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Capability Company

A Message from our President

February 2014

Dear Colleague,

February is the shortest month of the year, but with gray, icy days and weather that can trap us indoors, it often feels like the longest month. Instead of facing the bleak cold begrudgingly, think of it as an opportunity to look inside, take stock, and plan something new...figuratively and literally.

Whether you take this time to consider the next steps in your career path or to refresh your physical environment, you can create a bright spot for yourself and others. Do you have an idea brewing that can help people in your community as well as fulfill a professional goal? Do you have furniture in your home that is in good condition, but no longer meets your needs or style?

Two women in my city have combined these challenges and created a thriving nonprofit organization, The Green Chair Project. Although the organization is still young, they have quickly moved through the start-up phase and on to long-term sustainability, and are sharing their lessons learned in this month's ezine article. I hope you take a few minutes to read it - even if you are not currently considering starting a new endeavor, I found it inspiring and encouraging, with down-to-earth reminders appropriate for us all.

Don't forget to send in your calendar items, share your ideas for ezine articles, and keep me up-to-date on what is happening with you. We appreciate your input and look forward to hearing about how we can support you.

Warm wishes,

Sherry Heuser
President, Capability Company

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Article of the Month

Word count: 428
Approximate Reading Time: 3 Minutes

Some Lessons Learned at
The Green Chair Project
...and along the way!

by Beth Y. Smoot

It has been a privilege and honor to be part of The Green Chair Project since we started it in 2010. Its story and growth have been amazing and have taught me so much!

I wanted to share a few of the keys to its phenomenal growth - not surprisingly, these are universal principles that are transferable to your own organizations and businesses. Through our adventure, we learned:

  1. TAKE THE NEXT STEP. Good things often start with just a basic idea and build from there. So, at the beginning of an undertaking, you don't have to know exactly how you are going to get to your goal - you just need a clear direction and a commitment to taking the next step forward. You will grow one step at a time (sometimes those steps are leaps and bounds!), so long as you keep heading in the right direction.
  2. CONSISTENCY RULES. As an organization, it is important to be consistent. So when you consider new policies or programs, it is a useful exercise to consider whether you can continue that practice consistently. If you can't, don't do it to start with!
  3. COLLABORATION IS KEY. When not-for-profits collaborate they are able to leverage resources to get better results. Collaborating with other groups doesn't mean blindly giving away resources. It means taking an opportunity to learn from others, see where you can pool resources, and identify how each one can serve their constituents better. So the idea of collaborating and "breaking even" is a myth - in truth, one plus one should equal at least three or more!
  4. EVERYONE BRINGS THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE, EXPERIENCES AND STRENGTHS. I really appreciate how important it is to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses and to think about what comes easy to you and what is a struggle. If you work from your strengths, that is your best contribution. But if you spend your time trying to master the tasks that challenge you most, you will just be frustrated and unhappy. You may also be taking an opportunity away from someone else who would LOVE to do that thing.
  5. PEOPLE ARE GENEROUS BY NATURE and they WANT TO HELP - THEY JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW. Everyone has something to offer - and if they can find a unique way to serve a clear purpose, they will flourish. I recently heard that the term "Volunteer" is not a job description, it is a pay grade. Volunteers are not paid, NOT because they are worthless, but because they are PRICELESS.

Bottom Line: As leaders in the non-profit industry, each of you has many opportunities to positively impact the community. So, I encourage you to think about how you can not only do well in business, but also how you can do good.

Beth Smoot, J.D., is the Co-Founder of The Green Chair Project and lives in Raleigh, NC. As a lawyer, realtor, non-profit Co-Founder & Board Member, wife & mother of two, she enjoys creating, consulting, problem-solving, trouble-shooting, envisioning what might be and helping realize those visions - in all kinds of settings. Thank you for your interest in The Green Chair Project's story - we invite you to become part of the story now. To learn more, volunteer, donate, or sponsor, visit www.thegreenchair.org! Still can't get enough? Check out the Grant Program through the NCDOJ that Beth is also currently working on.

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Event Calendar

Visit the current calendar of events on our website.

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In This Issue

Current Searches
Article of the Month
The Bottom Line
Event Calendar

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A Client's Perspective

"Thank you for ALL you do...you send out some great information.”

Elizabeth D
Candidate
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Heard Around Town

"You don't stop playing because you grow old you grow old because you stop playing"

~ Author Unknown
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Let us know about your upcoming professional development events by emailing us at info@capabilitycompany.com. Please give the date(s) and any additional pertinent information.
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8300 Clarks Branch Drive | Raleigh, North Carolina 27613 | 919.791.3700
Visit us online at www.capabilitycompany.com or e-mail us at info@capabilitycompany.com



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