means being in the marketplace, talking to people, asking questions of experts as well as people “on the streets,” honing your sense of curiosity and refining the kinds of questions you ask.

Our job as leaders is to look up, look forward, and look around, and be ready to rapidly respond to changing conditions and threats. We also need to be ready to rapidly respond to new opportunities to innovate. As I stressed in the Insights articles on Active Intelligence, in order to thrive in this complex business environment, we need to ensure access to real time, relevant data. We need to see the world not through the rear view window but through the lens of what is happening in the moment and using that information to anticipate problems, project market trends, rapidly process new information, and continually adjust our strategy.

A critical component of being able to develop court sense is to understand the drivers within your marketplace. These are tumultuous times, and the driving forces seem to change on a daily basis. While we of course need to consider demographic shifts, and the growing demand for sustainable practices, and requirements for diversity and inclusion in our human resource practices, we also need to be aware of the political drivers that are rapidly changing laws, policies and regulations—some which impact government funding and day to day practice.

This kind of attentiveness requires a thorough understanding of your organization’s current position in the marketplace and an agility in thinking—the ability to incorporate the impact of new drivers into your thinking and rapidly reassess your position. This is a skill that improves over time.

Some ideas to sharpen your thinking and organizational reflexes include:

    • Reflecting with your board and staff how well they think your organization is strategically positioned to take advantage of change.
    • As we discussed in past Insights, continuously seek client feedback and analyze program evaluation data to inform your thinking.
    • Integrate market analysis and examination of relevant driving forces, both short-term and long-term, into decision making about new business.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

 

Conociendo Tu Mercado: Desarrollando el Pensamiento Ágil y los Reflejos Organizativos

8 agosto 2022

En los últimos meses me he centrado en los elementos de una Empresa Inteligente, una que cultive una cultura en la que los datos se comparten en toda la organización y se utilizen en tiempo real para tomar decisiones organizativas críticas.

Quiero hablar sobre el concepto de construir una mayor conciencia del entorno en él que haces negocios. En un artículo reciente sobre Sabiduría Aplicada para el Sector sin Fines de Lucro; leí sobre la importancia de desarrollar el “sentido de la cancha”. Si bien no soy una ávida seguidora de los deportes, conozco el baloncesto y la importancia de estar al tanto de todos los aspectos de lo que está sucediendo a tu alrededor en la cancha. En este artículo, el autor declara que “No se puede pulir el sentido de la cancha en el vacío, o en una sala de audición”. Me encanta ese mensaje: conocer el mercado significa estar en el mercado, hablar con la gente, hacer preguntas a expertos y personas “en las calles”, perfeccionar tu sentido de curiosidad y refinar el tipo de preguntas que les haces.

Nuestro trabajo como líderes es mirar hacia arriba, hacia adelante y a nuestro alrededor, y estar listos para responder rápidamente a las condiciones y amenazas cambiantes. También debemos estar preparados para responder rápidamente a las nuevas oportunidades de innovar. Como subrayé en los artículos de “Insights” sobre Inteligencia Activa, con el fin de prosperar en este complejo entorno empresarial, debemos garantizar el acceso a datos relevantes en tiempo real. Necesitamos ver el mundo, no a través de la ventana de visión del pasado, sino a través de la lente de lo que está sucediendo en el momento y usar esa información para anticipar problemas, proyectar tendencias del mercado, procesar rápidamente nueva información y ajustar continuamente nuestra estrategia.

Un componente crítico de poder desarrollar el sentido de la cancha es comprender a los impulsores dentro de su mercado. Estos son tiempos tumultuosos, y las fuerzas impulsoras parecen cambiar a diario. Si bien, por supuesto, debemos considerar los cambios demográficos y la creciente demanda de prácticas sostenibles y los requisitos para la diversidad y la inclusión en nuestras prácticas de recursos humanos, también debemos ser conscientes de los impulsores políticos que están cambiando rápidamente las leyes, los reglamentos y las regulaciones, algunas de las cuales afectan la financiación gubernamental y la práctica cotidiana.

Este tipo de atención requiere una profunda comprensión de la posición actual de tu organización en el mercado y una agilidad de pensamiento: la capacidad de incorporar el impacto de los nuevos impulsores a tu pensamiento y reevaluar rápidamente tu posición. Esta es una habilidad que mejora con el tiempo.

Algunas ideas para pulir tu pensamiento y reflejos organizativos incluyen:

    • Reflexionar junto con tu junta directiva y tu personal qué tan bien creen que tu organización está estratégicamente posicionada para aprovechar el cambio.
    • Como hablamos en Insights anteriores, buscar continuamente la retroalimentación de los clientes y analizar los datos de evaluación del programa para poner al corriente tu pensamiento.
    • Integrar el análisis de mercado y el examen de las fuerzas impulsoras pertinentes, tanto a corto como a largo plazo, en la toma de decisiones sobre nuevos negocios.

Como siempre, espero tus comentarios.

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Active Intelligence: Leaning into Donor Data

Active Intelligence: Leaning into Donor Data

August 1, 2022

Recently I read an article that discussed the trends in nonprofit fundraising—always of interest in these times of increased costs. The article highlighted the importance of investing in state-of-the-art technology to make giving easier, leveraging technology during fundraising events in innovative new ways, enhancing recurring giving, increasing workplace giving and leaning in to the data that we have about our donors.

Given the focus of Insights over the last several weeks on becoming an intelligent enterprise able to immediately benefit from real time data, I want to explore on the concept of leaning into data analysis about our donors. The article by Christopher Himes, CEO of Classy.org, began by discussing the recent privacy updates by Apple that changed the way brands track consumer engagement, limiting email open rate data and activity tracking among IP addresses. Himes went on to suggest that we will likely see more privacy updates in the coming year as additional companies choose to prioritize consumer data rights. This trend in privacy rules signals the importance of nonprofits adapting the ways we reach and connect with donors—tailoring outreach and interactions based on donor preferences. (Honestly this is something that we should have been doing for a long time).

