A 10 Year Reflective
I have hit my 10 year anniversary of Program Savvy Consulting. I feel fortunate to have been busy and happy serving my clients for a decade now. There are many things that I have learned from my clients and from my experiences as their consultant. In recognition of 10 years, I offer my top 10 list!
People who work in nonprofits demonstrate a lot of care but do not necessarily receive a lot of care from within the systems and communities they work in. Regulations make work hard. Community members look down on the people nonprofits serve. Some clients are so traumatized that even a thank you is hard.
So, when I put care into the work that I do (something I always strive to do), it is absolutely noticed and appreciated. I specifically remember one person wandering around a room that I had prepared for a staff retreat. He approached me marveling at how much time and attention had been put into the space alone.
People who dedicate their careers to the work of nonprofits deserve to be shown care.
I hear a lot of the same philosophies and see a lot of the same behaviors from people that I consider to be great leaders.
They care about their staff and clients - and recognize how intertwined caring about both are. They look for ways to engage their employees. They have a sense of humor and are approachable/accessible. They accept and encourage others' input. They look beyond their own strengths (vendors, consultants, peers) to advance their organization. They will make decisions rather than let things linger.
Young people get a bad rap. Much of the workforce is young. How they show up in the workforce is not the same as us older folks. They watched their parents work for decades for the same organization only to be laid off unceremoniously. The wealth continues to go to the older of us while they get accused of “not making it like we did.”
To turn a blind eye to the actual economics of their lives allows us to bemoan “work ethic.” Young people value experiences more than possessions and so value flexibility and time off.
Young people have a lot to offer. I think we would all benefit from their modeling of acceptance of people different from themselves.
Defining the role of a Board is more difficult than it seems it should be. There are often well-meaning people on Boards. But, are they there to provide direction, run fundraisers, raise money, or stuff envelopes? The lack of clarity can be stifling.
The organization and staff size of a nonprofit do tend to influence what is asked of a Board. It seems for some, that if an organization is to succeed, the Board has to DO more. Regardless of what best practice says, if the nonprofit is struggling, all hands on deck.
Leaders (at all levels) would benefit from being more self-reflective.
If you have the same complaints about your staff, even as new people have replaced the old people, it may be your leadership style or the type of organization/department you have created.
Boards should do more exit interviews. Turnover reasons provided by Executive Directors should not be accepted at face value.
One of the biggest benefits to hiring a consultant (me or most others) is so that someone other than the leader or their team can plan, follow up, and generate the “work product.”
I so often get thanked just for moving things along. Gathering is time consuming enough. Generating something out of that gathering is just plain hard for staff. Organizations need to determine what is of most value to them - money, time, or quality. The money you spend should accelerate the quality and/or decrease the time or lead to cost savings or revenue generation. I expect to only be with you when the benefit outweighs the cost. (And then I miss you.)
I hate that we lost so many people and so much normalcy during the pandemic. And, I also learned a lot, and I think my clients did too. They exhibited so much ingenuity!
Truth is, before the pandemic, I would drive two hours for a 30 minute meeting. I was that convinced of the importance of in person gatherings.
Since March of 2020, I have learned that with the same level of diligence to planning, engagement, and creativity, so much can be accomplished even in those little boxes on a screen. I have run an eight hour staff/Board retreat, delivered many trainings, and completed a half dozen strategic plans completely virtually.
I still love being in person. But I won’t drive two hours for a 30 minute meeting anymore.
I have found that organizations that take advantage of strategic opportunities are doing better than those who don’t. That may sound obvious, but sometimes the sound of “reasons why not” drown out the obvious.
Do you need to let go of things to advance? Are you chasing dollars or direction? Do you have partnership or collaborative opportunities available?
As the leader of one organization who co-led a successful merger said to me recently: “If you are looking for an exit ramp, you will find one.”
When I had my last for-profit job, I had the opportunity to go to an industry visioning convention. I envisioned exactly what I am doing today (not exactly the vision the industry was looking for from me!). I wanted to work to “strengthen capacity within the nonprofit community,” to help them “realize their missions,” and have staff be “engaged and fulfilled” (words as articulated today in my mission and vision statements).
I have also done work with collaboratives, education, healthcare, government, and for-profits, but the vast majority of my work is with nonprofits, those organizations making a difference in a world that has not resourced or prioritized the results these organizations strive for. I applaud them today and thank them for allowing me the privilege of journeying with them for the past ten years.
