Within non-profits and charities, humans are at the center. Whether it's the services provided or the fact that each non-profit is run by people, the human element is crucial. Few non-profits are run by machines, which is why they don't always fit the efficiency model of the current business world. Non-profits are run by people, for people.
People are complex creatures, which is why hours of research in academia are spent studying human behaviors. During my years working with various types of non-profits and charities, with different teams of abilities and sizes, I quickly learned that there was no textbook solution. Organizations led by staff versus volunteers, teams from various faith backgrounds, worldviews, and cultural upbringings all required unique approaches.
I became fascinated with learning and studying personality types, working styles, and the psychology of teams. Understanding how different cultural traditions and faith understandings shape one's worldview, and how life experiences and upbringing shape one's definition of a team, became essential.
One common thread I found was that non-profits and charities are businesses but often not run by businesspeople. They are run by passionate individuals, often gifted in the social services field. The hard skills of the business world were tearing these soft-skilled individuals to pieces.
I concluded that if an organization wanted to survive, two very important things needed to happen:
The 'Executive Suite' needed to be made up of 2-3 individuals: The Dreamer, The Doer, and The Galvanizer.
The organization needed to adapt its systems and processes to be end-user focused rather than expecting the user to adapt to the system.
1. Setting up the Executive Suite
Similar to the business world, a non-profit or charity should have an executive suite, even if it's only a three-person operation. This will enable growth and create a foundation for legacy building.
In most start-up non-profits or charities, the leader is a charismatic individual (The Dreamer) who is passionate about the cause and very good with people. They often have an overwhelming amount of soft skills, but their hard skills may be lacking. For example, they can sell the vision to the most influential person but struggle to deliver on the promises made. This individual is crucial for bringing patrons into the organization, including those willing to provide financial resources and volunteers. However, this individual needs to be paired with an organizational wizard, The Doer. Someone who can build out the systems and create plans to deliver on the promises made, anchoring the vision to reality.
An organization can also struggle if they have an individual who is spectacular at systems but lacks direction. This is where Patrick Lencioni’s “Working Genius” is a beautiful illustration of how to build a team that will provide a foundation for your organization to move forward.
The Dreamer also tends to need an assistant to keep them grounded, on task, and carry out day-to-day tasks, such as keeping meeting notes for high-level donor meetings. If you are a small organization, the second individual on the team, The Doer, can be The Dreamer’s assistant for a short period. However, if you have the right individual in The Doer role, they will quickly outgrow the capacity to carry out assistant responsibilities.
This is where the third person comes into play, The Galvanizer. They are the anchor to the team, keeping The Dreamer from floating away and The Doer from bulldozing.
Non-profits and charities go through seasons where they need either The Dreamer, The Doer, or The Galvanizer to lead the organization. This is why having them all as part of the Executive Suite is crucial, as any one of them can take point depending on the season. I like to think of building your Executive Suite as a triangle with an axis in the middle. Depending on the situation or need of the organization, the triangle can rotate to different positions on point.
2. Adapting Organizational Systems
In today’s marketplace with OpenAI, anyone can create the next best organizational system. Giants like Microsoft and Google have their own planning tools, and smaller organizations like Monday.com, ClickUp, and Motion offer various strengths and weaknesses. You need to pick the solution that is right for your organization, and you may need to be creative and think outside the traditional box.
For example, I have worked with several executive directors with ADHD, where color coding and simple steps were vital to system success. Am I saying there isn’t a learning curve? Absolutely not. However, the learning curve may take longer than expected, and the business-minded individual must be prepared for a year-long learning journey instead of just a few hours, days, or weeks.
Also, you can’t be afraid of failure in this area. You may find a system that checks all the boxes and then once implemented, it crashes. It is important to use the learnings from failure when choosing a new system.
This brings us back to the beginning of this post, where we discussed the complexity of human behavior. When choosing a system for your organization, it is important to understand who your team is. You need to look at the end user and work backward.
In conclusion, non-profits and charities thrive on the passion and dedication of the people who run them. By recognizing the unique strengths and roles of The Dreamer, The Doer, and The Galvanizer, organizations can build a resilient and adaptable executive suite that can navigate the complexities of human behavior and organizational needs. Additionally, by focusing on end-user needs and being open to adapting systems and processes, non-profits can create a supportive environment that maximizes their impact. Embracing these strategies will not only help non-profits survive but also enable them to flourish and continue making a difference in the world.
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