You're a new manager at a non-profit. How can you get up to speed quickly?

The best way to get up to speed in any new role, especially one in leadership, is to go on a "listening tour". Set up as much time as possible soliciting feedback from every stakeholder group in your organization. Volunteers, board members, staff, donors, and clients, past and current. Ask them for the good, bad and ugly about their experience with the organization. Ask open ended question that can lead to a robust conversation. This investment into time can help lead you in all areas of your work- internal culture, external brand and community impact. It doubles as an opportunity to build relationships with those key stakeholders who will be integral to your success.

Some practical examples that I've seen used and used myself in the past include: ? Understanding the core purpose and vision of the organisation through reading its founding documents, constitution. The reason for existence will be found there and is the single most important aspect to when walking into a new organisation. ? reviewing the strategic plan and operational plans and gaining an understanding of how they connect to or deliver on the foundational purpose. ? engaging with other managers to understand the purpose in practice ? taking time to reflect on personal alignment. Being part of a non-profit often means sharing a similar view/passion to ensure delivery of the purpose. ? integrating the purpose into personal decision making

En tant que co-fondateur de l'association @Formasters, comprendre sa mission, sa vision et ses valeurs est fondamental. Formasters organise des ateliers mensuels pour améliorer la veille pédagogique des formateurs. Les stratégies clés incluent la collaboration avec des experts pour proposer aux membres des ateliers pertinents. Les valeurs de l'association, axées sur l'excellence pédagogique et le partage de connaissances, correspondent à mes valeurs. Formasters se distingue par sa concentration sur la veille pédagogique et l'amélioration des compétences des formateurs dans la région PACA, cela renforce son engagement et sa crédibilité.

Understand the business. What do we do here? how do we do it? what are the key roles and responsibilities? what are we trying to achieve? product? service? who is our target? How doe our mission statement and corporate values align with how we run our business?

If you're new to the game, one of the best things you can do is really dig into the mission of your organization. I know from my own experience in project management that understanding the 'why' behind what we do makes a huge difference. It helps you make better decisions, communicate with teams and stakeholders more clearly, and ultimately stay on track to achieve the goals that matter.

Algo que me ha funcionado es conocer la cultura organizacional a través de los ojos del equipo de trabajo. Realizar contactos informales resulta ser más efectivo. Además, inicia la relación entre la gerencia y el equipo.

Conocería a todos los compa?eros de trabajo; y les preguntaría por algo que quisiera que se hiciera relacionado con sus labores…. Tendría todos en una lista. Y le preguntaría cómo lograr eso adelantaría la misión de la institución y de su departamento de trabajo

As a new person in the organization I like to speak with team members at every level and ask them what the norms and behaviors of the organization are. I love it when the answer is repeated by team members throughout the organization. If the answers are different, that is very educational as well.

For a smooth transition into a non-profit management role, you as a leader need to learn the organization's culture. This supports healthy working relationships and allows you to effectively address the non-profit sector's unique landscape and problems.

Learning the culture of the organization is very important. Culture drives the organization. I recommend starting by learning the values of the organization. Think about the best ways you can exemplify each of the values in your new role. Encourage your new team to do the same.

I ask the team to do a SWAT analysis on their unit and prepare a presentation to give them the chance to share it with me. I like inviting other leaders in the organization to listen in, and I find they learn new things and appreciate the opportunity.

More important than assets, I would emphasize "get to know your team", and get to know what is their purpose. They can be your greatest strength if you build strong relationships with them.

I would suggest meeting with each of your direct reports. Building a strong trusting relationship with each person on your team will lead to building a successful team. Determine their strengths and support them in working in the areas of their strengths. Find out what their career goals are and how you can support them in this effort. Meeting 1 on 1 with each of them on a regular basis will help you establish a trusting and collaborative relationship with each of them.

I like to say ‘lead and be lead by’. Don’t be afraid to get to know your company via those who know it best - your team. Lead by example, clarify expectations, and foster a positive work environment that encourages collaboration and innovation. Prioritize time management, embrace adaptability, and keep the organization's impact at the forefront of your decision-making. Invest in your own professional development and practice self-care to ensure you can effectively lead your team towards achieving the non-profit's goals.

