Critical Shifts
I have been working in non-profit organizations for 30 years, beginning my career in my early 20’s as a Youth Employment Coordinator in Oakland, California. I have served as a Homeless Employment Specialist, a Program Coordinator, a Director, a Senior Director, and an Executive Director for organizations with operating budgets ranging from $1 million to $220 million. I have survived many different leadership styles and the experience of leading teams with complex compositions. My breadth and depth of experience has prepared me for a successful consulting career where I am honored to work with non-profit organizations as they move towards comprehensive organizational effectiveness. I have worked with and in organizations at various stages of growth and wellness. I have worked with teams that have been fairly healthy and some that have been really toxic. Some of them have been focused on best practices while others have been focused on keeping the doors open. Over the years, I have seen many things and experienced many staff transitions and organizational shifts. What I have learned is that having staff that are passionate about the mission and excited about the direction of the organization can greatly impact the effectiveness of the organization.
Leadership and the New Science
It was challenging reading two books in the same week by the same author. Instinctively I looked for a common thread to tie them together. I was not able to do that. I found it difficult to connect to Leadership and the New Science. I was expecting innovative practices and lessons, and it did not offer that. While describing how organizations struggle with critical skills, Wheatley says, “Many organizations are struggling with how to use information to become more intelligent. Thinking has been acknowledged as a critical skill, and not just a higher level of management. [1] I have experienced the opposite in the organizations that I work with. Staff, especially Gen Z, are overflowing with critical skills. They have entered the workforce with an attitude of improvement, almost to the point that they question anything put into place before they arrived. The more common challenge is learning to value their ideas and still implement the best practices for the organization. They expect change to happen quickly and have very little patience to wait for change to happen over time. They think and move at a very high level. In my experience, they are constantly working to streamline and implement innovative ways to improve their workstreams.
Finding Our Way
It was easier for me to connect with Finding Our Way, which offered a collection of leadership lessons. I found the most impactful to be “The Paradox and Promise of Community”. Wheatley and Rogers discuss the longing for community and working together. I also found a glimpse of hope from this book. Many times, leadership books are so instructive that it’s difficult to envision the actual application of the lessons presented. I found Finding Our Way, to be useful for organizations and leaders that are seeking to bring teams, communities, and constituents together. The authors share, “In my experience, people everywhere are longing for new ways of working together, and for more harmonious relationships. We know we need to work together, because daily we are overwhelmed by problems that we can’t solve alone. People want to help. We want to contribute.”[2] I have seen this work in organizations. Organizations that connect with the stakeholders (community, clients, board, funders) can effectively impact change. When all stakeholders are invested and contributing, positive outcomes are not far behind. The authors say, “As leaders, as neighbors, as colleagues, it is time to turn to one another, to engage in the intentional search for human goodness.”[3]. I believe this and hold a hopeful faith that it can happen. It is this intentional action that will build bridges and break down walls that exist not only in organizations but in the community. We must move beyond the comfort of our boxes. They authors put it so beautifully, “We can act from the certainty that most people want to care about others and invite them to step forward with their compassion. We realize that “you can’t hate someone whose story you know.”[4]
[1] Margaret J. Wheatley, Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World, 3rd ed. (San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler, 2006), 110.
[2] Margaret J. Wheatley, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, (San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler, 2005), 57.
[3] Ibid., 57.
[4] Ibid., 57.
About the Author
Jonita Fair-Payton
7 responses to “Critical Shifts”
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Hi Jonita,
I did like some introduction sentences…“In every organization, we need to look internally, to see one another as the critical resources on this voyage of discover, p8.
We must engage with each other, experiment to find what works for us, and support one another as the true inventors that we are. P. 9
But I, too, did not find something pivotal. While there is an attempt at personal story telling, I could not sift out, something useful for leadership development.
Yesterday I listened to a radio piece where they interviewed an undocumented woman who has run a business for 30 years in the US. When they asked her if she was afraid, she said something surprising, “There is nothing new under the sun” and went back to work.
Ecc 1:9 NIV
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Despite the scientific advances, I wonder, as far as leadership is concerned, is there nothing NEW under the sun?
Shalom.
Russ,
I think that there is always room for new applications of seasoned practices and concepts. I get a bit frustrated when we remain old things to make them seem new. I think re-imagining tried and true practices to fit the evolving workplace landscape is an opportunity for us all (all generations) to add value and contribute.
Hi, Jonita,
I thought you would have good insight to this week’s reading since you are steeped in the non-profit organizational world. You mentioned “Wheatley and Rogers discuss the longing for community and working together.” This also resonated for me. In our coaching of ministers in our network, we are seeing a greater need for group coaching experiences. My research shows that this is also becoming important for businesses adding to the emotional health of employees. My NPO actually shifted to a coach training that teaches group coaching as well as a framework for ministers to process their identity, purpose and future possibilities. I’ll be using group coaches at a later retreat for ministers on the midlife framework. We’ll see how it all unfolds.
I am curious, where have you seen an example of how group collaboration made a difference in an organization you worked with?
Esther,
Yes, I have. It works when there are clear workstreams that not only honor everyone’s contribution but allow for people, organizations, congregations to work in their area of strength, expertise. It gets complicated when everyone wants to lead or when individuals (organizations) refuse to play fairly in the sand box.
The professional experience you bring into your understanding of this book was so helpful for me. You mention, “Staff, especially Gen Z, are overflowing with critical skills.” How do you help organizations deal with generational differences, especially in terms of the expectations that each new generation brings into the workplace? If you’ve had any specific experience with missions organizations, I’d be interested to hear about that too, because I think there are some unique quirks when it comes to working with teams of missionaries.
Kim,
Defining clear workstreams and shared goals is always my “go-to” answer. Valuing all parties as essential contributors will foster a culture of trust and respect, from there you can build. I would be happy to talk more specifically about this with you. Reach out, I’ll always pick up you call.
Jonita, I am fascinated with your breadth and depth of experience. I am also curious about what you say about Gen Z. You write, “Staff, especially Gen Z, are overflowing with critical skills. They have entered the workforce with an attitude of improvement, almost to the point that they question anything put into place before they arrived. The more common challenge is learning to value their ideas and still implement the best practices for the organization. They expect change to happen quickly and have very little patience to wait for change to happen over time. They think and move at a very high level. In my experience, they are constantly working to streamline and implement innovative ways to improve their workstreams.” I have experienced this with Gen Z as well. My question lies with their ability to honor the traditions and experience of those who are older (and maybe wiser…maybe not), and “bring them along” with them as they bring change. Working in a church I’ve had to learn that I cannot just change things because they desperately need to be changed. I have to honor the traditions and history of the church. I have to bring people along with me. I learned this the very hard way when i did not do this well. So, that leads me to be curious about those who are now in the place where I was when I pissed off all the people older and wiser than me by implementing change too quickly. What are your thoughts on this?