First, when sending messages to donors, we need to start to ask about the kind of communication they prefer—basically creating opt-in permissions that will guide all future outreach. These survey type communications provide us with the opportunity to learn if a specific donor likes, for example, program information, operational information, or trend data. And once we learn this information it is imperative that we act on it. A donor cannot tell us that they prefer program information only to continue to receive information on revenue trends or operational challenges.

Donors may tell us that they like immediate results, so if we are planning a fundraising campaign with a very specific goal, we need to make sure that we let them know about the results—as soon as we have the information. This requires having an information system that triggers rapid response.

Other donors want to better understand how their contribution is changing lives—how they are making a difference. As such we need to share stories of how their donation impacted the lives of certain groups for which the donor has expressed interest. If they care about the returning citizen, then we need to develop and share stories about individuals served in our criminal justice programs. And if this is a recurring donor, the communication must happen regularly. Again, technology will be critical to ensure that we receive reminders of when to send information. And we need to be steadily compiling stories for every population we serve.

If the younger donors want to communicate via social media, we may need to launch a social media-only strategy for a specific campaign –meeting donors in the space they prefer to engage.

And the same holds true for some of our older donors. If they express the desire for printed materials mailed to their homes, we honor those wishes. We use their preferences to significantly increase the quality of our engagement.

None of this is rocket science—but it is scientific. It is leveraging information in a way that will increase donor engagement and likely donations. It requires curiosity, data collection, data analysis, technology and diligence.

If we aren’t approaching donor engagement in this tailored manner, it is time we started.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Inteligencia Activa: Apoyarse en los Datos de los Donantes

8 agosto 2022

Recientemente leí un artículo que hablaba sobre las tendencias en la recaudación de fondos en las organizaciones sin fines de lucro; siempre un tema de interés en estos tiempos de aumento de costos. El artículo destacó la importancia de invertir en tecnología de vanguardia para facilitar las donaciones, aprovechar la tecnología durante los eventos de recaudación de fondos de nuevas maneras innovadoras, mejorar las donaciones periódicas, aumentarlas en el lugar de trabajo y apoyarse en los datos que tenemos sobre nuestros donantes.

Dado el enfoque de “Insights” en las últimas semanas, en convertirnos en una empresa inteligente, capaz de beneficiarse inmediatamente de los datos en tiempo real: quiero explorar el concepto de apoyarse en el análisis de datos sobre nuestros donantes. El artículo de Christopher Himes, presidente ejecutivo de Classy.org, comenzó hablando sobre las recientes actualizaciones de privacidad de Apple que cambiaron la forma en que las marcas siguen la pista al compromiso del consumidor, limitando los datos del índice de apertura del correo electrónico y el seguimiento de la actividad entre las direcciones “IP” de Apple. Himes continuó sugiriendo que es probable que veamos más actualizaciones de privacidad en el próximo año a medida que otras compañías elijan dar prioridad a los derechos de datos de los consumidores. Esta tendencia en las reglas de privacidad señala la importancia de que las organizaciones sin fines de lucro adapten las formas en que llegan y se conectan con los donantes, adaptando el alcance y las interacciones en función de las preferencias de ellos. (Honestamente, esto es algo que deberíamos haber estado haciendo durante mucho tiempo).

Primero, cuándo se envían mensajes a los donantes, debemos comenzar a preguntarnos sobre el tipo de comunicación que prefieren, básicamente creando permisos de suscripción que guiarán todo el alcance futuro. Estas comunicaciones de tipo encuesta nos brindan la oportunidad de saber si a un donante específico le gusta, por ejemplo: información del programa, información operativa o datos de evolución. Y una vez que sepamos esta información, es imperativo que nos ocupemos de ella. Un donante no puede solo decirnos que prefiere la información del programa para continuar recibiendo información sobre las evoluciones de ingresos o los desafíos operativos.

Los donantes pueden decirnos que les gustan los resultados inmediatos, por lo que, si estamos planeando una campaña de recaudación de fondos con un objetivo muy específico, debemos asegurarnos de informarles sobre los resultados, tan pronto como tengamos la información. Esto requiere tener un sistema de información que desencadene una respuesta rápida.

Otros donantes quieren comprender mejor cómo su contribución está cambiando vidas, cómo están haciendo una diferencia. Como tal, necesitamos compartir historias de cómo su donación impactó las vidas de ciertos grupos por los cuales el donante ha expresado interés. Si se preocupan por el ciudadano que regresa a su vida normal, entonces necesitamos desarrollar y compartir historias sobre las personas atendidas en nuestros programas de justicia criminal o penal. Y si se trata de un donante constante, la comunicación debe ocurrir regularmente. Una vez más, la tecnología será fundamental para garantizar que recibamos recordatorios de cuándo enviar información. Y necesitamos estar constantemente recopilando historias de cada población a la que servimos.

Si los donantes más jóvenes quieren comunicarse a través de las redes sociales, es posible que necesitemos lanzar un plan de acciónde estrategia solo de redes sociales para una campaña específica: reunirse con los donantes en el espacio en el que prefieran participar.
Y lo mismo es cierto para algunos de nuestros donantes de mayor edad. Si expresan el deseo de que los materiales impresos se envíen por correo a sus hogares, honraremos esos deseos. Utilizamos sus preferencias para aumentar significativamente la calidad de nuestro compromiso.

Nada de esto es super especial, pero es científico. Es aprovechando la información de una manera que aumente la participación de los donantes y las posibles donaciones. Requiere curiosidad, recopilación de datos, análisis de ellos, tecnología y diligencia.

