Jan 29, 2012 | Management
When a nonprofit organization experiences a leadership transition, hiring an interim executive director can be the most logical and positive action its board can take.
Leadership change is an increasingly common aspect of nonprofit organizational life. Multiple studies reinforce the impending turnover of top leadership in the nonprofit sector, due in great part to the aging and retiring boomer population. It’s not a matter of if, but when the change is coming. When your organization experiences this transition, research and practice suggests that groups that plan well and use a skilled interim executive director, emerge stronger, more fiscally sound, and with higher levels of optimism about the future impact of their programs and services.
Leadership transition is a period commonly marked with emotion, tension, and stress. Internally, staff and board are in the midst of separating from the previous executive, and the departing director is in an in-between state and can be confused about how much influence he or she wants or should have on the agency’s future. If the director’s departure is forced, emotions may be particularly high.
Externally, some funders, donors, and volunteers will take a “wait and see” approach before becoming involved and investing in the organization. This can create strain between needs and resources, further taxing administrative systems.
A highly skilled interim executive director temporarily takes the helm of an organization, helps the board and staff address important systems and capacity issues, and lays the groundwork for the following leader’s success. This leader:
– Serves as a bridge, giving the board ample time to conduct a thoughtful search process and managing the day-to-day executive responsibilities that include: conducting an objective organizational review, leading anxious staff, reassuring wary funders, and keeping finances and revenue generation on track.
– Tackles unique challenges related to the transition, building on strengths and addressing particular vulnerabilities.
– Helps the board clarify its vision and future leadership needs.
– Models excellence in management and leadership.
– Mentors the new executive director once appointed.
When considering hiring an interim executive director for your organization:
– Begin with the end in mind. Your board should determine what it wants and needs and what is most critical to success over the next few months.
– Identify urgent issues or challenges presently facing your organization.
– Review the current executive director’s job description, determine priorities for the transition period, and draft an Interim job description.
– Seek an interim executive director with solid management experience and a transition skillset. This takes precedence over familiarity with your organization or industry.
– Consider that the assignment is both temporary (four-eight months) and part-time (20 – 25 hours/week) and that the individual should not be a candidate for the full-time position.
– Realize that, due to the unique demands of the role, interim executives are almost always paid higher on an hourly basis than the agency’s permanent executive (although, most interims are part-time and do not receive normal agency benefits).
– Tap local resources for potential candidates, such as area college nonprofit degree programs, consultants serving the nonprofit sector, industry sector affinity groups, and nonprofit consortiums.
There is great power and potential in this “neutral zone” – the space after the former director leaves and the new leader begins. The organization is more open to change than usual and poised to leverage the heightened opportunity. Systems and culture become a bit “unglued” and can be put back together in new and exciting ways that leave the nonprofit stronger and more sustainable.
Jan 25, 2012 | Leadership
In a feature article of The Nonprofit Quarterly – The Inclusive Nonprofit Boardroom: Leveraging the Transformative Potential of Diversity – authors Patricia Bradshaw and Christopher Fredette shared highlights of a study they conducted of Canadian nonprofit organizations examining how they made sense of diversity, and what they saw as best practices for enhancing it. Their findings and reflections reveal the potential in harnessing the power of diversity in organization leadership.
Their focus was on diversity and the dynamics of inclusion, versus assimilation or differentiation, defined as the degree to which members of diverse and traditionally marginalized communities are present on boards and meaningfully engaged in the governance of their organizations.
I believe that a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness among organization leadership is vitally important. And my observation is that this work is challenging, complex, and requires dedication and commitment over the long-term. Many organizations, as they attempt to bring greater diversity to their board and staff, have experienced a decline in organization performance and forward progress. I’ve witnessed the changes creating tension, conflict, and division. I conclude that this is due in great part to two factors: 1) a misunderstanding of what it truly means for an organization to embrace diversity and inclusion, and 2) the lack of sincere, consistent, long-term commitment to and execution of a diversity plan.
From the study, interviewee Kristina Bourne described an environment of inclusion as “a culture in which every individual is valued as a vital component of the organization’s success and competitive advantage.” Bourne describes this concept as an alternative to seeing diversity as an end in itself or something to be managed or tolerated.
Reflecting on their interviews, they found that informants were talking about two different types of inclusion — which Bradshaw and Fredette termed “functional inclusion” and “social inclusion”— and about how the two can work together to create something transformational.
The article describes functional inclusion as characterized by goal-driven and purposeful strategies for the increased inclusion of members of diverse or traditionally marginalized communities. Social inclusion, in contrast, is characterized by the participation of members of diverse groups in the interpersonal and cultural dynamics of the board, based on meaningful relational connections. Unlike the functional notions of inclusion, social inclusion also stresses the value derived from social standing and relational acceptance within the context of the board.
A commitment to and healthy balance of both social and functional inclusion is required for success. Merely recruiting board members from diverse communities and expecting positive outcomes is not enough. As you consider how your nonprofit’s board will evolve to embrace diverse, inclusive leadership, consider the following:
- Your organization’s leadership must be reflective of the diverse communities and constituents you serve. It’s simply sound business practice.
- Be prepared for the complexities and challenges of becoming a more inclusive organization.
- Include your commitment to diversity and inclusiveness as a core part of your organization’s strategic plan. Approach the work with a sincere and genuine commitment to execute this core strategy consistently over the long-term. It must become a part of your organization’s DNA.
- Begin with simple actionable steps, with people you know. Progress slowly and steadily, remembering that relationship building takes time.
- Once on board, support new members through transitional phases of board entry, and authentically engage them in social aspects that build strong relationships and board cohesion, such as mentorship, orientation practices, and other group-building processes like retreats and workshops.
- Ensure that yours is a strong and welcoming organizational culture, helping new members feel comfortable and at ease.
