The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “infrastructure” as: “The underlying foundation or basic framework (as of a system or organization).”
Not particularly alluring.
Programs and services. Working with clients. Effecting change. Now we’re talking. Yet, without adequate infrastructure, these are not achievable.
“People always accommodate the most difficult person in the room.”
Shining City: A Novel, by Tom Rosenstiel
So many mission-driven organizations focus on improving and enriching the lives of individuals and families, enhancing communities, furthering understanding, and much more to make things better. Compassion and the desire to be responsive to needs are important in working with clients. However, when it expands into nonprofit management, manifesting as being slow to address the behaviors of a difficult staff member, it can cause dysfunction in the organization. In this post, I share one such scenario as a cautionary tale. […]
Nonprofit executives and board members often feel uncomfortable when someone mentions “succession.” There are usually awkward half-laughs, glances around the room to see how others are reacting, and a sense of liberation – finally, someone has mentioned the dreaded topic. The chief executive is concerned that mentioning succession will make the board think they are considering leaving. The board is worried that it will send an unintended message to the chief executive that they should be thinking about moving on. If a founder is involved, let’s face it, the level of uneasiness skyrockets. […]
Leading a nonprofit is hard work. Internal and external issues arise that demand attention, and the solutions may not be easy. When issues go unattended, they may become so significant that they potentially endanger the organization somehow. But this doesn’t need to be the case. With strong leadership and skillful use of board meeting agendas, nonprofit executives and their boards can have important conversations so they may be proactive and responsive and not caught off guard. […]
A nonprofit executive director’s performance review is about more than how well they do their job. For the chief executive, it is about leadership, professional development, sharing accomplishments (personal and organizational), receiving feedback, and goal setting. For the board, the chief executive’s performance evaluation is about leadership, fiduciary responsibility, being a responsible employer, goal setting and achievement, and success – success for the organization and the individual. […]
Earlier this fall, an executive coaching client introduced me to the following quote by Existential psychiatrist Viktor E. Frankl, which continues to resonate in my mind:
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
You have just hired a new senior executive. Congratulations! Now what?
When the search activities conclude, the transition continues, and a well-planned onboarding process is critical. In the best scenario, a transition task force (which might be the search committee) will have contact with the new executive in the period from offer acceptance to the first day on the job. Having a plan for this “in-between” time will make onboarding go more smoothly. It will also permit the transition task force to discuss onboarding with the new executive to learn what they would like included.
Onboarding a new nonprofit executive may seem daunting. Depending on […]
Welcome to Your (New) World!
It’s 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. The doorbell rings. You open the door and greet your dinner guests. You say, “So glad to see you! The coat closet is over there (pointing). Make yourselves at home. Just go in the kitchen, I think there’s some wine and some food. You’re smart, I know you’ll figure it out and cook up something. I’m going to run upstairs and take a shower. Back soon.” […]
(written in 2020)
For weeks, we have all been reading emails and website homepage notices outlining actions in response to COVID-19. As a consultant to nonprofits, I am deeply moved by the deliberations and decisions made by my nonprofit clients and other organizations I know. Daily, our clients are meeting human needs in profound ways. Most must push through to attend to their vulnerable clients and take care of their employees at the same time. Others need to pull back for the safety and health of their staff and clients. Nonprofit responses are unique and situational. […]
It was not necessarily my intention to mine any further the situation put forth in my blog post, Executive Transition: Cautionary Tale #1 – Settling for Less. I had a completely different topic in mind for this post. However, it turns out that the last lines of the Cautionary Tale #1 are haunting me now. […]