Nonprofit chief executives and board chairs share the desire for their organizations to thrive. Developing a strong working relationship is essential to making this happen. Leading by example – as a cohesive team – you set a tone that can resonate organization-wide. […]
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. […]
What is the best approach to the end of one year and the beginning of the next? Is it to continue carrying with us the weight of last year? Or is it to enter the new year unburdened and hopeful?
Sometimes when working on a strategic planning project with a client, they have difficulty focusing on the future. While all that has led to strategic planning is formative, depending on the situation, it can propel the organization forward or impede its movement. […]
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.”
During his first year of college orientation, my younger son was introduced to HALT – Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired – a stress management technique. For entering college students, it was supposed to help them increase self-awareness and understand what was going on with themselves and how this affected their interactions with roommates and others. It was geared to help them from becoming less pleasant versions of their usual selves.
HALT resonates with me. Especially regarding nonprofit boards and board meetings. After all, aren’t nonprofits better served by directors who function at their finest and highest levels? […]
Does your nonprofit bring on new board members annually as a class rather than randomly throughout the year? If they start together, I commend you for choosing this wise approach. If not, I hope you will consider making a change after reading this.
When we think about it, nonprofit board members have a significant responsibility. Through their leadership, they hold the organization in trust for future generations. Exactly what this means for any organization depends on its life cycle stage and all the factors in play at any given time.