power Steering: A Year for learning
January 2009
- Measuring Success
- Time Management Ideas for Nonprofit Leaders
- Learn. Teach. Repeat
- Working Smarter in 2009 - Investing in You
- Nonprofit of the Month: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas
Measuring Success
By Kim Wilson, Greenlights
Businesses have it easy.
Success is (largely) measured by net profits. I know, you might say that “customer satisfaction” and “employee retention” are important measures of success for business but, at the end of the day, happy customers and employees result in greater profits. The only area where this broad generalization is debatable is, perhaps, in the area of corporate social responsibility.
For those of us who exist solely to create “public profit,” the questions of:
- What is success, and
- Are we making progress toward achieving it?
can be more difficult to answer, although no less important. The resources it takes for us to have an impact are frequently provided by individuals, corporations, and foundations who derive no direct personal gain from their gifts. Thus, the onus is on us, the stewards of these contributions, to use these resources effectively.
Moreover, in times of scarcity, it is absolutely necessary that we engage in activities that we know will lead directly to our success.
Ask yourself:
- Do you know what success looks like for your organization? What is the passion that drives your efforts?
- Do you have a plan for getting there?
- Do you have metrics in place for assessing:
- Whether you are on target vís-a-vís your plan, and
- Whether your plan is going to ultimately enable you to get where you are trying to go?
- And do you have a process in place for who gathers this data, how, when and where it goes?
Well-designed evaluation metrics and systems can be used at the organizational, departmental, and activity levels to track progress toward goals internally as well as with external stakeholders like your board and funders.
Well-designed metrics are SMART:
- Specific,
- Easy to Measure (i.e. the effort to gather/analyze data makes sense given the resources involved),
- Achievable with the resources available,
- Relevant to the overall vision, mission and goals of the program, and
- Time-Specific.
Moreover, you know when you have them because conversations about whether programs are on track and decisions about what to do differently become easier at all levels within the organization.
Kim Wilson is the Development Director at Greenlights. She has also helped a variety of clients in Austin and Pittsburgh to design their evaluation metrics and systems.
Time Management Ideas for Nonprofit Leaders
By Matt Kouri, Greenlights
I feel a bit hypocritical writing an article about how to better manage your time because, as my staff (and certainly my wife and kids!) will tell you, I haven’t been the best time manager recently. Like many of you, I suspect, I’ve tended to fill many of my days with back-to-back meetings, I often have to schedule donor and other important meetings weeks out because my calendar is so full, and I often find myself working late at night just to be prepared for the next day’s demands. You probably understand that these are often just part of being a leader in a nonprofit organization, where we suffer from the confluence of high demand for our programs and insufficient resources to meet that demand. At the same time, we have a responsibility as leaders to ensure that the most critical and most limited resource at our disposal – our time – is used in the most effective and efficient manner possible.
I present below 5 proven time management strategies for nonprofit leaders (or managers of any ilk) that I think will serve you well.
Tip #1: Assess how you spend your time. It’s hard to know how you can improve your time management until you know how you are allocating your time right now. So, set aside about 15 minutes to do this simple little analysis of your schedule. In a spreadsheet (or for those of you who are Excel-averse, use a pen and paper), make 5 columns, one for each day of the work week. If you feel the need to add a Saturday or a Sunday column, you really need help! Then, make a series of rows under those columns and give them labels for the major categories of how you spend your time (e.g., Staff meetings, Emails, Phone calls, Fundraising, Service delivery, Board relations, etc.) Next, evaluate your “typical” week and assign the average number of hours per day you are spending on each activity.
Finally, take a step back and look at the total allocation of your time, and ask yourself the following questions:
- Does this time allocation truly reflect the priorities I should have as a leader?
- Is this a long-term sustainable schedule for me to manage?
- What things am I doing that someone else on our team could do as well as or better than me?
- Does this schedule represent an appropriate work-life balance
Use the answers to these questions to help you re-allocate your time going forward.
Tip #2: Prioritize and delegate. Most nonprofit leaders I know (including this one!) have something of a martyr complex: we want to protect our team members, many of whom are overworked and underpaid, from too much work and responsibility, so we take on too much for ourselves and don’t adequately delegate. This has two negative effects: first, it wears us down, which is not in the long-term interest of our organizations; and second, it often prevents others on our teams from getting the experience they need to grow as leaders themselves. So, after completing the above assessment, take some time, maybe even with your board leadership and your staff, to prioritize the things that you need to be focusing on; then intentionally delegate those meetings, decisions, etc. that don’t make the top of your priority list. One of my favorite Peter Drucker quotes is “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” Great leaders spend their time doing the right things and doing them well.
