“Strategy & Communication: More Than Words” with Danny Markstein

Part 4: A Trusted Advisor
Volunteer Spotlight with Danny Markstein

Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): In a few sentences, please touch on the importance of your industry to the broader economy.

Danny Markstein (DM): Markstein Consulting is a corporate strategy and communication firm. We serve as advisors to our clients. We help them find the focus required to accomplish the key tasks that require their – and their organization’s – attention. Too often leaders can find themselves spending their days putting out fires rather than engaging in activities that will help their team or grow their organization. On the communications side, we assist clients who are having trouble articulating their value. We help them craft meaningful messaging, chart that clear path, address issues, and execute communications activities with their key audiences.

Clients usually come to us when they need objective perspectives and solutions to specific issues, and they lack the expertise or time (not necessarily in that order) to do it themselves. Our industry is important because good providers offer that objective perspective help clients address looming questions that can become extremely difficult to answer when you are so intertwined in the issues. We help put the next steps on paper and enable leaders and their teams to hold themselves accountable to specific activities and goals.

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This concludes our series of posts with advice from Danny – we hope that you enjoyed learning about Danny, and what he finds valuable about volunteer leadership.

Let’s recap our series featuring Danny Markstein:
Part 1: A Trusted Advisor
Consider Before Committing
Knowing When to Reach Out

Leading up to Projects Unlimited’s 5th Anniversary on April 30th, we have been releasing a series of posts from a recent interview with Danny Markstein, a committed professional and Birmingham advocate. This is our final post from Danny, but watch for more to drop from other volunteer leaders in the near future. Make sure to subscribe to the blog today!

“Knowing When To Reach Out” with Danny Markstein

Part 3: A Trusted Advisor
Volunteer Spotlight with Danny Markstein

Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): How do volunteer leaders and key executives know when they need outside help to develop a new strategic direction? What advice do you have to prepare them to take the next steps?

Danny Markstein (DM): One of the first signs that will tip off a volunteer leader or executive that they need to seek outside help to develop their strategic direction is when they feel or know that their organization has become diluted. Typically, they are engaged in a variety of activities, but the masters of none. Other common signs we see are when an organization’s message is unclear, and the community does not know what it does, or even that it exists. We are at a tipping point in our community at which we must reduce and eventually eradicate the duplication of services. All of these issues result in a leadership group questioning its organization’s relevance and strategic direction.

It can be hard to find focus when you come to the realization that your organization may be lost and possibly is not fulfilling its original mission. The advice I give is for the leader to step back and find a true understanding of what the organization was created to do; reevaluate your mission and vision and recommit. Say no – something that can be incredibly challenging for nonprofits – to things that do not help you serve your mission and constituents. It is very important at this time to clearly chart your next steps, focus on those steps, and hold yourself and your organization accountable.

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Want to learn more about Danny’s background? Go back to Part 1 of the interview to learn more about how volunteer leadership has helped him develop and why continuing to volunteer is so important to him; in Part 2 of our interview, Danny covers the advice he would give to someone thinking about joining their first board of directors.

Leading up to Projects Unlimited’s 5th Anniversary on April 30th, we have been releasing a series of posts from a recent interview with Danny Markstein, a committed professional and Birmingham advocate.

We have one final post with advice from Danny – subscribe to the blog and watch for it to drop next week. His final comments will touch on the importance of his industry – strategic planning and communications – to the broader economy.

Consider Before Committing

Part 2: A Trusted Advisor
Volunteer Spotlight with Danny Markstein

Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): What advice would you give to someone that will be serving on their first board of directors in the next few months?

Danny Markstein (DM): These words came out of my mouth just this morning: do not commit to volunteer service unless you are passionate and willing to dig in to do whatever it takes to get the job done. The reality is that there are so many needs in this community, it sometimes can be difficult to prioritize the various volunteer opportunities in front of you.

Today’s nonprofits have reached a critical phase of existence; faced with fewer resources with which to work with and smaller staffs, nonprofits are stretched and need volunteer leaders who fully are supportive. Do not commit unless you are dedicated. Our service-oriented community groups are strong, but they need soldiers. The perfect opportunity for you to give back is out there – you just have to find it and get involved.

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Want to learn more about Danny’s background? Go back to Part 1 of the interview to learn more about how volunteer leadership has helped him develop and why continuing to volunteer is so important to him.

Leading up to Projects Unlimited’s 5th Anniversary on April 30th, we will be releasing a series of posts from a recent interview with Danny Markstein, a committed professional and Birmingham advocate. We are really looking forward to this showcase and hope that you will enjoy learning more about Danny Markstein.

There’s still more to come with Danny. In our next piece, Danny opens up to tell us the common signs that tip volunteer leaders and key executives off that they may need to consider outside help – and, he’ll also offer some free advice for what to do after you have this realization. Thankfully, it’s not “panic.”

Part 1: A Trusted Advisor

Leading up to Projects Unlimited’s 5th Anniversary on April 30th, we will be releasing a series of posts from a recent interview with Danny Markstein, a committed professional and Birmingham advocate. We are really looking forward to this showcase and hope that you will enjoy learning more about Danny Markstein.

Volunteer Spotlight: Danny Markstein

Daniel H. Markstein, IV

Key Volunteer Role: Chairman, Magic Moments

Background: Danny and his wife, Eileen, founded Markstein Consulting, LLC, a corporate strategy and communications consulting firm in 2003. Danny specializes in strategic business planning, corporate strategy development, internal and external corporate communications, organizational dynamics and business process optimization.

Danny is best known for his integrated approach to strategic planning and a commitment to linking strategy to action. He is a trusted advisor to clients faced with organizational challenges and helps to mobilize strategic initiatives.

As a volunteer leader, Danny is involved with multiple civic and nonprofit organizations around Birmingham, including Magic Moments. We think know that Danny is wise beyond his years and appreciate the time he took to be a part of this volunteer spotlight.

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Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): We see that you are involved with multiple community oriented groups around Birmingham – so, what has been the most fulfilling part of your volunteer service?
Danny Markstein (DM): The best thing about being involved as a volunteer in civic and nonprofit organizations is the opportunity to witness firsthand the impact that we can have locally. Birmingham is a unique community. I have lived in cities in which outlets for getting involved with the local community simply did not exist. I am so grateful that it’s almost expected that members of this community become involved as a volunteers in the capacity in which they can.

Birmingham has no shortage of challenges – it is important to find ways to push our community forward. Volunteer service is a meaningful and impactful way to affect change quickly, and is something that I have found extremely rewarding by participating as a volunteer.

PUI: How essential has volunteer leadership been for your own professional development?
DM: Incredibly essential. Volunteer leadership provides opportunities to learn and grow in many capacities, depending on the type of volunteer work in which you are engaged. Volunteering has served me by broadening my horizons and exposing me to situations, people, and needs that I would not necessarily be exposed to in my career.

At the end of the day, even the most engaged person is living within a bubble. There is no way to touch everything, but civic and community engagement bring me back to the needs of my entire community. I believe that volunteer service has made me a better person and professional because it has left me with a broad and well-rounded understanding of my community, a byproduct that makes me a better consultant and advisor in my career.

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In the next piece of this volunteer spotlight, you’ll hear Danny’s advice for all of the future volunteer leaders out there. Stay tuned.