When bubbles burst: why success poses a threat

It’s not what you think. This blog is not about me drinking champagne, I promise. But I want to start by telling you about the time I worked for a small charity. It was regularly successful in its fundraising, punching above its weight. And - perhaps this is related - it was particularly good at celebrating its success. If there was some good news - a new corporate partner, say, or a new major donation, we would gather in the middle of the office and either share a slice of cake that one of my colleagues had brought in, or possibly enjoy a glass of something bubbly, courtesy of the Chief Executive. Now, I've never been much of a drinker, particularly at work, but I did enjoy these little impromptu celebrations. They helped bring the team together. One department's success was shared by the organisation, and we were keen to feed off and emulate each other. This was a young charity going places, and I learned so much. But I remember often looking at the fizz in my glass and thinking - what happens when it stops bubbling? Yes, I was quite a serious young man. Got a big donation? Get thinking. Seriously, though. If your charity is particularly successful at something or receives a windfall donation, by all means celebrate for a bit. But you need to get thinking even while you're having that slice of cake. Use the OT in SWOT You've probably done SWOT analysis using a matrix like the one above quite a few times, haven't you? But how often do y