- Hold meetings at times and in locations where everyone could attend (in locations with elevators in order to be accessible to those with physical disabilities, or on days that accommodated religious holidays, for example),
- Exhibit sensitivity regarding the use of humor and choices of subject matter that could marginalize or silence people, or exhibit unconscious privilege.
Nov 29, 2011 | Leadership
During a staff meeting one day, one of my employees passed out paper bags – the kind you packed your lunch in as a kid. She sat a big box in the middle of the table and lifted the lid. Inside, it was filled with magic markers, crayons, chalk, and colored pencils. She instructed us to decorate our own personal bag in such a way that would make us smile. Everyone dug in, laughing, commenting on favorite colors, and began the art project.
Next, she passed out skinny strips of paper and asked each of us to write something we liked about every staff member around the table, then fold it up, and drop it in his or her bag. She suggested that, in the coming weeks, we keep the bags on our desks and that we continue writing these simple acknowledgment notes for one another. Then, whenever we need a “pick me up,” reach in, grab a handful of notes, and read them to ourselves.
Funny. It’s now five years later and the bags are still on the desks, full of notes. I’m no longer with that organization, but the bag sits on the desk in my new office. Powerful, isn’t it?
How often do we pause to say nice things about those with whom we work? To let them know how much we truly appreciate what they do? The formal feedback, like annual performance reviews, gets done, but what about the simpler things? Isn’t it really these simple things that make the biggest difference? It’s what defines a workplace’s culture – mojo I call it. And it’s a key part of building team commitment, loyalty, and satisfaction.
In all workplaces, but perhaps even more important in the nonprofit sector, we need to identify the simple, yet powerful actions and benefits that help us recruit and retain our human capital. After all, it’s our single greatest resource.
Oct 1, 2011 | Leadership
Do you recall your first formal leadership development experience?
My first experience was in 2000 – I was sponsored by a local foundation to participate in the Leadership Development Program at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). I was 30, and I had been working for nine years, building a career in the nonprofit sector.
Up to that point, my leadership development experiences had been more informal – in school, on the athletic field, and over years of music lessons – all through interactions with insightful teachers and coaches.
In the early years of my career, I received leadership training from various bosses, mentors, and other seasoned professionals in the form of sage advice, best practices, and – most often – “in the moment” life lessons at an operational, grassroots level. My ‘classroom’ was “on the street,” “in the trenches,” and oftentimes in sink or swim situations…some of the greatest learning opportunities there are.
At 30 years of age, most of my professional development occurred when wearing many hats, trying new things, taking risks, and making my best efforts to exhibit courage in the face of fear. Progress and discoveries came as much by failure as by success.
Today, colleges and universities have more formally developed leadership programs and offerings for students; many are course requirements for undergraduate study. Students graduating and entering the for-profit workplace often begin on a career development track and are exposed early on to corporate leadership training programs, assessments, and executive coaches.
These kinds of critical opportunities, while assumed and plentiful in the corporate environment, are glaringly absent in the nonprofit sector. And even if available, many leadership programs are cost-prohibitive for many small to medium-sized organizations.
My formal CCL experience was made possible by a new funding relationship between CCL and a local foundation partnering to sponsor nonprofit executives’ participation in the Center’s Leadership Development Program. For me, it was life-changing. It was the first time in my career that I was exposed to behavioral assessments, 360-degree feedback, insight into my natural and adapted leadership styles, and in-depth analysis of my strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots.
After that one-week intensive, I was different. Armed with new, critical insight, it was as if the Vaseline had been wiped from my windshield. My discoveries and newfound vision:
- Augmented my leadership, management, and decision-making capabilities.
- Sharpened my abilities to value, work with, and manage others.
- Spurred me to create a career vision and goals to chart and navigate my course.
- Fueled my desire to gain increasing responsibility, ultimately helping me achieve my goal of leading a nonprofit arts organization.
- Ignited my interest in seeking out additional opportunities, including books and articles on leadership, other continuing education, and connecting to coaches and mentors.
“What if I had had a similar kind of formal leadership development experience in high school, or college – or in the first year or two of my career? What difference would it have made in my professional development, how I interacted with co-workers, teams and boards, and in my overall career track? I know the difference it made at 30 years of age. What if I had had the same experience at 20?
Today, I can only imagine that impact. It has prompted my own drive to help make leadership coaching opportunities available and accessible for students and young professionals. I believe we must reach teachers, coaches, and other mentors interacting with our young people and ensure they have the skills and training necessary to take advantage of the critical leadership teaching moments in everyday experiences.
I’m discovering exciting ways to be involved in the creation and delivery of such opportunities, including participating in CCL’s Young Women’s Leadership Program, the University of North Carolina’s student mentoring program, and working to help coach and develop the next generation of arts and culture leaders.
I encourage you to begin where you are:
- Seek out formal leadership development for yourself – early on and often; I guarantee it will be an eye-opening experience and have countless positive effects on your life.
- Surround yourself with trusted and respected mentors and consider working with an executive coach. You’ll be more purposeful and mindful of your career and life path, taking charge of your present and future direction.
- Get involved in positively influencing the life, education, and/or career of a young adult. You’ll receive as much or more than you give!
- Advocate for leadership development within the nonprofit sector. Encourage it as a priority in your workplace, among peers, and to funders to invest in and support leadership development opportunities.
About Jeanie Duncan: Jeanie is President of Raven Consulting Group, a business she founded that focuses on organizational change and leadership development in the nonprofit sector. She is a senior consultant for Raffa, a national firm working with nonprofit clients to lead efforts in sustainability and succession planning, executive transition and search. Additionally, Jeanie serves as adjunct faculty for the Center for Creative Leadership, a top-ranked, global provider of executive leadership education.
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