It is a given aspect of any capacity building consultant—a consultant who works on all of the major aspects (strategic planning, fund development, board development, , communications) of building the capacity of nonprofits, as I do—but lately has become an end unto itself, which is a very good trend.
This article from Third Sector looks at individual leadership coaching,and though I have never been referred to as a "bulldog with no teeth" as the author has, I have been accused of being somewhat persistent of the importance of embracing learning.
An excerpt.
“A client once described me as a “bulldog with no teeth.” She meant it as a compliment! Along with a colleague, I was working with this client to support her commitment to diversity and inclusion. Yet as intentional as she was, she was also fearful and subtly resisted the change at the same time. So a vital part of the work included individual coaching to support her to clarify goals and to voice and work through her concerns.
“What Is A “Bulldog With No Teeth”?
“The executive described my coaching as steadfast—like a bulldog, I didn’t let go—but in a supportive way (it didn’t hurt, hence “no teeth”). Through this wonderful phrase, I believe she identified a core reason why coaching can be so valuable.
“As gently but firmly as I could, I asked her to directly confront her fears and go deeper to her beliefs about power and leadership. As a coach I asked her to look how her emotional responses were both moving the work forward and inhibiting it, despite her very strong intention. I asked her to listen to feedback (not criticism!). And, most importantly, I supported her taking concrete action.
“Engaging In-the-Moment
“At one point during an all-staff retreat, I provided in-the-moment coaching and asked her to explore the interactions she was having with staff right there-and-then. Her strength and values shone through at that moment, because rather than defensively dismiss me, she engaged and explored aloud. All could hear the difficult mixed thoughts and feelings she was experiencing.
“She was willing to practice new ways of responding, which had an immediate impact. Her modeling inspired other staff people to speak up and, together, they made progress building a more cohesive team.
“Overall the work was so successful that the client, my colleague and I presented our case study at a national conference. The client was very open in sharing with this audience about the support and challenge she experienced and the role that one-to-one coaching played for her.
“Impacting the Whole System
“Coaching impacts more than the individual being coached, if the emphasis is on identifying results for the organization that further the mission. The ripple effects through the organization can be great.
“Coaching can be valuable for executive directors, program managers, board members and teams, whether experienced or emerging. Rather than being “selfish” or a “luxury” as some in the non-profit sector see it, effective, results-oriented coaching helps improve leadership insight and action—critical as nonprofits adjust to changing realities. In the corporate sector, coaching is seen a plus to help valued leaders move to the next level of effectiveness.”
Showing posts with label Consulting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Consulting. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, November 12, 2010
Trying Times
While this is surely trying times for most nonprofits, it is also an opportunity to explore the founding vision of your organization in relation to funding and mission sustainability.
Is your organizational mission and your organizational competency still relevant and effective, so that donors—though perhaps greatly reducing their donations—will continue to support your work?
At the core of my practice to grow nonprofits, lies this essential question; for any capacity building consultation must start here.
Is your organizational mission and your organizational competency still relevant and effective, so that donors—though perhaps greatly reducing their donations—will continue to support your work?
At the core of my practice to grow nonprofits, lies this essential question; for any capacity building consultation must start here.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Deep OD
One of the strongest tools the manager of a nonprofit humanistic organization can have is a deep, professional-level of knowledge about Organizational Development (OD).
OD is a collection of planned organizational and individual self-actualizations built on social justice spiritual roots that seeks to evolve individual and organizational co-creativity and effectiveness, ultimately transforming the community.
The OD vision embraces human and organizational growth, collaborative and participative processes, and a spirit of self and organizational inquiry.
Deep OD embraces the invisible spiritual roots underlying the visible practice, and teaches others to visibilize the roots, entwining them around their practice, and allowing them to become the lens through which they view their work, their clients, their community.
Deep OD is built upon the principles embedded within integral humanism.
Integral humanism is the embracing conceptual framework Mounier (1938) describes as:
"By civilization in the strict sense we mean the coherent process of man’s biological and social adaptation to his body and his environment. By culture we mean the enlargement of his consciousness, the ease he acquires in the exercising of his spirit, his participation in a certain way of reacting and of thinking—all of this as peculiar to an epoch and a group even while tending to universality. By spirituality we mean the unfolding of the deeper life of his person. We have therewith defined the three ascending levels of an integral humanism." (p. 7, italics in original)
Humanistic Organizations
Humanistic organizations are not separate entities, though they appear to be. They act as elements in a complex organizational community, grown from spiritual roots and the mission driven mental model that defines them, hardwired for self-actualization.
