I had an opportunity to give a seminar a few days ago on public/private working relationships. Over the years, I have given quite a few seminars on the working relationships between non-profit and for-profit businesses.
Every time I give such a seminar, I am reminded of how different the success measurements are for non-profit, for-profit and public sector operations. For profit, in its simplest terms, is generally measured by profit and loss; public sector success is far too often measured by polls; and non-profits have historically been judged by the number of people served.
Certainly, in all of these areas, ethics, hard work and results (of some sort) matter, but it’s important to pay attention to what is being watched, what is being measured and what is considered a success. As it appears that the lines between the three are blurring more and more each year and more cross-environment partnerships are springing up, ensuring that everyone is on the same page within the relationships is a critical component to defining and measuring success.
-Scott Harris, President