Management Basics for Newer Executive Directors MNN Annual Conference - October 21, 2015

1. Management Basics for Newer Executive DirectorsMNN Annual Conference - October 21, 2015 Annette Rubin Coaching to Potential www.coachingtopotential.com

2. Management basics: what will we address today? • Embark on a listening and learning campaign • Take the pulse of the organization’s “business” • Share and promote the mission and vision • Develop and communicate initial plan and strategies • Outline clear and specific expectations • Secure the right team • Balance inward and outward facing roles • Establish a strong, engaged board

3. Embark on listening and learning campaign Get info and perspective before you make decisions and take action: fact-finding and relationship building, identify red flags • Engage staff • Show that you value their input – take notes, follow up • Gain context, perspectives and identify any concerns • Get to know staff strengths and weaknesses • Meet with each board member • Identify key priorities and concerns • Establish rapport and trust • Get sense of communication style and level of engagement • Connect with key funders and constituent representatives • Ask staff and board for list of people/organizations • Identify issues of interest, perspectives on organization • Encourage continued communication • Connect with former ED if available • Observe programs in action • Just listen and watch; Learn about content, potential challenges Share your experiences: what happened when you implemented a listening campaign or when you didn’t?

4. Take the pulse of the organization’s “business” • Review and make sure you understand the finances • Balance sheet • Financial statement • What are the liabilities? • What might be future liabilities, is there a “cliff” • How are finances currently managed? Role of staff, board? • What is the revenue picture? • How were the past year’s revenues? • How does it compare to this year so far? • What funding is anticipated? • What sources have been tapped? What new sources have been considered? • Who has a role in fundraising besides the ED (staff, board, volunteers) • How is data managed? What process is in place to evaluate impact? • How is HR handled?

5. Share and promote the mission and vision • Inspire others with a common mission and vision • Mission is the reason for existing – provides clarity for why work is important • Vision describes the future you want to create – provides understanding of where you are going • Secure input on existing vision and mission during listening campaign; review with staff and board, add your perspective and develop process for revision if necessary • Mission and vision should be clear, actionable, meaningful • Communicate organization mission and vision to all • Ensure that staff, board members and supporters can also articulate mission and vision – consistent narrative • Keep mission and vision as a living, working message! How can you keep the mission alive in your organization?

6. Develop and communicate initial plan and strategies • Operate strategically – create a written plan • Identify easy, early wins (low hanging fruit) • Focuses time and energy • Provides clarity for goals and resource allocation • Who should provide input? • What are the goals the organization wants to achieve? By when? • What is the outcome that is anticipated? • What are the steps/actions that need to be taken? • What is the timetable? • Who will be responsible for each action? • How will the plan be shared? With whom? • How will success be evaluated?

7. Outline clear and specific expectations • People can’t read your mind. If you don’t tell them what you expect, you won’t get it. • Involve individuals/team in defining expectations • Provide clarity regarding roles and responsibilities • Make sure priorities are clear and everyone is on the same page • Be realistic • Conduct status review meetings; check in • Be aware that if there has not been an organizational culture of direct communication, some people may not respond well

8. Secure the right team “Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” James Collins, Good to Great • Understand and evaluate current staff • Performance? • Commitment to new leadership? • Positive or negative affect on culture? • Identify “islands of excellence” and feed them • Develop talents and skills of your staff • Match people to strategy • Delegate! • Be strategic about new hires • Hire people who know more than you do or have skills you don’t have! • What if you don’t have any staff? How have you addressed staffing issues?

9. Balance inward and outward facing roles • The role of an ED is both operational (internal) and promotional (external). Both are necessary. • Establish both as equal priorities • Use calendar effectively to ensure time for both • Be careful not to become captive to internal operations • Identify ways to delegate some operational tasks • Schedule strategic time outside of the office and stick to it • Fundraising, promotion, public relations, marketing, board development, partnership development all require the ED to be external • The ED is typically the face of the organization • The ED brings the mission to life to all constituencies What has kept you from getting out? How have you addressed it?

10. Establish a strong, engaged board • The most effective organizations have a strong Executive Director and a strong board, working in partnership • Learn board’s strengths and weaknesses – build on strengths and work on weaknesses • Build relationships and trust as quickly as possible, especially with the board chair • Ensure regular and clear communication • Hold regular board meetings • Meet with individual board members several times annually • Meet with board chair monthly, and/or in preparation for board meetings • Recommend implementation of board agreement, if not already in place • Think strategically about who should be on the board and add members as appropriate • Board members should love the organization and be willing to work

11. QUESTIONS?COMMENTS? THANK YOU! Annette Rubin Coaching to Potential www.coachingtopotential.com ankrubin@gmail.com