The humanistic organizational community co-creatively evolves, based on spiritually defined values and directs itself upward.
Humanistic organizational communities are, at one level, composed of other humanistic organizations and the individuals within the organizations. They both influence the nature of their whole community. They can both play an active role in creating their dual future and become co-created entities, self-actualizing groups engaged in evolving metalogues.
OD Professionals
As OD has evolved and the acceptance of a deeper humanism permeate its work, a core challenge is, as Cummings & Worley (2005) note:
"OD professionals face serious challenges in simultaneously pursuing greater humanism and organizational effectiveness. More practitioners are experiencing situations in which there is a conflict between employee’s needs for greater meaning and the organization’s need for more effective and efficient use of its resources." (p. 57)
For an OD professional, this will not be seen as a challenge, as the need for greater meaning usually trumps efficiency; but the challenge will be in helping the organizations owners—driven by the need for efficient—see the value of reaching for greater meaning.
The consultant emphasizes collaboration and self-help, grounded in the underlying spiritual values of OD efforts.
Within the forest of organized life there are many trees rooted in the dark earth, reaching to heaven. Each tree has a clearly lighted path through the dark forest to its ground, inviting the traveler. Seeing the lighted path our organization makes in the dark is our initial task. Helping others see it is our next.
References
Cummings, T. G. & Worley, C. G. (2005). Organization development and change (8th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Thomson Southwestern.
Mounier, E. (1938). A personalist manifesto. New York: Longmans, Green and Co.
OD is a collection of planned organizational and individual self-actualizations built on social justice spiritual roots that seeks to evolve individual and organizational co-creativity and effectiveness, ultimately transforming the community.
The OD vision embraces human and organizational growth, collaborative and participative processes, and a spirit of self and organizational inquiry.
Deep OD embraces the invisible spiritual roots underlying the visible practice, and teaches others to visibilize the roots, entwining them around their practice, and allowing them to become the lens through which they view their work, their clients, their community.
Deep OD is built upon the principles embedded within integral humanism.
Integral humanism is the embracing conceptual framework Mounier (1938) describes as:
"By civilization in the strict sense we mean the coherent process of man’s biological and social adaptation to his body and his environment. By culture we mean the enlargement of his consciousness, the ease he acquires in the exercising of his spirit, his participation in a certain way of reacting and of thinking—all of this as peculiar to an epoch and a group even while tending to universality. By spirituality we mean the unfolding of the deeper life of his person. We have therewith defined the three ascending levels of an integral humanism." (p. 7, italics in original)
Humanistic Organizations
Humanistic organizations are not separate entities, though they appear to be. They act as elements in a complex organizational community, grown from spiritual roots and the mission driven mental model that defines them, hardwired for self-actualization.
The humanistic organizational community co-creatively evolves, based on spiritually defined values and directs itself upward.
Humanistic organizational communities are, at one level, composed of other humanistic organizations and the individuals within the organizations. They both influence the nature of their whole community. They can both play an active role in creating their dual future and become co-created entities, self-actualizing groups engaged in evolving metalogues.
OD Professionals
As OD has evolved and the acceptance of a deeper humanism permeate its work, a core challenge is, as Cummings & Worley (2005) note:
"OD professionals face serious challenges in simultaneously pursuing greater humanism and organizational effectiveness. More practitioners are experiencing situations in which there is a conflict between employee’s needs for greater meaning and the organization’s need for more effective and efficient use of its resources." (p. 57)
For an OD professional, this will not be seen as a challenge, as the need for greater meaning usually trumps efficiency; but the challenge will be in helping the organizations owners—driven by the need for efficient—see the value of reaching for greater meaning.
The consultant emphasizes collaboration and self-help, grounded in the underlying spiritual values of OD efforts.
Within the forest of organized life there are many trees rooted in the dark earth, reaching to heaven. Each tree has a clearly lighted path through the dark forest to its ground, inviting the traveler. Seeing the lighted path our organization makes in the dark is our initial task. Helping others see it is our next.
References
Cummings, T. G. & Worley, C. G. (2005). Organization development and change (8th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Thomson Southwestern.
Mounier, E. (1938). A personalist manifesto. New York: Longmans, Green and Co.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
