Six points on working in no-budget organisations

The past year has been instructive in organisation building. More so than previous years, I've had the great opportunity of being involved in the creation of groups of various goals and working with new people I wouldn't have met otherwise.

It seems timely to take stock and reflect on the progress made, and I invite readers to contribute to the discussion.

1. Ideas are only the beginning
Everyone loves their ideas, but you need more to succeed. To expect that ideas alone will carry the torch of an organisation and maintain people's interest beyond the first meeting/event is to expect a miracle. It may happen, sure, but chances are that it's a not a good sign. Ideas need to be followed with execution, and commitment if it is to work. Besides, ideas can be changed as easily as it was cooked up.

2. Dream big, but work realistically
A mega-conference is entirely possible, but most likely not when you're only starting out with a box of pencils and 2 friends. Look around at what you have, and use them first, and you're on your way to that big budget do. Just don't expect it to happen this year (or next) unless you're Justin Bieber.

3.People skills
There's two parts to this:
a.You need people to make things happen. The more complicated something is, the more skilled people you need to help you make it a success. Skilled people do not appear out of thin air. You need to get to know people, and tirelessly, before you finally have a pool of people you can rely on. Especially if you want them to work out of pure interest and for free.
b.Why would someone want to spend hours working on something (for free) for someone who's just someone they 'met at a party'? A relationship that extends beyond business and organisations is essential. Get to know people as fellow human beings and reach out to them for things that aren't business (hobbies, interests). Not everyone will respond actively to your overtures, so don't waste time begrudging a person's disinterest and move on.

4.Money isn't everything, but always make sure you have enough lying around.
An organisation can run even if it doesn't have any money. You can make money by being creative and working hard. But while you're still poor, never do anything you can't afford and always be mindful of any hidden costs that can happen.

5.There's more than one way to do things
If a textbook approach isn't working for you, experiment with something else. Play to your strengths and learn new techniques so that you can have a repertoire of things you can do.

6. Don't give up
So you've spent time, effort and cash into turning your dreams into reality, but for some reason you've hit a wall. Nothing seems to work, and your colleagues are dropping out like flies. Tough, but it happens. You can spend precious time whining, or find a solution to the situation. Be humble, look for advice and help and do what needs to be done. Whatever it is, for as long as you still believe in something, don't stop trying.

So those are my thoughts on the matter. What do you guys think? Leave a comment below.