Si no estamos enfocándonos en la participación de los donantes de esta manera personalizada, es hora de que comencemos.

Como siempre, espero sus comentarios.

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Fedcap Inc. Launches the Veterans Forward Program to Help Veterans, Service Members and Their Families Across the State of Maine

Fedcap Inc. Launches the Veterans Forward Program to Help Veterans, Service Members and Their Families Across the State of Maine

Fedcap Inc.’s Veterans Forward Received $500,000 from the Federal Government to Kickstart the Program to Help Homeless Veterans

South Portland, ME—Fedcap Inc. is launching Veterans Forward to provide veterans, service members, and their families critically-needed support in emergency situations such as housing, substance use treatment, home heating assistance, food and clothing, and job training across the state of Maine. Fedcap Inc.’s Veterans Forward is essential given rising costs due to record inflation that put additional financial stress on many military families.

Grant Collins, President of Fedcap Inc. said, “We must do a better job of serving our heroes and their families who have sacrificed so much for their country, and launching Veterans Forward will help provide the support they deserve. Fedcap history is deeply rooted in serving service members, veterans and their families given we were founded by WWI veterans. This is another example of our commitment to improving the economic well-being of the people of Maine.”

Fedcap Inc. worked with the former Veterans Count Maine chapter, led by its Treasurer Dennis Brown, to create Veterans Forward. Brown said, “Fedcap welcomed us with open arms. Fedcap was quick to recognize this important need and immediately began putting the pieces together. We thank Fedcap for their dedication to our service members, veterans, and their families.”

To help kickstart the Veterans Forward program, the United States Department of Labor awarded Veterans Forward $500,000 for a Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) to help homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness gain stability, get training and pursue high earning careers in Maine’s leading industries.

For more information about, or to support Fedcap Maine’s Veterans Forward program visit https://fedcapmaine.org/veteransforward/.

ABOUT FEDCAP IN MAINE
When it comes to helping Mainers, Fedcap knows how to roll up their sleeves and get the job done. Known widely for their program Families Forward and their excellence in employment services, Fedcap is expanding on what they do best to meet an ever-growing need—to serve Maine’s veterans. For over six years, Fedcap Inc. has provided services in Maine for low-income families, including veterans, through their Families Forward program. Since implementing Families Forward in 2016 they have served over 20,000 Mainers. Families Forward has assisted Mainers to secure 12,000 jobs, adding hundreds of millions to the Maine economy. Families Forward has placed more than 5,000 participants into educational activities including certification and college degree programs. Families Forward is the largest and most successful workforce development program in Maine. With sixteen offices in Maine from Sanford to Fort Kent, it has well-established community connections and the resources to provide quality care to our veterans.

CONTACT
Michael Bernier, AVP Communications/Operations, Fedcap Inc. – Serving Maine
220 Maine Mall Rd, South Portland ME
Mobile: (207) 295-5521 | Office: (207) 835-8318
mbernier@fedcap.org

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Fedcap Inc. Awarded $4 Million by the U.S. Department of Labor to Provide Pre-Release Job Training and Wrapround Services to Incarcerated People Prior to Release

Fedcap Inc. Awarded $4 Million by the U.S. Department of Labor to Provide Pre-Release Job Training and Wrapround Services to Incarcerated People Prior to Release

July 26, 2022

(New York, NY) Fedcap Inc. was awarded a $4MM Pathway Home program grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to provide training and employment services to adults reentering the workforce following incarceration in a local jail or state correctional facility. Fedcap Inc. will provide training and employment services to incarcerated people in New York City who are scheduled for release within 20 to 270 days from the time they enroll in the project. Learn more about the Pathway Home program and Fedcap Inc on the Fedcap Inc website.


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Building an Enterprise Culture Ready to Leverage Active Intelligence

Building an Enterprise Culture Ready to Leverage Active Intelligence

July 25, 2022

Over the last several blogs I have focused on the concept of Active Intelligence—described by CIO.com as a “frictionless state of continuous intelligence where technology and processes trigger immediate actions from real-time, analytics-ready data.”

If your organization, like many, has been reliant on dashboards and backward looking data, it may be challenging to shift the culture to one that relies on real-time, actionable data to make decisions. It is the organization’s responsibility to empower users with actionable insights they can use to drive decision making, automate efficiently, and collaborate effectively through knowledge sharing.

IDC’s Future of Intelligence suggests that for an organization to be effective and to take advantage of active intelligence it must build a culture that ensures the following:

  • Synthesis of information and delivery of insights at scale.
  • Capacity and commitment to learn.
  • They know how to set goals and measure success toward meeting goals.
Synthesis of Information and Delivery of Insights at Scale

Organizations with high enterprise intelligence have invested in the ability to synthesize data from numerous sources, draw insights from that data, and make the insights available to decisionmakers at all levels across the organization. This requires that all data is input into a central system and outputs are organized/studied/dissected to provide maximum intelligence about the market trends. The problem is that organizations often operate in silos and lack visibility and interest in sharing data and performance outcomes from units across the agency.

Data must be accessible across every program unit and to staff at every level to advance the performance of the entire enterprise.

Capacity and Commitment to Learn

Another important characteristic of an organization effectively leveraging active intelligence is their commitment to continuous learning and their willingness to apply data-driven knowledge to their operations—changing course as required. This means that all agency leaders are advancing the message that we are never done learning, we are never done improving, we are never settling on status quo.

Even those programs that have implemented evidence-based practices are seeking to improve performance and outcomes. This approach will often bump up against a culture of “doing things the way we have always done them…because it works.” And when it does, leaders must actively stress the idea that organizations that refuse to change and evolve are left behind and in time become irrelevant.