Tip #3: Keep a running “to-discuss” list for each of your direct reports. Rather than jump up to go talk with my team members every time an issue or question arises (which, unless the issue is urgent, can end up being a somewhat inefficient use of time), I now keep a list in a notebook for each of the items I need to discuss with my direct reports. Then, we have regular weekly meetings (30 minutes to an hour each) at which we discuss and resolve issues. While it was somewhat painful to set up 4 regular meetings a week with my team, I’ve found that it is actually a time saver in the long term.
Tip #4: Make a “Stop Doing” list. We are all good at making “to-do” lists, but most of us also need a Stop Doing list where we document the things that we are either delegating to someone else or not doing altogether. Jim Collins, leading business author of Good to Great and the Social Sectors, stresses that to become a “Level 5 Leader,” it is as important to make Stop Doing lists as it is to make to-do lists.
Tip #5: Block time each day to catch up. I learned a couple of years ago that the best way to keep me from working every evening was to block time on my calendar (which is really easy to do, especially if you use Microsoft Outlook or another electronic calendar) each day from 4:30-5:30 for “Catch Up Time.” This is time I set aside each day to return phone calls, respond to urgent emails, etc. Only I can intrude upon this time, and only for very important client, donor, or board member needs.
Full disclosure requires that I do not claim to have mastered all of these 5 tips (and neither will you, most likely), but I can say that each has helped me do just a little better in managing my time, which in turn has ripple effects throughout our organization and through the individuals and organizations we serve. Good luck!
Learn. Teach. Repeat
By Ann Starr, Greenlights
Those of us in the nonprofit business know that there is truth in the phrase “in giving, we receive.” For many of our volunteers and donors, the good feelings that come from helping others are their primary reason for getting involved. In The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Dr. Deepak Chopra explains the Universal Law of Giving and Receiving like this:
“The universe operates through dynamic exchange...giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.”
As Greenlights’ new Director of Education, I am very excited about the countless opportunities our team has to practice giving and receiving, or—to use educational terms—learning and teaching. I am eager to explore new opportunities for sharing information, connecting people, and empowering our colleagues to do their best work. And because I believe that “in giving, we receive,” I know that the process will allow us to learn and our organization will be enriched over and over again.
2009 will be a year in which Greenlights takes time to reevaluate and even further strengthen many of our educational programs. As we develop our program offerings for the year and consider new ways of presenting information, I sincerely hope you’ll share your thoughts on how we can serve you better or differently. If you have a resource or expertise you’d like to share through Greenlights, please let us know. Together we can strengthen our community and empower our fellow citizens in countless ways.
The cycle of giving and receiving is unending and applies to us all, no matter our title, experience, or age. At this time of economic uncertainty, it is important to remember that in order to receive, we must give. In order to grow, we must help others grow. In order to “keep the abundance of the universe circulating” for our organizations, we must be willing to share the resources we have with others. Learn. Teach. Repeat.
You can share your thoughts and ideas about Greenlights' educational programs with Ann Starr at starra@greenlights.org or 512-477-5955 ext. 249.
Working Smarter in 2009 - Investing in You
By Mary Alice Carnes, Greenlights
Happy 2009! I love the feeling that the New Year brings, don’t you? There’s the promise and hope of 365 days of new possibilities. If you’re searching for ways to build on your strengths as a nonprofit staff member and you’re taking a closer look at skills you’d like to develop, then your timing is perfect. In a 2008 Philanthropy Journal article “Building Nonprofit Skills – And People,” Deputy Editor Ret Boney stated that in 2005, corporations invested about $1,000 per employee on professional development while “nonprofits and governments, on the other hand, spent an average of $656 per employee.” There’s no time like the present to invest in your future. Even with the present economy (or perhaps because of the economy), now more than ever it’s important to be the smartest and most effective worker you can be.
Turn your knowledge into power. Resolve to put professional development at the top of your to-do list for 2009 and be a part of a community of learners with fun, productive, and interactive learning that develops your skills and helps you be a more effective and confident nonprofit director, staff member, or volunteer.
The first quarter of professional development sessions in 2009 at Greenlights for NonProfit Success focuses on areas from Strategic Planning to Leadership Advancement – very powerful tools! Highlights on the current training schedule include:
- Elizabeth Smith Alexander’s Hope: A Creative Process for Producing Giant Leaps of Change. Alexander made her Greenlights “debut” at last year’s Crossroads Conference to a sell-out crowd. Her expanded 2009 session will dig deeper into practical ways to incorporate hope into the culture of your organization and evaluate positive changes.
