We're about to hit the halfway point of 2023. If your intention is to produce some truly fantastic results in your nonprofit—and you aren't anywhere near achieving them—this article is for you.
The advice I'm sharing here is exactly how I achieved a $1MM+ budget where I served as Executive Director for over 30 years. It's the advice I wished I'd gotten when I was struggling and stuck.
My formula for success is simple yet powerful:
Contrast that with the formula of 99% of all nonprofits:
In order to run my formula, it's important to recognize what I mean by “the big 5.”
Toxicity: I write about this here. A subtle toxicity exists in every nonprofit. It's an undercurrent, and it's poisonous. How alive and real it is in your organization depends on how much you've allowed it to grow; in yourself, in your staff and in the boardroom.
Gossip: This exists wherever humans gather. You've probably been a part of it at one time or another. It's very human and it's also very damaging.
Babysitting: Now more than ever, we live in an era that requires follow-up with staff to ensure they are doing the jobs they are paid to do.
Undermining: It's so strong and it happens at all levels in a nonprofit; from peer-to-peer colleagues, to Board/staff relationships, to the CEO/Board, to the CEO/staff. It's a worm that gets in and eats away at everything. Here’s an example –
Paula is a member of the Board. She's at every Board meeting. Always on time. She appears to be ready and put together for the task at hand. She says nothing for the entire 90-minute Board meeting—no comments and no input. The Board meeting adjourns. Then Paula emails Marcy and says, "I don't get why..." and starts her own little campfire outside the meeting on the very issues that were on the table. She had the opportunity to put her hand on them. Instead, she chooses to work outside the Boardroom and outside the Board. She plants landmines, and it grows from there. This is the most common and most toxic behaviour I've found inside nonprofits.
Blame: You find this between the Board and the staff in particular. One group is always blaming the other. "If the staff would just...." and "If the Board would just..." It's a perpetual misunderstanding between the two groups, and it's always there.
Nonprofit leaders, if you want to know why your organization hasn't succeeded the way you intended, look no further than the big 5. Your attention is there. Your focus is there. It's no wonder you can't make any headway. With all your attention on the big 5, you don't have time for anything else.
So, how do you flip the script? How do you become a leader who spends 90% of your time on courage, willingness, and innovation?
1. Recognize that intentionally or not, you cultivate an environment in which the big 5 (toxicity, gossip, babysitting, undermining, and blame) can exist.
It’s a battleground. People are afraid. It feels unsafe. People are nervous and timid, and always on edge. They attack others and they are waiting to be attacked. As the leader, you are the source of it. It happened on your watch. Acknowledge it. Own it. You can uncreate anything if you are willing to own that you created it. NOTE: This isn’t about blaming yourself. Rather, it’s about taking responsibility and ownership of it.
2. Recognize that “uncreating” also takes time. Consistency is how it happens.
It took however long for the big 5 to grow to the point where it is now. Changing it takes time. Every conversation you have and every move you make matters. You cannot fall back into the same pattern that created this environment and expect it to go away. You have to become a different person. And you can start now.
3. Lead vs. solve
As an Executive Director or CEO in particular—if a problem lands in front of you, listen. Then ask questions that cause others to think and take action. Don't tell them how to solve the problem, and don't take the problem away to solve yourself. Treat your staff/volunteers/Board as the capable human beings they are.
4. Teach people to deal directly and privately. Model that behavior yourself.
Direct people to take their issues directly to the people they involve. Deal with it behind closed doors. Never berate or embarrass others, or make it public. Show them how to be a professional in the way you deal and act.
Once you've dealt with an issue, assure all involved that you know they can, and will, do better. Leave no doubt that you trust them. Tie up loose ends so they know you still support them and believe in them.
5. Redirect staff back to the mission.
If staff is engaging in gossip and nonsense, then they've forgotten their work. It's very much like a puppy that chews on shoes. Redirecting them once does not stop the issue. They must be redirected over and over again. Staff is the same way. They want to do great work, and they need your gentle hand to get back to it.
Sheree Allison merges the worlds of fundraising, marketing, and leadership combined with an entrepreneurial spirit to train and develop nonprofit leaders who are committed to building a world class organization. Check out her book “The Non Profit Book of Wisdom - One Executive Director Who Couldn’t Be Swayed” and her weekly column at www.shereeallison.com.