They Know How to Set Goals and Measure Success Toward Meeting Goals

Organizations that excel in leveraging active intelligence are not satisfied with merely meeting contractual obligations—they are driven to exceed expectations and they set goals accordingly. IDC’s August 2021 Future of Intelligence Survey (n = 1,170) found that only 18.4% of organizations are extremely good at setting goals and targets and only 15.1% are extremely good at measuring results and comparing those results against the goals set. If the culture of goal-setting and measuring performance against those goals has not permeated the organization, if it is not a central theme of staff meetings at all levels of the agency, if people are not held accountable for meeting goals, then access to real time data has no actual meaning.

It is only when staff are driven to set bold goals and feel a healthy pressure in their day-to-day work culture to achieve those goals, that having immediate access to outcome-oriented metrics has value.

Construyendo una Cultura Empresarial lista para Hacer Uso de una Inteligencia Activa

July 25, 2022

En los últimos “blogs” me he centrado en el concepto de Inteligencia Activa, descrito por “CIO.com” como un “estado sin fricciones de inteligencia continua donde la tecnología y los procesos desencadenan acciones inmediatas a partir de datos en tiempo real y listos para el análisis”.

Si tu organización, como muchas, ha dependido de tablero de instrumentos y datos retrospectivos, puede ser un desafío cambiar la cultura a una que se base en datos procesables en tiempo real para tomar decisiones. Es responsabilidad de la organización capacitar a los usuarios con información procesable que puedan usar para impulsar la toma de decisiones, automatizar de manera eficiente y colaborar de manera efectiva a través del intercambio de conocimientos.

El Futuro de la Inteligencia de “IDC”, sugiere que para que una organización sea efectiva y aproveche la inteligencia activa debe construir una cultura que garantice lo siguiente:

  • Síntesis de información y liberación de conocimientos a escala.
  • Capacidad y compromiso para aprender.
  • Saber cómo establecer metas y medir el éxito hacia el cumplimiento de ellas.
Síntesis de información y liberación de conocimientos a escala

Las organizaciones con alta inteligencia empresarial han invertido en la capacidad de sintetizar datos de numerosas fuentes, extraer información de esos datos y hacer que los conocimientos estén disponibles para los responsables de la toma de decisiones en todos los niveles de la organización. Esto requiere que todos los datos se ingresen en un sistema central y los egresos se organicen, estudien, y diseccionen para proporcionar la máxima inteligencia empresarial sobre las tendencias del mercado. El problema es que las organizaciones a menudo operan de forma aislada y carecen de visibilidad e interés en compartir datos y resultados de rendimiento de las unidades de toda la agencia.

Los datos deben ser accesibles tanto para todas las unidades del programa, así como para el personal en todos los niveles para mejorar el rendimiento de toda la empresa.

Capacidad y compromiso para aprender

Otra característica importante de una organización que aprovecha eficazmente la inteligencia activa, es su compromiso con el aprendizaje continuo y su voluntad de aplicar el conocimiento basado en datos a sus operaciones, cambiando de rumbo según sea necesario. Esto significa que todos los líderes de la agencia están promoviendo el mensaje de que nunca hemos terminado de aprender, nunca hemos terminado de mejorar, nunca nos estamos conformando con el orden establecido.

Incluso aquellos programas que han implementado prácticas basadas en la evidencia buscan mejorar el rendimiento y los resultados. Este enfoque a menudo chocará con una cultura de "hacer las cosas de la manera en que siempre las hemos hecho … porque funciona”. Y cuando se hace, los líderes deben enfatizar activamente la idea de que las organizaciones que se niegan a cambiar y a evolucionar se quedarán atrás y con el tiempo se volverán irrelevantes.

Saber cómo establecer metas y medir el éxito hacia el cumplimiento de ellas

Las organizaciones que sobresalen en el aprovechamiento de la inteligencia activa no están satisfechas con simplemente cumplir con las obligaciones contractuales: se ven impulsadas a superar las expectativas y establecen objetivos en consecuencia. La encuesta de IDC’s August 2021 Future of Intelligence (n = 1,170) encontró que solo el 18.4% de las organizaciones son extremadamente buenas para establecer metas y objetivos y solo el 15.1% son extremadamente buenas para medir los resultados y comparar esos resultados con los objetivos establecidos. Si la cultura de establecer metas y medir el desempeño en relación con tales metas, no ha permeado a la organización, y si no es un tema central en las reuniones del personal en todos los niveles de la agencia, y si las personas no son responsables de cumplir con las metas; entonces el acceso a los datos en tiempo real no tiene un significado real.

Es solo cuando el personal se ve motivado a establecer metas audaces y siente una presión positiva en su cultura de trabajo diaria para lograr esos objetivos, que el tener acceso inmediato a las métricas orientadas a los resultados tiene valor.

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Creating a More Dynamic Relationship with Information

Creating a More Dynamic Relationship with Information

Organizations need a much more dynamic relationship with information that reflects the current moment. — QLIKWORLD

July 18, 2022

I recently came upon an article in CIO that described how companies are missing critical opportunities to increase revenue or expand impact because “in dynamic and increasingly complex business environments that are in perpetual motion, decisions are often ineffective because companies lack data and analytics systems that can reflect the ‘business moment.’ We define business moment as a transient opportunity for people, data, and businesses to work together in unique, situationally adaptive ways in order to create increased value and opportunity.” The article went on to stress that optimizing the potential of a “business moment” calls for an emphasis on “Active Intelligence,” or a frictionless state of continuous intelligence where technology and processes trigger immediate actions from real-time, analytics-ready data.”

Over the past several decades, we in the nonprofit world have been driving our organizations to operate more efficiently and become “data-driven” using business intelligence to improve overall performance. This has not been an easy lift and has required significant investment in technology and staff training. It has also required a tremendous focus on building a culture where understanding what the data is telling us is seen as vital to effective performance.

