New ED skills: What do you need?

Don't be scared!

This Wednesday, I will be giving a workshop called "Executive Director 101".  What I wanted to call it was "Everything I wish I would have known but didn't when I started my first Executive Director job" but that's a little too long.

I half jokingly say I was hired to be an Executive Director for the first time because I had three important qualities (in no priority order):  I didn't need medical insurance, I was willing to do it for the meager salary, and I was willing to learn on the job.  I had some skills and education but none of that really prepared me to lead a small nonprofit organization, more or less by the seat of my pants.

I thought what the organization needed was my stellar marketing and communication skills, which I felt confidently about.  What I realized is that marketing and communications are only effective when you have your story straight, that the organization is on solid ground financially, and you have something to offer that meets a need.  I didn't figure that out until about a year into the job however, and it took another year to start making those changes before my marketing and communication skills would really come into play.

For example, we needed and eventually did reexamine our mission and purpose in relation to the community today, not what existed when the organization was created.  As founders still linger in the organization, either in formal positions like the Board or informally, the mission kind of gets stuck in the "this is what we envisioned when we started this".  But as founders step away or move on, the mission can be critically analyzed in relation to the community that exists around them today and in relation to the future.  That is hard to do with founders still in the picture and intimidating for a leader to ask them to do.

Once the mission was clarified, then programs had to be realigned with that mission in ways that best served the current as well as the intended future audience that had yet to engage with the organization. That meant changes to hours, volunteers, staffing, programming, and finances, pretty much every aspect of the organization.

Systems had to be brought up to date or created to improve efficiency and effectiveness such as investments in technology or training.

Next, the Board needed to reflect the community, and those with institutional memory had to be recognized and appreciated, but new ideas were needed to broad the organization's appeal and relevance.

Now honestly, as an Executive Director for four years, not all of these changes took place while I was at the helm. They continue today, so I know the organization is focused on being relevant and aspirational.

So what would I have liked to know before I took on my first Executive Director position?  Certainly some technical skills were challenging like fund accounting, donor database management, grantwriting and website maintenance.  These are important but what was more important was knowing that leading an organization is very much a hands-on experience, you need to just get in there and look around for support to help guide your learning and decisions.  I made mistakes and some were more very useful to me and the organization as we continued to grow.  I am very appreciative
for a patient board that allowed me to take some risks.  I hope all new Executive Directors are just as lucky in their first role.