Leadership Coaching to Improve Small Nonprofit Staff Performance

Working through the four practices in Leadership Coaching to Improve Small Nonprofit Staff Performance will give you an in-depth look at your onsite team and how they are doing.

Further working through this will allow you to consider all of your staff, and see if there are areas where you might make improvements and do even better. 

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37. Job Performance is Carried Out Effectively by Each Member of the Team

This is Key Practice 37 of 80

Job performance can be counted on. Staff perform their jobs effectively. This organization is a quality one. Staff is well trained in their area of expertise.

They don’t generally make many mistakes because they know what they are doing. When they are on duty, they give 100% attention to their duties.

You would have no problem holding your staff up to the light of any other comparable organization. Staff programs are well designed to provide quality training in all critical areas, whether working with people or processes.

• What training or coaching could be added that would elevate your current approach to staffing?

• How have you traditionally found, trained and kept competent people?

• How will you gain in making some sort of further investment in them?

Do an assessment of the hours and quality of training received for each function that needs to be carried out at your facility.

Why This Practice is Important to Me as a Leadership Coach

Using untrained, ill-experienced people can create problems, diverting attention from high priority activity.

Those Executive Directors I coach, who lead small nonprofit organizations, know their staff are crucial to all they do. Having those staff perform at their very best moves the mission of the organization forward.

We spend a lot of time discussing this critical area of leadership, helping the client intentionally address those areas that could lead to improvements. 

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

COMPETENCE

Competence counts in critical situations.

An Expansive Thought

Imagine a team of 100% competent workers, 100% committed to the Lord and the campers or guests.

An Action Point

Examine how you have traditionally found, trained and kept competent people. Does anything need to change?

How has this section, Leadership Coaching to Improve Small Nonprofit Staff Performance shifted your perspective? What has it strengthened in your thinking? How can you best make use of what you are learning? 

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38. Consequences for Non-Performance are Carried Out as Specified

This is Key Practice 38 of 80

If you have a written policy for non-performance, carry it out. If you have stated consequences carry them out or change the directives.

Either you do what you say you will do, or you don’t. Be clear in everything that you expect other people to understand and there will be fewer challenges.

• What is serious enough for you to have a consequence for not following through as agreed?

• What consequences for non-performance are unclear?

• How can you make them clear and fairly implemented?

• Would you really carry the consequences out? Consistently?

• Or would it vary depending on the person or circumstances? What is it that makes this so? 

Why This Practice is Important to Me as a Leadership Coach

Either you do what you say you will do or you ask for further erosion of your authority and the work suffers.

Leaders who "carry a big stick" are not respected leaders. Leaders who deliver performance expectations with clarity and fairly follow through are respected. It's that simple. The latter foster great teams.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

CONSEQUENCES

There are consequences if we don't live up to the standard we agreed to.

An Expansive Thought

Clarity rules. Say it. Expect it. Reward it when it happens. Promptly deal with it when it doesn't.

An Action Point

What is serious enough to have a consequence for not acting in a manner that was agreed to?

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39. Conflict is Dealt with Immediately

This is Practice 39 of 80

Conflict is dealt with immediately. If unchecked, the whole team and program is compromised and like a virus, problems can quickly spread and cause damage.

Learn to deal with interpersonal disagreements, be bold, be loving and act.

• How do you normally get to the truth regarding problems between people who “bury” hard feelings or resentments?

• How has your Executive Director traditionally handled conflict?

• How comfortable and competent does your Executive Director feel carrying out this responsibility? Without judgment, honestly talk about it. What assistance may they need?

Why This Practice is Important to Me as a Leadership Coach

If left unchecked, discord continues to absorb people, time, attention, availability and on and on. Wise is the leader who knows how to step in, gain understanding and foster taking a better path. 

This area comes up a lot in coaching. Sometimes the client has others who can attend to the discord, but often because it is a small organization, it falls to the Executive Director or a senior team member to deal with these situations. Talking it through with the benefit of coaching, helps.

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

CONFLICT

People need time to work interpersonal problems out on their own. If they don't, you need to provide leadership by starting the process.

An Expansive Thought

Stopping a virus once it is active is not as good as preventing a virus, but it's a lot better than being consumed by one.

An Action Point

If you work with people, get some training in dealing with these types of challenges. It happens.

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40. No One is Pulling Others or the Organization Down

This is Key Practice 40 of 80

Employee dismissal is practiced when needed. No one is dragging others or the organization down.

It is easy to allow someone who is a poor influence on the rest of the staff or on the whole organization to stay around too long. Of course hope for improvement and patience are necessary but when boundaries are constantly crossed there comes time to take action.

There is nothing pleasant about releasing someone, but if done in love, you may be doing a great kindness to the person in question. Be clear, care and act.

• How might you need someone more objective than yourself to help in this area?

• Are there people who presently exist in your organization who have dragged others down over an extended period of time?

• What steps will you take to deal with it?

• While it is often the last step in discipline, what is the step-by-step action plan you follow when releasing someone?

Why This Practice is Important to Me as a Leadership Coach

It is amazing how one person with an incorrect belief or attitude can do so much damage. Coaching lets you get clear about the situation and yourself. With this refreshed perspective my clients are better able to handle these prickly situations.

And in doing so they grow as a leader and are better prepared for other challenges they may face. 

The Key Concept, Attitude or Action That Drives This Practice

RELEASING

After attempts at improvement have been exhausted, there comes a time for releasing.

An Expansive Thought

Letting someone go may be the very thing that allows them to change and become so much more than they have portrayed themselves.

An Action Point

This behaviour isn't a 'one time' action. It is cumulative. Do any 'cumulative' situations exist that you need to clearly address?

This is the end of Leadership Coaching to Improve Small Nonprofit Staff Performance. 

To once again review Part One, click here. 

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How Do You Plan to Act on One or More Practices From Leadership Coaching to Improve Small Nonprofit Staff Performance?

Review what you have discovered from Leadership Coaching to Improve Small Nonprofit Staff Performance. What stands out as needing attention? How will you handle it? 

Your being intentional about any of these practices, will improve your organization. Consistently working on each and every point over time will make a difference in every corner of the organization.