The one thing (well, there are actually many things) that I love about doing my work through Imago is that I get to create a work environment that honors broad commitments and cultivates flexibility and responsiveness to life’s ebbs and flows.

But it hasn’t always been that way, and much of the work world is still operating from a 9 to 5, rigidly scheduled workday (or night). Enter a new trend: the results only work environment, based on what gets accomplished, but not how.

NPR has done a really fascinating three-part series on this new trend, and how it is applied to different work environments, even hourly positions. You can access the series by going here.

Anyone out there working in a flexible environment? What’s it look like?

Is Web 2.0 the magic bullet when it comes to communicating with those who are invested in our efforts? Of course not. The digital divide and lack of access to technology is a huge issue and concern that many of us are currently addressing. And then there will always be those who will want you to pick up the phone instead of send an e-mail, who prefer to have a chat over coffee instead of over instant message, or who will enjoy your printed newsletter but delete the e-mailed one.

So what’s the important lesson for your organizational communication strategies?

Howard Moskowitz may have the answer. His research revolutionized the food industry when he declared to Prego in the early 1980′s, “There is no perfect spaghetti sauce – only perfect spaghetti sauces.” He went on to help Prego develop a line of four spaghetti sauces when they had  originally intended to create one. Ever wonder why we have multiple kinds of mustard, soda or cereal? Thank Dr. Moskowitz.

Ultimately, it’s on us to figure out how to meet people and engage them in ways that make sense for them – and then do it. So, I like to think that Web 2.0 is one kind of spaghetti sauce and coffee conversations is another (by the way, there’s a fun anecdote about how we like our coffee in the video below).

At a recent TED conference, Malcolm Gladwell (best selling author and staff writer for the New Yorker) gave the talk below about Dr. Moskowitz’s work.

How do you take your spaghetti – or better yet, your conversation?

The Nonprofit Quarterly has devoted its summer issue to exploring the role of nonprofits in immigration issues. From the editors:

“Every nonprofit has a stake in how our nation deals with immigrants, including “unauthorized” or “undocumented” immigrants…with the recent increase in enforcement efforts, the delay of the immigration reform discussion in Congress and the passing of Senator Kennedy who was a pivotal advocate for rational Federal policy, it’s an important time for us all to pay attention and take action.”

In order to make this issue of the journal as accessible as possible, NPQ has dedicated webspace to host supplemental web-only articles, updates and resources. You can access the site here.

Please forward liberally to your friends and colleagues.

Folks like me who care about the healthy evolution of our communities and think leadership is an important factor in that evolution are recognizing a difficult fact: we are facing a leadership deficit in nonprofit organizations. The revealing report, Ready to Lead: Next Generation Leaders Speak Out, asks an incredibly relevant question:

“As the Baby Boomers retire from their leadership positions over the coming decades and the labor market grows ever tighter, how will the nonprofit sector attract the most committed and talented leaders? What would draw Generation Xers and Generation Yers to positions that typically offer long hours for short pay?”

The report highlights what I learned early on, first watching my mom as a nonprofit Executive Director, then going on to become an Associate Director myself:  the hours are long, personal sacrifices are high, and – let’s be honest – the pay isn’t what it should be.

Obviously, there’s an opportunity to re-think leadership in our community organizations in a big way – and make those roles not only relevant to the organization, but satisfying and sustainable to the people who are in them.

Maybe these two “competitions” can offer some new blueprints. The Do Something Awards are celebrating and empowering outstanding young world-changers under the age of 25. And The Purpose Prize is encouraging work that matters in the second half of life: the prize is for social innovators over the age of 60.

Both groups have perspective that could seriously change the game – here’s to hoping that they do.