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Ready to Lead- Seven Recommendations for Current Executive Directors (Part 2) |
| Written by Chuck Bean, on April 20, 2008 |
 Last week I provided advice to current executive directors related to a few of the recommendations from Ready to Lead. The recommendations I discussed were all aimed at professional development of your staff. this week I want to discuss recommendations related to the structure of your organization and communications with your staff:
“Replace dated power structures.” To paraphrase in my words: “Don’t be an old-fashioned, top-down, cranky, General Macarthur-type.” You can demand a lot and hold staff accountable, but emerging leaders in the survey said they want EDs to be better supervisors and better communicators. Less hierarchy. More transparency.
“Pay reasonable salaries and provide benefits.” Whew, this is a big one! After the report came out, some seasoned EDs told me, “Chuck, what can I do about this? I’m doing all we can to fundraise already!” I don’t have the silver bullet answer – does anyone?!? But, I know we need to shift from “the whine” to cope with the reality of the DC-area high-demand job market (Arlington has a 2.3% unemployment rate!). The reality is that the local nonprofit community is going to compete not only with business and government, but also with the national nonprofits that are based here as well. Raise more money from individual donors is one answer. Is another answer to employ fewer (but more highly -qualified) people, but pay them better?
“Engage in succession planning.” Every nonprofit should plan to do this. I’ve been with the Roundtable since it began six years ago, and while I do plan to continue, it’s time that my Board and I develop these plans to prepare for the “what if” scenarios. I’m on the Board of a nonprofit organization that recently went through a very good process with their plans with TransitionGuides.
“Recognize generational differences.” I am a “cusper” – someone technically a Baby-Boomer, but on the cusp of being part of Gen X, depending on the demographic definition. Here’s what I find amusing: the Gen X and Gen Y folks are very attune to generational differences – they can recite the sociological trends and descriptions between the generations. The Boomers are not. I find that many do not even know generational terms. As a rule, I’d say, “If you gotta ask ‘What generation am I?’ The answer is, ‘You’re a Boomer.” I found this article from Canada fascinating entitled “Generation NGO”. The article asks, “Unimpressed with the bureaucracy of big charities, twenty-somethings are going the do-it-yourself route and launching their own non-profits. Are they brats who don't play well with others - or just misunderstood?” Just not understood.
So, what next? If we can’t address everything all at once, I propose that recommendations 2, 3, 4, 6 & 7 are low-hanging fruit. We ought to collectively get to work on these right now. Recommendations 1 & 5 are important – but these are bigger, sector-wide and systematic, and we ought not to feel that we can’t get moving unless we can do something right now about these, too. In short, current executive directors: we can help staff build their networks, we can be mentors, we can be better role models, we can do succession plans, and we can recognize generational differences. We can start doing these things right now!
We’re moving in the right direction. And, I’m as excited as could be about the Roundtable’s new Future Executive Directors Fellowship. I’ll be blogging about this next time!
Now, dear CEO readers – what do you think … and what are you going to do?
Chuck
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