That said, for the most part the data was rear view in nature, and, depending upon the data systems and our speed at transferring data into analyzed information, it could be one to three months old. We could use the information to understand past performance, identify areas where course correction was needed, and we could attempt to predict future trends.

The concept of Active Intelligence is obviously the next step in the evolution of our organization and will once again require investment in technology that will provide—at a moment’s notice—real time actionable data, and investment in staff training so that teams from across the organization are prepared to use data to act—immediately.

Traditional business intelligence was designed to inform staff and, by extension, inform action. It was not designed to compel action, and certainly not to trigger it. Speed matters. In McKinsey’s paper entitled Organizing For The Future: Nine Keys To Becoming A Future-Ready Company, one of the keys to being successful is prioritizing speed. According to this article, in future-ready organizations speed is both a preoccupation and a cultural bias. These companies have an internal language with such phrases as “increasing the clock speed,” or “a bias for action.” They employ operating models that are fast, nimble, and frictionless, creating ways of working that foster agility and simplicity. They see data as a means to enable a network of empowered, dynamic teams to act.

The chart below from Qlik does a good job of depicting the transition we are undertaking.

Active Intelligence

  • Based on continuous intelligence from real-time, up-to-date information..

  • Establishes an intelligent analytics data pipeline enabling the reflection of dynamic business content and logic.

  • Designed to trigger immediate actions.

Traditional BI

  • Uses preconfigured, curated data sets.


  • Lacks a governed, end-to-end analytics data pipeline leveraging automation to produce business-ready data.

  • Designed to inform, not compel action


Active Intelligence closes the gap between what’s happening in the business right now and the information and insights available. This creates a tremendous opportunity to boost innovation and sharpen an organization’s competitive advantage. A recent International Data Corporation (IDC) survey of 1,200 global organizations revealed clear advantages to establishing Active Intelligence. A majority of businesses with strong data-to-analytics pipelines reported seeing increases in efficiency, revenue and profit. In this same survey, areas where Active Intelligence appears to have immediate business impact were identified as improving the customer experience, increasing efficiency in supply chain management, improving fraud detection and mitigation, and enhancing our emergency planning and logistics.

Becoming an Intelligent Enterprise is the future. Leveraging analyzed data with a bias toward action, in order to move with confidence and efficiency and take advantage of every business moment, is where smart, relevant enterprises are going. This is the next step in building a sustainable organization.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Creando Una Relación Más Dinámica con La Información

July 18, 2022

Las organizaciones necesitan una relación mucho más dinámica con la información que les refleje el momento actual. — QLIKWORLD

Recientemente me encontré con un artículo en “CIO” que describía cómo las empresas estaban perdiendo oportunidades críticas para aumentar los ingresos o expandir el impacto porque; “en entornos empresariales dinámicos y cada vez más complejos que están en movimiento perpetuo, las decisiones a menudo son ineficaces, porque las empresas carecen de datos y sistemas de análisis que puedan reflejar el ‘momento comercial’. Definimos el momento de negocio como una oportunidad transitoria para que las personas, los datos y las empresas trabajen juntas de manera única y en formas situacionalmente adaptivas, con el fin de crear mayor valor y oportunidad. El artículo continuó enfatizando que la optimización del potencial de un “momento de negocio” requiere un énfasis en la “Inteligencia Activa”, o una situación sin fricciones de inteligencia continua donde la tecnología y los procesos desencadenen acciones inmediatas a partir de datos instantáneos y listos para el análisis.”

Durante las últimas décadas, en el mundo de las organizaciones sin fines de lucro hemos estado impulsando a nuestras empresas a operar de manera más eficiente y convertirse en “basadas en los datos” utilizando inteligencia empresarial para mejorar el rendimiento general. Este no ha sido un impulso fácil y ha requerido una inversión significativa en tecnología y capacitación del personal. También ha requerido un tremendo enfoque en la construcción de una cultura donde la comprensión de lo que los datos nos están diciendo se considere vital para un rendimiento efectivo.

Dicho esto, en su mayor parte los datos vistos en el pasado eran de esa índole y, dependiendo de nuestros sistemas de datos y de nuestra velocidad para transferirlos a la información analizada, podrían tener de uno a tres meses de antigüedad. Podríamos usar la información para comprender el desempeño último, identificar áreas donde se necesitara corrección de curso y podríamos intentar predecir tendencias futuras.

El concepto de Inteligencia Activa es obviamente el siguiente paso en la evolución de nuestra organización y una vez más requerirá inversión en tecnología que proporcione, en cualquier momento, datos procesables instantáneos e inversión en capacitación del personal para que, los equipos de toda la organización estén preparados para usar los datos actuando de inmediato.

La inteligencia de negocios tradicional fue diseñada para informar al personal y, por extensión, poner Al corriente la acción. No fue diseñado para imponer la acción, y ciertamente ni para desencadenarla. La velocidad importa. En el artículo de McKinsey titulado “Organizing For The Future: Nine Keys To Becoming A Future-Ready Company”, una de las claves para tener éxito es la educación. Según este artículo, en las organizaciones del porvenir, la velocidad es tanto una preocupación como una tendencia cultural. Las empresas tienen un lenguaje propio con frases como “aumentar la velocidad del reloj” o “una tendencia para la acción”. Emplean modelos que son rápidos, ágiles y sin fricciones, creando formas de trabajo que fomenten la agilidad y la simplicidad. Ven los datos como un medio para permitir que una red de equipos empoderados y dinámicos actúe.

La siguiente gráfica de “Qlik” hace un buen trabajo al representar la transición que estamos llevando a cabo.

