As we approach summer, the talent market is getting hotter. It is imperative for organizations to be more future-oriented, more concerned with selecting the proper direction and the most capable leader. The articles in this edition of the Pinnacle Advantage address these important topics.
Today's nonprofit leaders have to be capable of dealing with problems and issues that demand courage, decisiveness, and action. This makes the distinction between leadership and management talent quite critical in an organization's growth and evolution.
Regards,
Priscilla
The Interim Interlude in a Transition
by Priscilla Rosenwald
One of the most overlooked opportunities in executive transitions is how to make the most of the interim period, which is the time between the departure of the incumbent and when the new executive starts. Often boards think of this time as a problem and rush to find someone to “bridge the gap.”
Providing stable management for an organization when it is without a permanent executive is certainly a crucial role, but so much more is possible. A well-trained intentional interim can help institute changes that help turn around an organization in crisis. In stable organizations they can provide an important respite between a founder or other “big shoes” leader and his/her successor. This interim time is often essential for the organization to come to terms with its history and address any latent issues, and for the staff, board members, and volunteers to deal with their own sense of grief and loss in order to be ready to embrace a new leader.
With the economy getting tighter and the costs of hiring growing, more and more I get the question, “What are the top three things our organization needs to do to hire and keep an effective fundraiser?” I could list twenty, but boiling it down to three …
Know what kind of fundraising you want to do. Despite what you may think or want, nobody can do everything. Yet trying to do everything, especially when “everything” includes a lot that someone doesn't naturally do well, is a major reason why fundraisers quickly become ineffective. So ask yourself “What three (at most) kinds of fundraising does our organization want to be wildly successful at doing?” Hire for the skills and personality that will make those three happen.
Recruitment and Hiring System — KenCrest, Inc., Plymouth Meeting, PA
Executive Director — Ringing Rocks Foundation, Sedona, AZ
Executive Vice President, Director of Development — People’s Emergency Center, Philadelphia, PA
Executive Director — Workmen’s Circle, New York, NY
Chief Executive Officer — Octavia Hill Association, Philadelphia, PA
Chief Advancement Officer — Children’s Scholarship Fund, Philadelphia, PA
Director of Communications — Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
Executive Director — Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Wilmington, DE
Priscilla Rosenwald is the Principal of Leadership Recruiters, an executive search firm providing strategic staffing and leadership development for socially responsible organizations.
Matt Hugg brings his development expertise to the identification and selection of fundraising talent.