Why do the lack of skills in our workforce make it so hard to run a nonprofit organization in New Mexico?
In my consulting practice, I hear managers complain almost every day about their staff: Nonprofit employees come to their CEOs with the most trivial questions, questions that seem to have very obvious answers. Changes in service provision, implementation of electronic data bases, accurate reporting of services are incredibly difficult to implement. Staff in direct contact with the public or clients lack the most basic communication and courtesy skills. Senior managers waste precious time and resources with bickering and finger-pointing. Clerical staff is unable to compose a coherent written sentence or work a spreadsheet. The list of complaints goes on and on.
Employers find that very few people have leadership skills, dedication, a sense of responsibility, or are able to make appropriate, independent decisions. Few employees communicate areas of improvement or innovative ideas to their supervisors and colleagues. Instead they sow discontent by complaining to the wrong people. Often employees are barely able to follow the simplest instructions, and in most cases they will not go beyond what is directly asked of them.
Which leads one to think that not many nonprofit employees seem to have chosen their jobs based on a passion, a skill, or the dedication to a social justice issue. Low pay in the nonprofit sector further contributes to the lack of job loyalty, resulting in turnover rates that make it almost impossible to maintain quality services.
And critical thinking, questioning systems and thinking up hare brained, innovative new solutions to old problems are needed at all levels of nonprofit work – whether your job is in philanthropy, governance, management or direct service provision.
The nonprofit sector can’t function with a work force that just does what they are told (if that). The sector needs creative, independent thinkers, team workers, diligent administrators with bureaucrat obsessive compulsion and passionate hearts. Certainly nobody’s in it for the whooping paycheck. At least not in rural New Mexico.
The opposite of the medal reveals those few that do have the required management skills, leadership ability, passion and creative, critical minds. They exist in the sector, we all know a few of them and they all have one thing in common: they are burning out.
What are the reasons for this ailing workforce?
1. My suspicion is that the seeds for the minimalist work ethic are sown early on – in elementary and high school, and maybe in college, too. Skills taught there seem to be “ how do I get away with as little work as possible, without getting into trouble?” resulting in an attitude of “ I am not going to go one step above and beyond what was asked of me”. Elementary students who are filling out piles and piles of worksheets each week are literally taught to think inside the box only. They are also not acquiring any team work skills that they’ll need later.
2. Independent thinking is not encouraged in a hierarchical organizational structure. There is always someone to blame, either above or below in the hierarchy, so there is never a sense of “this is my responsibility”.
3. The specific skill set needed to work in a nonprofit environment is unattainable through comprehensive formal educational programs in New Mexico at this time. As a result, the skilled leaders we do have are all self-taught. Many of them have a direct service background and find themselves to be managers and leaders at some point. Many of them are now close to retirement age.
4. The new generation of younger staff rising up in the nonprofit ranks consists of very few people, with insufficient educational background and experience, and they do not have many opportunities to pursue professional development opportunities. Many analysts predict a major nonprofit workforce crisis once the baby boomers start retiring. I think we are already in crisis.
So what do we do? I’d like to invite ideas and start a discussion. Here are some initial thoughts:
Education Community:
· All: Create programs that encourage independent thinking, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility.
· High schools: Incorporate nonprofit management careers into career fairs and other high school student career pathway planning events.
· Higher Ed: Offer certificate and graduate programs in nonprofit management. Incorporate service learning programs and nonprofit internships.
· Raise the bar.
Nonprofit Employers:
· Become an AmeriCorps site! AmeriCorps and VISTA are the number one pipeline programs generating dedicated nonprofit workers.
· Create a budget for professional development that is appropriate to address the needs of your work force.
· Educate funders about your budget needs for workforce development. This is your chance to make the case for an increase in administrative overhead, and to advocate for capacity building dollars.
· Assess new employee skills and create professional development plans for employees at all levels. Tie bonuses and salary increase to additionally acquired skills and their application.
· In budgeting and resource development, make salaries, benefits and professional development a priority. Fight the poverty mentality in the nonprofit sector. Otherwise you will always compete with fast-food restaurants and other low-pay employers.
· Revisit your organizational chart for opportunities to flatten hierarchies. Examine your organizational culture. Get rid of barriers to independent thinking and action. Create accountability structures that provide more support than control. Create incentives for innovation, responsibility and quality improvement.
· Work with the education community, funders and other nonprofit employers, start identifying the workforce needs of the sector, and pool educational and financial resources to address them.
· See your organization as part of the nonprofit sector. Help market the sector as a career choice, and the workforce as one striving for excellence, professionalism and outcome –based achievements.
· Raise the bar.
Employees:
· Choose your place of employment wisely. Understand what it means to work in the nonprofit sector, and which attitudes and skills will advance your career.
· Be prepared to make your work a large part of your life. Nonprofit work is much more than job…. It’s a passion and dedication for social justice, and it means endless work towards making a change for those fellow humans and common causes that fall through the cracks of the government and the business sectors.
· Have pride in your work. Raise the bar.