Inteligencia activa

  • Basada en inteligencia continua a partir de información actualizada en tiempo real.

  • Establece una fuente de información de análisis sabia que permite el reflejo del contenido y la lógica empresarial dinámica.

  • Diseñada para desencadenar acciones inmediatas.

“BI” tradicional

  • Diseñada para desencadenar acciones inmediatas.
  • Carece de una governada fuente de información de análisis continua que aproveche la automatización para producir datos disponibles para el negocio.
  • Diseñado para informar, no para imponer la acción.


La inteligencia activa cierra la brecha entre lo que está sucediendo en el negocio en este momento y la información y los conocimientos disponibles. Esto crea una tremenda oportunidad para impulsar la innovación y agudizar la ventaja competitiva de una organización. Una encuesta reciente de International Data Corporation (IDC), a 1.200 organizaciones globales reveló claras ventajas para establecer la Inteligencia Activa. La mayoría de las empresas con sólidas fuentes de datos a análisis, informaron haber visto aumentos en la eficiencia, los ingresos y las ganancias. En esta misma encuesta, se identificaron áreas en las que la Inteligencia Activa parece tener un impacto comercial inmediato como la mejora de la experiencia del cliente, el aumento de la eficiencia en la gestión de la cadena de suministro, la mejora de la detección y mitigación del fraude y la mejora de nuestra planificación de emergencias y de logística.

Convertirse en una empresa inteligente es el futuro. Aprovechar los datos analizados con una tendencia hacia la acción, para moverse con confianza y eficiencia y aprovechar cada momento del negocio; es hacia donde van las empresas inteligentes y relevantes. Este es el siguiente paso en la construcción de una organización sostenible.

Como siempre, agradezco sus opiniones.

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The Fedcap Group to Provide ESG Training for its 3,500 Employees and Boards of Directors for its Twenty-Three Subsidiary Companies

The Fedcap Group to Provide ESG Training for its 3,500 Employees and Boards of Directors for its Twenty-Three Subsidiary Companies

Training Program will be Created by Paul Smith’s College—a National Leader in Environmental Sustainability, Social Justice, and Innovation

New York, July 13, 2022 –The Fedcap Group, a nonprofit that develops innovative, sustainable solutions to advance the economic well-being of people with barriers, has launched an enhanced corporate sustainability training program on the principles of ESG for its 23 subsidiary companies which includes 104 members of respective boards of directors and 3,500 employees.

The Fedcap Group is committed to corporate sustainability in order to create long-term stakeholder value through the implementation of a business strategy that focuses on the ethical, social, environmental, cultural, and economic dimensions of doing business and has adopted the United Nations’ Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Framework. The strategies created are intended to foster longevity, transparency, and proper employee development within business organizations.

Christine McMahon, President and CEO said, “As a purpose-driven organization, our nearly 90-year history has been dedicated to enhancing the economic well-being of the people and communities we serve. Our mission informs every decision and action we take, including our firm belief that we are citizens of the communities in which we do business. We are committed to the ESG principles and spend significant time analyzing how environmental, social, and governance issues impact our business’s strategies and practices. Today’s partnership with Paul Smith’s College shows that we are not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. By providing training for the entire Fedcap Group organization, we will be able to better align our investments and programming with critical environmental, social, and governance metrics.”

The free online training will be created and provided by Paul Smith’s College. Paul Smith’s College has a 75-year history of preparing graduates for sustainable careers in business, hospitality, forestry and environmental science. The College has a leading Center on Sustainability with a mission to build a more “resilient campus and community by protecting natural ecosystems, creating economic prosperity and promoting social equity.” The College recently launched a degree in Disaster Response and Recovery, and Master’s degrees in Natural Resources Conservation and Sustainable Tourism Management modelled on ESG principles. The new training program will guide Fedcap employees through principles and application of how to operate in accord with environmental, social, and ethical principles.

President of Paul Smith’s Nicholas Hunt-Bull said, “As an educational institution committed to improving the environment, this partnership is a valuable opportunity to share our expertise with large number of practitioners at Fedcap who share those values.”

For more information on The Fedcap Group’s corporate sustainability commitment see the company’s corporate sustainability web page. 

About The Fedcap Group
Since 1935, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative and potentially disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. The Fedcap Group generates more than $400M of revenue annually to serve over 250,000+ people each year across an international footprint. The work of The Fedcap Group is structured within four major areas of practice—workforce development, educational services, health services, and economic development— and delivered through a growing number of top-tier companies—each focused on helping people achieve long term economic well-being.

The work is delivered through the companies of The Fedcap Group, led by Executive Directors with significant local knowledge and extensive operational experience. The companies are supported by a robust central team, providing financial, human resource, technological and engagement support. This matrix structure allows The Fedcap Group to integrate its work across diverse systems and funding streams for greater impact.

About Paul Smith’s College
As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provide experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Paul Smith’s College recently received five distinctions from U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges, including 2nd for the most innovative schools as well as best undergraduate teaching, best colleges for veterans, best regional colleges, and top performers on social mobility, which reflects enrollment and graduated rates for economically disadvantaged students.

Contact:
Susan Walsh
The Fedcap Group
swalsh@fedcap.org

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Remembering Dick Cattani—A Longtime Friend of The Fedcap Group

Remembering Dick Cattani—A Longtime Friend of The Fedcap Group

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our friend and colleague Dick Cattani. Over his many years with Restaurant Associates, Dick and his team developed a strong partnership with The Fedcap Group. Restaurant Associates catered many events for Fedcap including our Galas, hired people who graduated from our Culinary School—offering them a good job with a career ladder in their journey toward economic well-being. Dick participated in numerous Fedcap Golf events, served as a distinguished panelist for our Solution Series, and was a generous supporter of our work.

