Team BUILT Ideas and Inspirations
Are you afraid to ask?
by John Dougherty on 02/16/11
This week I thought I would pose this question to all of the nonprofit executives out there. Why? Because over the past several years I have recognized an interesting phenomenon among Executive Directors/CEO's in the sector . . .the fear of asking questions.
As I thought about the vast duties and responsibilities that any nonprofit executive faces I first asked myself, how is this possible? If they don't ask questions how do they know what they are doing? How do they know if they are doing it the best way possible?
But, then I realized that is precisely the issue. Many nonprofit executives are afraid to ask questions because they fear that others will think that their questions mean they don't know what they are doing.
Make sense? Absolutely! Nonprofit executives are faced with a unique set of challenges as a result of perceived expectations. With pressure from nonprofit board members who come (hopefully) from diverse personal and professional backgrounds, to often limited support staff needing guidance in a full range of business operations, there are a lot of people asking them questions. But the misperception is that a nonprofit executive should or could have all of the answers. And that misperception is dangerous, not only for the board and staff, but for the entire organization.
So I would challenge you to ask yourself, are you afraid to ask questions? If so, why? Do you fear that your board, staff or even funders will think less of you if you ask questions, or don't have all of the answers? If this is the case then you may want to consider what this might mean for you and your organization. Are you as a leader confident that you have all of the best answers to most effectively deliver your mission? Are you missing opportunities by not having another perspective or content expertise when making strategic decisions?
That said, I hope that when you ask yourself these questions you will realize and accept that YOU CAN"T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS ALL THE TIME and . . . THAT IS OK!
What YOU CAN DO is . . .take advantage of resources like this blog, on-line resource groups, local experts, your board and your staff to get the perspective and hopefully the best answers to your questions. Establish an executive support group in your community to help you gain knowledge from those who have already done what you are doing. And don't be afraid to ask ANY question . . . because at the end of the day you are entrusted with the responsibility for having the best answer and best strategy for delivering your mission, no matter where or who it comes from.
So ask away!
Actions DO Speak Louder!
by John Dougherty on 02/01/11
Whether with friends and family, or with colleagues and co-workers, it is not what we say that defines who we are it is what we do . . . and how we do it.
Last week a client came to me sharing his plans about how it was going to be a "new day" for his business. He was turning over a new leaf that was going to help him be more successful. He spoke of a new culture of accountability, a work environment that supports creativity and collaboration, and a focus on getting results.
So I asked him, "what are you going to DO to acheive this new level of success?" Our conversation came to a screeching halt. And he said "I just told you".
This situation is all too common among managers and leaders who are responsible for establishing the culture of their organization. In fact it is even common among those of us who are parents and are responsible for setting the expectations of our children. In both cases we often mistakenly believe that we just have to say how things will be to make it so. And then we go on doing things the same old way . . and get the same old results.
If my client wants to turn over a new leaf, he has to do more than say that the leaf is turned over. He must be willing to first make the effort to pick it up and turn it over, show others how to do it, and only then does he get to talk about it.
In one of my mini-classes about Effective Communication, participants repeatedly hear me say, "everything we say and everything we do is a reflection of who we are". And depending upon the position we are in it may be a reflection of our business or organization. So, if you want to be recognized as an organization that operates with integrity it is critical that what you do and what you say match.
While this may seem to be a simple task, it can oftentimes be one of the greatest challenges to a business or organization, both internally and externally. When your actions and your message do not align it is nearly impossible to build respect and trust as a leader, internally. Likewise, if your clients or constituents recognize this it can have a dramatic impact on their willingness to support, endorse or use your services.
The bottom line is this, as you think about your business or organization and the mission, vision and values you hold, are they reflected in both what you do and what you say? If not, why not? and how might aligning your words and your actions change the success of your business or organization?
Share your thoughts and stories and let's learn and grow together!
DEFINING YOUR SUCCESS
by John Dougherty on 01/22/11
An interesting discussion with a colleague this week caused me to take pause and ask myself how I define success, for myself and my clients. The conversation was with a person who was frustrated by the contradiction she felt in her definition of success and that of her employer.
The heart of this conversation really was a question of what to do when your personal/professional values, such as how successess is defined, doesn't align with that of your employers culture. A question I believe we have all asked ourselves at one time or another.
My first response was that she take the time to evaluate and define success for herself, so that regardless of her company's expectations she would know and be able to celebrate when she was achieving her successes. And for many people I have worked with this is a daily routine that enables them to cope with and keep showing up to work every day.
But on a higher level I think this question is much more challenging. A believer in the mission of organizations like the Aspen Institute, which advances value based leadership, simply suggesting that someone accepts their lot in life and just finds ways to cope is not a philosophy I would encourage.
So, I thought I would suggest some ideas on how you might prevent this situation and challenge you as readers to help me share other ideas. So here we go:
1. When choosing a career/job be sure, above all else, that you are committed to and your values align with the mission, vision and values of the organization. Because, if the organization is living its mission fully, then regardless of everything else, you can find the reassurance you need there.
2. If you are in a job/career that the mission, vision and values you were told are not currently lived out then you have to ask yourself some difficult questions. Can I do my job effectively and advance the mission individually in a way that is satisfying to me? Can I be an effective catalyst to help the organization realign to its mission?
But I would suggest that if your organization is not living its mission and you can't answer one of these two questions with a confident YES! Then you need to find your success elsewhere.
Defining your success is the same as setting any goal you have in life, whether personal or professional. If you don't know what it is then you can't achieve it. And if you can't achieve it then you can't experience the satisfaction of SUCCESS!
So, take some time to define YOUR success. And then ask yourself those questions and make sure that you are giving yourself and those people, businesses and organizations the best opportunity to experience success.
Then take some time to share your successes and help spread your ideas and inspirations with us here at Team Built.
The Beginning
by John Dougherty on 01/04/11
Everything in life has a beginning. People, places, organizations and ideas. This is the beginning of Team BUILT's Ideas and Inspirations blog. It is a place where I hope to begin conversations, share ideas and inspire new beginnings for those that read and share with me.
As ideas and inspirations come to me I hope that I can share them with you as a resource for your personal and professional growth and that of your organization. Likewise I hope that readers and writers will use this blog as a place to share and inspire others.
So keep watching as this new adventure takes off and join me in growing together.