- Get a handle on building clear financial statements, effective charts, and more with Powering Up: Mastering Excel's Advanced Features presented by Tina Arnold. From Good to Great offers you the essential elements of strategic planning, while new Executive Directors can hone their leadership skills with Greenlights’ signature training ED 101: Essential Training for Emerging Executive Directors, an intensive three-day program for emerging Executive Directors.
- If you’re looking for an advanced session on being a more effective leader, join Kristie Loescher from Red McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas for Leading in a Dynamic Environment: How to Inspire and Influence Your Team. If you’re a new nonprofit supervisor or want to be one, join us for Ready to Lead?-- Essential Supervisory Skills presented by Kathleen McClesky, KM Consulting and Training.
- You asked for it and it’s here: a full day of learning the art and science of successful silent and live auctions. Gayle Stallings, Benefit Auctioneer Specialist at FUNauctions, leads Don’t Leave Money on the Table: Boosting Your Silent and Live Auction Profits.
- Board Primer: What Excellent Boards Do is a fast-paced, hands-on training on best practices that every nonprofit board member should know. Get valuable information about board member roles and responsibilities, financial management, policymaking, fundraising, planning, and how to work with staff and colleagues.
- Finally, you won’t want to miss our ever popular Five Minute Connection Media Training and Media Tour. Learn to develop a relationship with the media, frame your organization’s message, and respond appropriately when the media calls you. Media expert Melanie Fish and a panel of special guests from print, radio, and TV will guide you with tips on what is truly newsworthy and how to get the media’s attention. Plus, you’ll put your learning to practice right away with a scheduled media tour with local outlets. Past media partners include the Austin American-Statesman, KVUE-TV, Austin Business Journal, KOOP Radio, News8, and more!
For additional information or to register for any Greenlights event, please visit www.greenlights.org.
Moving on Up…to a NEW LOCATION
Greenlights has moved to new offices just a few short miles up the road from our old location. We’re now at 7703 N. Lamar Blvd, Suite 400, Austin, TX 78752, on the Southeast corner of N. Lamar and 183. Please visit our website for detailed directions to our new office.
But Wait, There’s More!
Be on the lookout early this spring for announcements on additional workshops and events. Check the Greenlights website for frequent updates as we continue to add to the training schedule, including fundraising and financial management training, Lunch & Learns (short and sweet informal discussions on a variety of innovative topics), the Board Summit (a Greenlights’ board matching event bringing nonprofits and potential new board members together), peer-focused Breakfast Series, and the 8th annual Crossroads Conference on NonProfit Excellence, the only conference in Central Texas focused solely on the interests of nonprofit professionals and board members.
We look forward to seeing you this year and welcoming you to our new offices as we work together to build a stronger future for our nonprofit community.
Nonprofit of the Month: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas
Last year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas (BBBS) provided more than 82,000 hours of mentoring to 1,662 kids in 6 counties across Central Texas. This January, as they celebrate National Mentoring Month, Greenlights would like to celebrate them as our Nonprofit of the Month.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a one-to-one mentoring organization that matches adult volunteers with children ages 6-16 to share everyday experiences and activities. The minimum length of the commitment asked of volunteers is one year, so they have the chance to develop a long-term beneficial relationship with their littles. BBBS of Central Texas excels in this regard, with their average match length being 22 months, one of the best match lengths out of more than 400 agencies across the nation.
Part of what makes their program so successful is the match support system in place for every participant. Ever volunteer, child, and family in the program is assigned a match specialist to provide, first and foremost, a safe experience for the kids, and additionally to offer project ideas, conflict resolution, and other services. These professional, degreed staff check in with the volunteer, family, and child at least once a month.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas offers two main program types: community-based and site-based. In their community-based program, an adult volunteer is matched with a child based on similar interests and spends time with his or her Little Brother or Sister a few times a month. The site-based program takes place at schools, where an adult volunteer spends time with his or her Little Brother or Sister once a week at the child’s school, usually during lunch. In addition to these two programs, BBBS offers an educational services component where they provide tutoring, workshops, testing, and a $2,000 scholarship incentive for each child (7th grade or higher) who participates in the program for at least one year.
Big Brothers Big Sisters encourages volunteers to find low- and no-cost activities to engage in with their Littles. To help with this, they offer several agency-sponsored events throughout the year, including the always popular Hobie Day, a holiday party at County Line, pumpkin carvings, and many more. Volunteers also have access to discounted and free tickets to restaurants and movies; family fun centers; and arts, music, and sporting events.
In honor of National Mentoring Month, Greenlights is happy to recognize Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas as January’s Nonprofit of the Month. Please consider giving your time as a volunteer for BBBS, or show your support by participating in their Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser, coming up this February. For more information, visit their website or contact Melanie Chasteen at Melanie@bbbscentraltx.org.