Nonprofit management should be no different than any other kind of management… if management everywhere was humane and respectful. But I make allowances for profit-driven companies to fall short of that goal because they are not required to behave any other way.
Nonprofits are charged with a mission, to benefit society in some way, which extends to their office and employees. Unable to provide salaries to compete in the open market, nonprofits attract talented employees by offering comprehensive benefits, flexible work structures, and a respectful environment.
Then why do some nonprofits manage their employees with a complete lack of respect or humane standards?
Recently, a nonprofit in my area listed a job opening before telling the person currently in the job that they were terminated. In fact, the person found out accidentally when the job opening was posted. I might have waved off such a misstep, but the lack of respectful communication is a regular management strategy for that nonprofit.
My role on the YNPN Chicago board is to keep the engine running. My co-chair and I run meetings, set agendas, attend meetings, check in on projects, and serve as the last line of defense when a problem occurs. “Shit rolls uphill,” said the president of another board. So true.
I trust in the talent and dedication of our board members, but rough spots have always occurred. Sometimes life just gets in the way, and our board members struggle with handling their full plates. But as with any situation that needs a solution, we work it out together. I make no decision without their input nor do I conceal information from them.
There are some differences between organizing an all-volunteer board and organizing paid staff, but the principles remain the same:
- Be open and honest with your team about mutual successes and failures.
- Allow time for everyone to work out potential solutions.
- Come up with more than one option to solve the problem and be bold in trying new ideas!
- Mutually agree on a timeline and next step if the proposed solution does not work.
- Above all else, strive to maintain a positive relationship. “Burn no bridge.”
As do-gooders, sometimes we feel as if we can do no wrong, and as though fulfilling the mission trumps everything else, even our bad behavior. But instead our mission suffers when we treat our staff with disrespect.
Have you seen examples of bad nonprofit management?