Dick started with Restaurant Associates right out of college as back of the house steward. He eventually became General Manager of the famous “Newarker Restaurant” at Newark Airport. Over the years, Dick has held many regional and corporate operating positions. He became President of Restaurant Associates in 2003 and, under his leadership, grew the company three-fold in ten states. Dick retired at the end of 2021.

Upon his passing, Restaurant Associates said this: “As we reflect on our loss and celebrate his life, we are reminded of his genuine kindness, inspiring vision, passion for life, and love for his family. A winning combination for a truly exceptional leader. Dick’s legacy is unparalleled and his memory will live on through all of us. His favorite quote will forever echo in our hearts: Work Hard and Be Nice.”

Dick was a wonderful combination of innovation, attention to detail, humanity and humor and he will be deeply missed.

On November 1st 2022, a Celebration of Life is being held at the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum. (More information to follow).

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Roe v. Wade and the Building Blocks to Economic Well-Being for Young Girls—a Long Road

Roe v. Wade and the Building Blocks to Economic Well-Being for Young Girls—a Long Road

July 5, 2022

Last week I started my series on Enterprise Intelligence, and I will resume that series next week.

Today I want to step back and reflect on the future of young girls in the wake of the recent US Supreme Court Dobbs decision where the Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling, which recognized abortion as a safe and legal medical procedure guaranteed to Americans under the Constitution.

As an organization, The Fedcap Group is dedicated to creating opportunities for sustainable economic well-being. We know that establishing this foundation must begin early in life. Ensuring that young girls have the same opportunity for sustainable economic well-being as young boys requires additional dedication.

Roe v Wade was considered by many to be the most significant step in advancing prospects for the economic well-being of women.

With respect to last week’s Supreme Court ruling, 150 economists filed an amicus brief with the Court highlighting the decades of economic research that demonstrates the causal connections between access to an abortion and women’s economic opportunities. The research shows how abortion access “profoundly” affects women’s financial lives by determining when and under what conditions they become mothers. Data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) from the University of Minnesota underscores the advances women have made since the Roe decision:

  • In 2020, 41% of women between the ages of ages 25-44 had a degree as compared to 11% in 1970.
  • In 2020, 27% of women of childbearing age (15-44) did not have a paid job and were not looking for one in contrast to 55% in 1970.
  • In 2020, 45% of all jobs in management for people ages 16-44 were held by women as compared to 17% in 1970.

Further, access to abortion and contraception results in fewer teen pregnancies, which has “ripple effects” throughout the rest of the woman’s life. Women’s education levels, labor force participation, and future earnings all increase with access to contraception and abortion, as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently noted during a Congressional hearing. With access to abortion, teen marriage rates also fall, as does infant mortality, while maternal health improves.

Throughout history women have faced substantial obstacles to achieve the basic rights necessary for economic well-being.

The Dobbs decision is a setback in the long and difficult road women have faced to achieve basic rights in this country. This nation was formed in 1787 with the signing of the Constitution, a document that, when drafted, did not contemplate woman as full citizens. It would not be for 133 years, in 1920, that women would have any voice in the shaping of our country, through the election of its leaders. With the adoption of Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, women finally achieved the right to vote. It would be decades longer before women would begin to attain actual representation in Congress and in state legislatures.

It is worth contemplating other barriers and milestones of women in America.

  • It was not until the 1960s that women possessed the right to open a bank account, a basic ingredient to establishing any degree of economic independence.
  • While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved birth control pills in 1960, many states did not allow doctors to prescribe them to unmarried women. Coupled with the high cost of these drugs, many women struggled to control their family size and take advantage of America’s economic opportunities.
  • Following litigation, in 1963, the Equal Pay Act was enacted, the first law to prohibit employers from paying male and female workers different wages for “jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions.” Nearly five decades later, women still earn only 83 cents for every dollar earned by a man.
  • It was not until 1974, when the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed, that there was any rule against credit discrimination based on gender. Before its passage, many banks granted credit cards to women only with their husbands' signatures and outright refused to issue credit to unmarried women.

Ensuring equal opportunity for young girls in this country has been hard-fought and has been established ever so slowly over many decades. Even though the path of progress has been slowly advancing, the “building block rights” began to move the needle for young girls and women, opening a meaningful pathway to economic well-being.

Given the Dobbs decision, young girls will grow up with fewer rights than their mothers had, and in an instant, their world is fundamentally more limited. As a result of Dobbs, the future of young girls is less secure; their pathway to sustainable economic well-being is less clear. In this stark environment, The Fedcap Group will continue to fight for their right to have the same opportunities for financial health and well-being as their male counterparts. Today, our dedication and resolve are only stronger.

Roe c. Wade y los Pasos para Construir el Bienestar Económico de las Niñas: Un Largo Camino

5 julio 2022

La semana pasada comencé mi serie sobre Intelegencia Empresarial, y reanudaré esa serie la próxima semana.

Hoy quiero dar un paso atrás y reflexionar sobre el futuro de las niñas a raíz de la decisión Dobbs de la Corte Suprema de Justicia de los Estados Unidos el viernes pasado, donde la Corte Suprema revocó Roe v. Wade, el histórico fallo de 1973, que reconoció el aborto como un procedimiento médico seguro y legal garantizado a las estadounidenses bajo la ley de la Constitución.

Como organización, The Fedcap Group se dedica a crear oportunidades para el bienestar económico sostenible. Sabemos que el establecimiento de dicha base debe comenzar temprano en la vida. Garantizar que las niñas tengan las mismas oportunidades de bienestar económico sostenible que los niños requiere una dedicación adicional.

Roe v Wade fue considerada por muchos como el paso más significativo en el avance de las posibilidades para el bienestar económico de las mujeres.

