Though there are many differences between running an academic department and a non-profit, there are also many similarities. Given the parallels, I bring you his list, Through Non-Profit Eyes. There are two items on the list (#'s 2 & 12) that do not translate well to non-profits, so I have added #'s 13 & 14 to ensure you get a full dozen! Enjoy...
1. Start serving others. While reaching this role may be the culmination of a career or an exciting promotion of which you are rightfully proud, you must remember that your job is to serve the organization and its constituents. It is not for you to make yourself look good or gain power.
Connect with those benefiting from your organization. Praise employee accomplishments in e-mails, newsletters, and meetings. Host brunches and awards banquets, as applicable. Greet everyone when you arrive in the office, and thank everyone when you leave.
2.Stop loving students.
3. Get organized. No matter how passionate you are about your organization, if you are confused in thought, word, or deed, you will create problems for yourself and fail in fundamental tasks. Organization is critical for you to meet all of your objectives and to serve as a good example for your employees, volunteers & donors.
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3. Get organized. No matter how passionate you are about your organization, if you are confused in thought, word, or deed, you will create problems for yourself and fail in fundamental tasks. Organization is critical for you to meet all of your objectives and to serve as a good example for your employees, volunteers & donors.
Stay on track by updating a calendar that reminds you of deadlines and tasks on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. Create a timeline of recurring activities and events, from scheduling annual reviews and honoring deadlines for promotions to event planning and sending solicitations.
4. Appoint a leadership team. This will vary based on the size of your organization and staff. Ideally, you will appoint a leadership team that represents the operations (budget, facilities, HR etc.), fundraising, marketing and the service component of your organization. Review current and upcoming tasks and donor relationships with the team. This will allow the various key members of your team to weigh in with thoughts, opinions and differing perspectives.
5. Be transparent. Transparency is one of the most desired traits in today's non-profit. If a potential donor does not believe an organization is being transparent, he/she is much less likely to support the NPO. When writing memos, keep in mind that anyone may read it. This will help you write more concisely and factually. Keep such memos in a public place - even online. This you will send the message that you've got nothing to hide.
When you can, pass along messages from key stakeholders and board members. Let your staff know that you will share as much as you can with them, without violating confidences.
6. Learn how to run a meeting. There are many non-profit employees who complain about the time wasted in meetings. Some important rules that you should set for staff meetings:
- Call for agenda items one week in advance
- Keep and approve minutes (post online)
- Ask people to inform you about announcements or achievements and send them out as an e-mail or PDF rather than waste time reading them aloud at meetings.
- Set a standing meeting time that does not conflict with others' schedules.
- Limit meetings to once a month, and keep them under 90 minutes.
7. Create an advisory committee. This is similar to your leadership team, but can include non-payroll stakeholders who help you fine-tune projects and objectives. The advisory committee should be used for advice, whereas the leadership team can be used to make decisions.
8. Honor governance policies. Seek out any internal policies or guidelines under which your organization has operated. Gain an understanding and appreciation for these policies, but do not let them box you into a corner. If any of these guidelines are preventing your organization from reaching its potential, review your concerns with the leadership team & advisory committee.
9. Resist the natural tendency to play favorites. Little explanation is needed - this can divide a team and create undo angst on your staff. That being said, you need to be self-aware enough to ensure you are treating the team fairly.
8. Honor governance policies. Seek out any internal policies or guidelines under which your organization has operated. Gain an understanding and appreciation for these policies, but do not let them box you into a corner. If any of these guidelines are preventing your organization from reaching its potential, review your concerns with the leadership team & advisory committee.
9. Resist the natural tendency to play favorites. Little explanation is needed - this can divide a team and create undo angst on your staff. That being said, you need to be self-aware enough to ensure you are treating the team fairly.
10. Become an advocate for civility and diversity. (Unchanged from Bugeja's piece:) Inclusivity should be at the top of your administrative agenda. Devise a diversity plan with professors if your department lacks one and refer to it in routine e-mails or meetings, when occasion allows. Insist on collegiality in employee reviews. Act immediately to deal with stereotyping, harassment, and incivility in others. Especially important is the nurturing of a climate welcoming to women and members of underrepresented groups. Respect for differing viewpoints is essential in any learning environment, and yours should celebrate that as a benchmark for success.
11. Make sure faculty members have mentors. I could not agree with this more. If you replace "faculty" with "staff," you have a critical tool for improving your organization. This is particularly essential with your fundraising staff, where having a mentor for working with potential donors can be invaluable. You will also find great personal reward as those you have "grown" on your team move on to executive roles.
12. Relearn the promotion-and-tenure process.
"Replacement rules" for those I crossed off:
13. Know your budget. While having a budget officer is a wonderful luxury, it is important that you know and own your organization's budget. This will provide you with a much better understanding of the impact of all strategic decisions. It will also make you more comfortable saying "yes" and "no" to ideas.
14. Know your mission. A few years ago, I was giving a presentation to a large number of non-profit administrators. I posed the question to the group "Without using any other resources, can you recite your organization's mission?" Fewer than 10% could. To which I followed up: "If we don't know what our mission is, how can we make a passionate appeal for support and how do we know we're heading in the right direction?"
Knowing your mission may only illustrate that you are good at memorizing phrases... but owning it and being passionate about what your NPO does will be evident in your demeanor and actions.
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I hope you find these tips useful... Are there any others you would add? Share them below in the comments section!
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