{"id":596147,"date":"2023-04-19T14:24:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T18:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/?p=596147"},"modified":"2023-04-22T14:29:48","modified_gmt":"2023-04-22T18:29:48","slug":"organizational-development-nonprofits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/organizational-development-nonprofits\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Eye-Opening Conversations on Organizational Development"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let me tell you about a conversation I had recently that left me completely gobsmacked. There\u2019s this executive director who’s all about investing in her team. She knows that organizational development is the secret sauce to transforming her nonprofit into a powerhouse of positive change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She shared with me how they assessed their organization to identify folks with leadership potential. And guess what? There was one person everyone agreed on\u2014let’s call them Kai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kai, a Gen Z’er who’d been with the organization for just 18 months, seemed like the perfect candidate for growth. The executive director (a Gen X’er herself) passionately laid out her vision for organizational development, emphasizing the importance of investing in future leaders. She painted a vivid picture of Kai’s potential, assuring them that the organization was ready to support their professional development journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kai’s response? “Thanks, but no thanks.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This jaw-dropper (at least it was to me) is just one of a few conversations I’ve heard recently that inspired me to write about organizational development for nonprofits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What exactly does organizational development mean for nonprofit organizations, you ask? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizational development is a critical and science-based process that helps organizations build their capacity to change and achieve greater effectiveness by developing, improving, and reinforcing strategies, structures, and processes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today we\u2019ll look at the most prominent and arguably most neglected component of nonprofit organizational development: staff professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

MORE ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR NONPROFITS\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here\u2019s a second conversation I had. See what you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m coaching a client who, in partnership with the board (YAY!), is building a succession plan across his organization and has asked for my help. The plan is to focus not only on the CEO but the leadership team as well. I suggest that it be framed more broadly than succession planning<\/a>. First off, we all know where that conversation goes\u2026 the dreaded \u201cWhat if Joan gets hit by a bus?<\/em>\u201d framing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, succession planning is all about organizational development. It\u2019s about building the capacity of your structures and processes and PEOPLE so that you can have greater impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To that end, we are creating a framework for each of the CEO\u2019s direct reports to assess their team and identify professional development opportunities so that we build capacity AND leadership AND retention within their teams. Who doesn\u2019t want that? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jama<\/em><\/strong>. That\u2019s who.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jama is the Development Director reporting to the CEO and you see, Jama is a control freak boss<\/a> who hires people who could never replace her. She thinks successful team members threaten her job\u2019s security. And since their CEO can not secure Jama\u2019s buy-in on a professional development budget for her team, they allocate the money elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OK, conversation #3. Well, not really\u2026 because it\u2019s not a single conversation but an entire chorus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I lead the Nonprofit Leadership Lab<\/a>, an online membership site with training, support, and community for board and staff leaders of small-midsized nonprofits. It currently costs under $50\/month. Do you know how many of the thousands of members we have who cannot get a budget approved with that line item and therefore pay out of their own pockets?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOOOOOOOOOOO!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE COMMON THREAD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s very easy to find the common thread in all of this. Our sector does not understand just how vital investing in professional development is to the stability, sustainability, and impact of a nonprofit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about how to change that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Pink is an expert on the science of motivation. He teaches that the three core motivators for people in the workplace are autonomy, mastery, and purpose. The nonprofit sector can go ahead and check the \u201cpurpose\u201d box automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how do you drive their motivation, their ability to excel, love their work, and ultimately your ability to retain them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You invest in Pink\u2019s other two motivators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, let\u2019s consider autonomy. I believe that strong management skills allow individuals to spread their wings so that they can have their own successes and feel proud of them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there is mastery. We all strive to feel that sense of accomplishment that comes when you write a great proposal, give a great board presentation, or have a real impact on the life of a client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the purpose of my advice, I\u2019m going alliterative. Management and Mastery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few steps you can take to market the importance of professional development to your nonprofit board and staff at all levels and all generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Educate: Have your entire board watch <\/strong>Daniel Pink\u2019s TED Talk<\/strong><\/a>
    Everyone has 18 minutes and it will align all of you around a common language.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Market: Add \u201cOrganizational Development\u201d to the agenda for your next board meeting<\/strong>
      In an executive session with the board, the E.D. offers the board a snapshot of the staff on only the two M\u2019s. Offer context and bring gap skills to life.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n