With 33 years experience in the non-profit sector Maryann Kerr will tell you she has seen a lot. Her stories, some personal and some shared through her recent research, paint a picture of a sector in need of a make-over.
Kerr insists on starting our conversation with a shout-out to the sector overall. It is, she asserted, a sector that is doing outstanding work in many ways. However, her research, like that of others, reveals that in many cases our success as a sector is achieved at the expense of the wonderful people who do this work.
Kerr believes that many who choose the sector do so because they care about making a difference. They, like her, have a deep degree of empathy. It is this empathy that makes them great fundraisers, communicators or program delivery staff. It is also this empathy that makes them less likely to excel in workplaces and with leaders “that destroy trust, undermine confidence, and create intolerable working environments." (MB’s research)
Kerr gathered data through individual interviews, focus groups and surveys. She interviewed a range of social profit executives from organizations of varying sizes and reached a diverse group of individuals. Combined, the interviewees represented: 164 years of service to the sector, $463 M in annual revenue and $3.59 B in endowed funds. Focus group participants represented close to 100 years of experience and included individuals with experience as both fundraisers and grantors. The survey sample was small – only 58 responses, 51 of whom worked in the sector. 75% of these respondents had over 10 years’ experience in the sector. 43% had over twenty years’ experience.
Kerr was motivated to do this work because she believes that attention to culture can be a game-changer for many organizations. She spoke to a recent Gallup Global Survey on the Future of Work that points out that 80% of Canadians are not engaged in their work and that 70% of these blame their direct manager. Much of this, she suggests, can be fixed. The result – organizations that have greater impact.
Kerr points out that the results of the survey are no surprise. Overwhelmingly participants agreed that:
a. Attention to Culture is Critical: Most research participants agreed that attention to culture and organizational health is critical to long term success and sustainability. However, most also agreed that we do not pay enough attention to it.
b. In the Social Profit Sector – It starts with the Board: Boards must take responsibility for workplace culture through their evaluation of CEO performance. Measurements must be in place around employee engagement and turnover.
c. Cohesive Leadership Teams are essential: The responsibility for the execution of strategies to ensure great organizational culture starts with the board and CEO, followed by the leadership or management team. For a leadership team to be fully engaged requires trust, cooperation, and a shared vision. A healthy culture also needs to be set as a priority.
d. Culture is Everyone’s responsibility: It was abundantly clear that research participants believe everyone in an organization has a responsibility to promote a healthy workplace. While participants strongly agreed it’s critically important that this is modeled at the leadership level of the organization, they also indicated that each of us can and must own culture.
e. Great Cultures create competitive Advantage: From Zappos to Netflix to Canada’s own Bruce Poon Tip at G-Adventures, time and again business experts in HBR, Forbes and Inc. magazines, to name just a few, point out that great corporate cultures are a key competitive advantage. It is largely recognized by leader after leader in successful corporations that if we take care of “our people” – they will take care of our customers.
So, what does Kerr recommend?
1. Co-create your organizational culture
2. Establish Benchmarks and Evaluate your CEO
3. Hire External Support
4. Create an Organizational Health Task Force
5. Discuss Culture and its impact
6. Improve your Performance Management Approach
7. Develop Great Teams
For a complete copy of the research, which Kerr hopes will be shared widely, particularly with Board members, please fill out the contact form on Kerr’s website.
