|
Culture Matters
Ken Saxon
When I moved to Santa Barbara 15 years ago and was looking to engage with my new community through volunteer service, I got a great piece of advice. A longtime nonprofit volunteer told me to choose the organizations I worked with based on the culture and the people, not the cause. At first, this seemed counter-intuitive to me. What could be more integral to fulfilling volunteer service than a cause one was strongly committed to? Wouldn't that make it all worthwhile, even when the going got tough? Actually, no. I've served on boards of organizations where I love the cause but not the people, or where there is a significant amount of interpersonal dysfunction, and my experience is that nothing makes that service fulfilling for me. I just want to flee. On the other hand, I've had several experiences serving on boards of nonprofits that are going through very difficult times, but where I really like and respect the board and staff leaders I serve with - and that keeps me committed and coming back. Why do some organizations attract and keep great people, even through hard times, while others are more like a revolving door? Why do staff and volunteers engage and give the best of what they've got some places, and at others they do the bare minimum? I think much of the answer to these questions comes down to culture. In a nutshell, organizational culture is the "personality" of an organization - the attitudes, values, norms and assumptions that dominate there. Culture is very powerful, and trying to make organizational change without understanding culture is futile. The first step in changing organizational culture is to develop a shared awareness of the culture as it is now, what is helpful about it, and what about it holds the organization back. This is a critical understanding, because when culture is not properly aligned with strategic objectives, it can be an enormous and often insurmountable liability. What needs to change in your organization's culture? Maybe you need a culture that is more engaged, or collaborative, or innovative, or risk-taking. Some organizations need to get more externally oriented, because of a changing environment or a need for more resources. Others need a more performance-oriented staff culture, or one more open to outcomes measurement. Trying to change culture is a powerful intervention, but there are very real obstacles. To begin with, culture change is not a quick fix, but a long-term intervention. So many nonprofit leaders I see are always racing to make plan or keep the doors open and their programs going. A focus on culture can feel like something they have no time for. And as a leader who puts so much of yourself into your organization, it can be really hard to open yourself to change. If you see the way things are as a reflection of you, then any talk of change may bring up defensiveness in you. And you will be a big wet blanket on everyone else involved in the change process - either resulting in no real change, or to conflict as people confront you as an obstacle to change. As a board leader over many years, my biggest frustration has been when I come up against leaders (staff or board) who have gotten rigid and who see new questions and insights as threats to be parried rather than opportunities to look afresh at one's mission and core programs. Leaders like this tend to frustrate those staff members and volunteers who want to engage with a spirit of inquiry and curiosity. So as a nonprofit leader, how can you keep from becoming an obstacle to change? How can you lead so people with energy, creativity and passion will choose to engage (and donate and fundraise!) with your organization, rather than flee? I think that's where renewal and inner leadership work, like the work we do in Courage to Lead, is a big help. Courage to Lead supports nonprofit executives with a number of things that help them stay open to change, including: * Regular time away - to provide perspective * Opportunities for reflection - to connect with one's values and integrity * Practices that support self-mastery - like listening non-judgmentally * Trusted peer relationships - to provide inspiration and mutual support * Rest & self-care - to support our better self to emerge in our leadership Investing in your own renewal and leadership prepares you for engaging in discussions about culture and change in a non-defensive way, and opens you up to alternative perspectives and new paradigms. And that can help you attract and keep the kind of people your organization needs to navigate the perilous waters ahead. _________________________________________________________ Ken Saxon has facilitated groups for 20 years. Following a successful business career as an entrepreneur, he put his skills to work in the nonprofit sector as a Board leader, facilitator and coach. It was there that he was inspired to meet and work with many nonprofit leaders - heroic people doing critical work. Yet he was shocked at how little was being invested in them. Ken founded Courage to Lead, a leadership and renewal program, to build support and community around nonprofit executive leaders so they can do their best work and live their best lives. Ken is a graduate of Stanford's Graduate School of Business and Princeton University. He serves on a number of nonprofit boards, including the the Eleos Foundation, the Orfalea Fund, and Santa Barbara Middle School. | 