Con respecto al fallo de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la semana pasada, 150 economistas presentaron un informe ante la Corte Suprema destacando las décadas de investigación económica que demuestra los vínculos responsables entre el acceso a un aborto y las oportunidades económicas de las mujeres. La investigación muestra cómo el acceso al aborto afecta “profundamente” la vida financiera de las mujeres al determinar cuándo y en qué condiciones se convierten en madres. Los datos de la Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) de la Universidad de Minnesota subrayan los avances que las mujeres han logrado desde la decisión de Roe:



  • En 2020, el 41% de las mujeres entre las edades de 25 a 44 años tenían un título universitario en comparación con el 11% en 1970.
  • En 2020, el 27% de las mujeres en edad fértil (15 a 44) no tenían un trabajo remunerado y no lo buscaban, en contraste con el 55% en 1970.
  • En 2020, el 45% de todos los trabajos en administración para personas de 16 a 44 años fueron ocupados por mujeres en comparación con el 17% en 1970.

Además, el acceso al aborto y la anticoncepción resulta en menos embarazos adolescentes, lo que tiene “una reacción en cadena” durante el resto de la vida de la mujer. Los niveles de educación de las mujeres, la participación en la fuerza laboral y los ingresos futuros aumentan con el acceso a la anticoncepción y el aborto; como señaló recientemente la secretaria del Tesoro, Janet Yellen, durante una audiencia en el Congreso de la Unión. Con el acceso al aborto, las tasas de matrimonio adolescente también disminuyen, al igual que la mortalidad infantil, mientras que la salud materna mejora.

A lo largo de la historia, las mujeres se han enfrentado a obstáculos considerables para alcanzar los derechos básicos necesarios para el bienestar económico.

La decisión de Dobbs es un revés en el largo y difícil camino que las mujeres han enfrentado para conseguir los derechos básicos en este país. Esta nación se formó en 1787 con la firma de la Constitución, un documento que, al redactarse, no contemplaba a la mujer como ciudadana de pleno derecho. No sería hasta 133 años, en 1920, que las mujeres tendrían voz en la conformación de nuestro país, a través de la elección de sus líderes. Con la adopción de la Decimonovena Enmienda a la Constitución, las mujeres finalmente lograron el derecho al voto. Pasarían décadas más antes de que la mujer comenzara a alcanzar una representación real en el Congreso de la Unión y en las asambleas legislativas estatales. 

Vale la pena contemplar otros impedimentos y logros de las mujeres en Estados Unidos.



  • No fue hasta la década de 1960 que las mujeres tuvieron el derecho a abrir una cuenta bancaria, un ingrediente básico para establecer cualquier grado de independencia económica.
  • Si bien la U.S. Food and Drug Administration aprobó las píldoras anticonceptivas en 1960, muchos estados no permitieron que los médicos las recetaran a mujeres solteras. Junto con el alto costo de estos medicamentos, muchas mujeres lucharon por controlar el tamaño de su familia y aprovechar las oportunidades económicas de Estados Unidos.
  • Después de un litigio, en 1963, se promulgó la Equal Pay Act, la primera ley que prohibía a los empleadores pagar tanto a los trabajadores como a las trabajadoras salarios diferentes por "trabajos cuyo desempeño requería igual habilidad, esfuerzo y responsabilidad, y que se realizaban en condiciones de trabajo similares". Casi cinco décadas después, las mujeres siguen ganando solo 83 centavos por cada dólar ganado por un hombre.
  • No fue hasta 1974, cuando se aprobó la Equal Credit Opportunity Act, que era una norma contra la discriminación crediticia basada en el género. Antes de su aprobación, muchos bancos otorgaban tarjetas de crédito a las mujeres solo con la firma de su marido y se negaban rotundamente a dar crédito a las mujeres solteras.

Garantizar la igualdad de oportunidades para las niñas en este país ha sido conseguido con mucho esfuerzo y se ha establecido muy lentamente durante muchas décadas. A pesar de que el camino del progreso ha avanzado lentamente, los “derechos de las piezas de construcción” comenzaron a cambiar la situación para las niñas y las mujeres, abriendo un camino significativo hacia el bienestar económico.

Dada la decisión de Dobbs, las niñas crecerán con menos derechos de los que tenían sus madres, y en un solo instante, su mundo es fundamentalmente más limitado. Como resultado de Dobbs, el futuro de las niñas es menos seguro; su camino hacia el bienestar económico sostenible es menos claro. En este duro ambiente, The Fedcap Group continuará luchando por su derecho a tener las mismas oportunidades tanto de salud financiera como de bienestar que sus homólogos masculinos. Hoy, nuestra dedicación y determinación son solo más fuertes.

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The Fedcap School Graduates Another Remarkable Class

The Fedcap School Graduates Another Remarkable Class

This year’s class continued an exceptional metric of success for The Fedcap School—100 percent of enrolled students have graduated over the past five years. All of this year’s graduates are either starting jobs or going to college.

Seventeen remarkable young people graduated from The Fedcap School in a ceremony on June 14, 2022. This year’s class continued an exceptional metric of success for The Fedcap School—100 percent of enrolled students have graduated over the past five years. All of this year’s graduates are either starting jobs or going to college.

Many of the students are the first in their family to graduate from high school. One graduate, a young woman who joined the school at 13 and is now 21, struggled hard at first but has earned a bonded security license to provide security for banks. She said, “I thought I would never make it to this day. I’m a different person now and I can hardly believe it.”

“I was especially proud of this group because they had two years of remote instruction,” said Fedcap School Director Luanne Macri. “I saw firsthand what being out of school for that long did to them, and how they regressed. They missed their friends. It was hard, and it took a while to get it all back.”

Join us in congratulating our graduates!

Learn more about The Fedcap School and its achievements in helping students
start on a path to economic well-being.
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