“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. Charles Dickens’ words could be used to describe those non-profits which grow, but are faced with lingering growing pains. Robin Morgan shares, in this post, her thoughts on growth and growing pains in the non-profit world.
Looking at how non-profit typically grow is the tale of two types of organizations. Those that grow smoothly and those that don’t. This post will hopefully offer useful food for thought for Executive Directors who desire to lead an organization which avoids turbulent growth.
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Robin Morgan
Growth
In the life of a non-profit there are three general levels of growth, namely: Early, Middle, and Maturity. With growth typically come growing pains. The day-to-day operation of a non-profit organization are where it’s growing pains flow from. In running a non-profit, each stage typically presents a distinct set of growth-related challenges and problems.
- A lot of non-profits hit the middle stage of growth – and the vexing growing pains which go with it. Some are in a free, no-rent space or building which doesn’t fit their needs anymore. Some find they are still using outdated, unreliable computers – because they were free. The space or computer equipment was given to the organization, but they are no longer serving the non-profit well.
Some organizations grow to this stage, suffer growing pains, and then get stuck! They reach a plateau, a middle stage plateau, and stay stuck there. They never move forward.
Some non-profits, however, do move forward. They get through the middle stage. The growing pains they typically face, at the stage of maturity, present a very different set of challenges.
Dealing with growth and growing pains: Directors and Boards
There are ways to deal with growing pains. There are ways to tackle growing pains or, in some cases, avoid anticipated growth-related challenges altogether. While the Executive Director is the face of the organization, their real role in growing successfully is often misunderstood. Dealing effectively with growing pains, I’ve observed, really depends more on an organization’s Board members than it’s Executive Director.
The Board of Directors play a crucial role in a non-profit’s growth, from the early stage to the middle stage to the stage of maturity. Improper board selection, consequently, lies at the root of the challenges which arise in running the organization. To put it simply, who an Executive Director (ED) chooses to be on the Board is very important. Does every member have to be well-aligned with a non-profit’s current growth stage? No, but over time an ED needs to be keenly aware of those Board members that aren’t – and prospective members who are so aligned.
An ED should carefully ponder 2 questions: Does the current or prospective Board Member fit the growth stage this organization is in? If at end of the early or middle stages, does the person fit the growth stage it’s about to enter too?
- So, if you are leading a non-profit in an advanced stage of growth, a Board Member who has been on your Board from Day One may no longer be the best fit for where the organization is at now.
- Whether selecting new members, or evaluating current members, an ED needs to fully understand the stage which the non-profit is in when cultivating Board members.
The Life of a Growing Non-profit
Running a young non-profit is very different than running a mature, established one. The actions of the Board are, I feel, paramount in not being overwhelmed by growing pains.
When careful consideration is given to an ED’s board membership choices, a non-profit will be best positioned to minimize, eliminate, or avoid growing pains. Lastly, there needs to be a good, seamless relationship between the ED and the Board. However good a Board or ED are, individually, if the relationship between them is lacking, a non-profit will suffer.
- In a nutshell, if they don’t work well together, if they are more likely to engage in disagreements than harmonious exchanges, the non-profit’s management will be part of the problem – not part of the solution.
LEARN
1. Like any small business, a non-profit goes through growing pains and a maturation process.
2. Every successful non-profit organization will reach an inflection point, where they either push through, grow, and mature OR they simply never get fully off the ground on their own, and they stagnate.
3. While the Executive Director (ED) creates the vision, true non-profit management evolves from the ED’s Board direction and leadership.
4. Your board will have to grow and evolve, based on where you’re at and where your non-profit needs to go.
5. Ask yourself this question: Does my Board of Directors really fit where my non-profit is at now?
GROW
In building an organization, just getting started is hard. Many times, just sheer passion and perseverance may carry you through your early years.
When you seek to grow and evolve to the next level, add employees, and be truly viable, and evolve into the middle growth stage, things can become really hard. Why? Because now, what it took to get you started, isn’t what it will take to truly move forward.
A few nuggets of truth to consider at this juncture:
Consider the words of Jim Collins, in his bestseller Good to Great, when cultivating your Board of Directors:
“Look, I don’t really know where we should take this bus. But I know this much: If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we’ll figure out how to take it someplace great”.
In Built to Last, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras move beyond what many folks routinely claim are ‘keys to success’. They essentially state that the things which many believe are keys to a visionary company aren’t. What are these keys they are referring to? Having the great idea, a charismatic leader, maximizing profits, beating down the competitors, and hiring outside leaders to spark the organization. These aren’t, they believe, the critical tools for building such a company. A core value system is, Collins and Porras feel, the linchpin for building and running a visionary company which is built to last.
The critical nature of a person’s core, as it pertains to the physical body, really drives the point home.
“Think of your core muscles as the sturdy central link in a chain connecting your upper and lower body. Whether you’re hitting a tennis ball or mopping the floor, the necessary motions either originate in your core, or move through it.
No matter where motion starts, it ripples upward and downward to adjoining links of the chain. Thus, weak or inflexible core muscles can impair how well your arms and legs function. Properly building up your core cranks up the power. A strong core also enhances balance and stability. Thus, it can help prevent falls and injuries during sports or other activities. In fact, a strong, flexible core underpins almost everything you do.” (HEALTHbeat, Harvard Health Publications)
Let’s take this analogy and apply it to your non-profit. It all begins with operating from an Executive Director’s strong core values, namely:
- Embody the mission
- Humility and faith
- Being teachable
- Being a collaborator
- Self awareness (knowing your strengths and weaknesses)
If you have these values, you can apply them to the organization you lead. You’ll be well positioned to move smoothly though each growth stage (i.e. face fewer growing pains). However, Executive Directors who don’t possess any of these core values with have a journey of stagnation and painful growth.
Lastly, it’s very helpful to strive to have the right board at all times. Doing so will allow you to successfully operate, reflecting a philosophy espoused by Henry Ford:
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success”.
- What is the biggest growth-related challenge you’ve faced? How did you deal with this challenge? (We welcome your comments and feedback)
Don’t let growing pains hurt or halt your non-profit’s ability to move forward! Do not get stuck and let your critical mission go unfulfilled. Don’t let your ‘best of times’ growth and prosperity be compromised by challenges you can’t overcome – with some of the strategies offered in this post.
Your Outcomes Well
Better outcomes through Best Practices (Non-profit leaders)
Photo credit: Jerry Worster/flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Your Outcomes Well
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