The Hickman Report

• Regarding nonprofit management and governance — some ideas of merit.

Per The Hickman Report – updated as time permits

Taking a nonprofit forward is never an easy task. If you are a board member, an executive director, or a department leader, the challenges are many.

For one thing, the expectations within any “system” exist in the form of stated goals, previous and forthcoming goals: even as nebulous dreams.  Expectations, of all shapes and sizes, can easily get out of control without anyone’s true awareness or understanding.

It’s been my observation, in fact, that unspoken or misunderstood expectations can rock the boat most any day of the week.

Who thought?  Who knew?  But why?

So if you are in a leadership position as staff, board, compensated volunteer, or just a dedicated volunteer … get to know the people you work with.  Get to know the people you serve.  Help them figure out their unspoken expectations; help them get to know you.

Talk.  Share.  Brainstorm.  (Brainstorming, by the way, can be a very revealing process.)

While this can take time, and may sound obvious, too often people rely on what is stated as “the goal” within the organization.

Yet, as we know from human nature, much of what goes on in life is never fully articulated.

So before you rush to assume, or think you know who expects what from whom, take time for open communication on a frequent basis.

Diffuse issues that are dormant but just waiting to make an appearance.  Build strength behind the scenes where the real action is, usually.  And if you’re leading a retreat or a seminar, even a board development workshop, cover “expectation management” in length.

Even great expectations become land mines when organizational understanding is limited.

Help people figure out if what they want is reasonable, realistic, or just a fantasy they nurture — feeling ever-so-annoyed when their pastel dreams fail to flourish or even sprout.  And ask them if they’ve shared this “quiet dream” with anyone else in the organization.  Seek out those hidden agendas.

This process will help your nonprofit function more smoothly and will enhance feelings of appreciation and satisfaction on many different levels.

Yes, it takes a strong commitment, but encouraging (and facilitating) clear-thinking and clarification is a wise investment of energy and time.

• SPECIAL NOTE

The Hickman Report will be updated as time permits.

Please email me if you would value a more regular publication or if you have special topics you would like me to address.

Write to dhann

@ dazydaywriter. com

or @ sunnyroomstudio.com

You can also follow me on Twitter @dazydaywriter or find me on Facebook.

–D.A. (Daisy) Hickman

Report published 2-24-2010