Blog 26: Peer to Peer Sharing and Learning

Developing Organizational Competencies from Mentors, Colleagues, and Competitors

How do people learn strategic evaluation, meaningful ethics, effective fundraising, or other vital competencies? There are various ways: seminars and workshops, books and articles, professional meetings, university courses in nonprofit leadership, and the many conferences and webinars offered by organizations such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals (afpglobal.org). While these resources are valuable, I believe learning through mentoring at your workplace, peer-to-peer sharing with colleagues and competitors, and your own experience holds the highest practical value. As Albert Einstein wisely stated, “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.”

Learning from Mentors

Mentors provide invaluable practical knowledge and experience. Throughout my career, I have benefited immensely from mentors at every position I held. Whether it was learning from previous national presidents at AIESEC, fundraising heads at the Institute of International Education and Save the Children, or board members and executives at Foster Parents Plan (now Plan International USA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, each mentor contributed significantly to my development.

Learning from Colleagues

Regular meetings with counterparts in similar roles from other countries have been another key learning avenue. Sharing both successes and failures openly during these meetings provided deep insights into effective strategies and common pitfalls. Organizing and participating in annual fundraising workshops where the best fundraisers presented their successful campaigns further enriched my knowledge.

Learning from Competitors

A notable experience was responding to a scandal reported by the New York Times, which implicated my organization and five major competitors for misleading advertising. Instead of writing a defensive response, I convened a meeting with the other fundraisers. Together, we crafted a strong advertising code of ethics, which our executive directors quickly adopted. This collaborative approach transformed media coverage from critical to admiring. More importantly, it fostered a culture of mutual learning and sharing among competitors, leading to significant growth in our fundraising results over the next decade.

Conclusion

The potential for mentoring at work and learning from peers and competitors is immense. By candidly and confidentially sharing experiences, everyone benefits from the collective knowledge and insights. Creating an open environment for peer-to-peer learning is crucial for organizational growth and success. My experiences have shown that engaging with peers, whether from similar organizations or competitors, and learning from their successes and failures can significantly enhance your own strategies and outcomes.

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