Build a Strong Board: If you are a manager of influence, a first “Team” building exercise starts or restarts with a tight Board of Directors. A great mission requires a strong, active board for success. Often a nonprofit attracts interest from folks looking to be a part of your mission because it serves them professionally. It’s important to have a dedicated and proactive board, not just seat warmers. The culture and drive of your board spreads throughout the infrastructure of the organization, impacting workers who expect leaders to care and work as hard as they are expected to perform. A good board changes over time with leadership that knows how to cultivate their replacements and serve for the mission, not the position.

You as a non-profit manager can ensure that your day-to-day work translates into real impact through strategic action planning. And it further connects team objectives to the organization's mission, provides a way to monitor progress, and makes the most of limited resources.(aren't we all functioning on limited resources?)

I'm a strong believer in yearly work plans for each and every committee which not only detail the tasks but the financial aspects related to those tasks. Working with various committees to create those plans allows for buy-in and better commitment to the goals that are established while providing a map for success. At yearend, work plans are reviewed and notes entered as to what worked and what didn't, which will help move the organization forward for the next year's plans. Especially when you have a rotating board, documenting the tasks, what worked well, and what could have been better, allows the next group to have a head start in their planning for the year ahead.

As a non profit leader that was still in high school I had to learn to set goals and pace myself. I would often become eager to do great big things when in reality I needed to take the steps one at a time to make sure that I was working toward my mission and not just chasing exciting prospects. I learned early on that the best road to success for me was when my preparation met opportunities. And opportunities are endless when you are prepared for them.

The new manager should know about the Vision, Mission of the organisation. *What are the goals, strategies, and priorities of your organization? Based on that plan your actions *How do they align with your personal and professional values? *How do they differ from other non-profits in your field or sector? Knowing your mission will help you communicate it clearly and convincingly to your staff, donors, partners, and beneficiaries etc. It will also help you make informed decisions and align your actions with your purpose.basedbonbthe above basic principles plan the modalities and action plan.

Planning crucial. Know your resources, budget,software and tools available. Determine your objective. Establish timeframe for completion. Create a team of strong leaders from different areas. Clarify goals. delegate to each member clearly each project area they are contributing to. Set clearly defined expectations/time frames to each member. Clarify biweekly email reporting to track project and any setbacks. These will increase budget. This will determine if project needs to be scratched. There are a variety of software systems that track processes,progress, time and person in charge of each part of project. This will assist in monitoring/tracking project work efficiently and effectively. Manager needs to monitor and send emails on status.

As a new manager, seeking feedback is crucial for getting up to speed quickly. Don't be afraid to ask directly how you're doing, and be open to hearing both your strengths and areas where you can improve. Make sure that seeking feedback is not a one time thing. Regular check-ins will help you continuously improve and stay on the right track.

Seeking feedback is something very few Managers solicit. The Manager coming in rarely asks for such feedback, and only the disgruntled team members will dominate this toxic election of such feedback. Coming in with an election of feedback from each member of the team is the only way to begin this process.

Being open to feedback is the best foot forward when you are in a new organisation. It helps to be open to constrictive feedback as that helps in understanding team perspective as well as familiarisation of previous processes and establishing a good rapport.

For every organisation the feedback is the back bone of success. We shall work out SWAC analysis of your managers and employees. Based on this analysis the strength should be used or diverted properly. Mentor and support system analytics will help to improve the future functions of the organisation. This kind of analysis will help to do mid season corrections and improvement of our functionality of our organisation.

Algumas maneiras de come?ar: - mantenha um relacionamento claro e aberto com a equipe; - deixe claro que você n?o trabalha sozinho por: reconhecer o mérito da equipe ou de um membro individual. - n?o tome crédito dos acertos e "empurre" os erros para a equipe. Trabalhar em equipe significa que o resultado é do conjunto. - em situa??es de conflito jamais encerre a quest?o dizendo: eu sou o chefe ou qualquer varia??o. A equipe vai se afastar e "deixar" nas suas m?os. - pergunte diretamente como os membros da equipe fariam diferente.

I learned after years of being a young non profit leader that as I was serving others I was finding wisdom and joy in the journey. I was able to connect with like minded people that would pour into me just as much as I was pouring into others. I found that in my leadership role I was carving out new goals and dreams that I had not even thought was possible.

Remember being a new nonprofit manager is tough, but incredibly rewarding! Embrace the challenge of learning, focus on the positive impact you're making, and celebrate those small victories along the way. Also keep in mind that you're not alone – ask for help when needed, and don't forget why you chose this path in the first place.

Find your peers. A group of peers from other nonprofits can make the difference between your professional success and failure. By surrounding yourself with a mix of nonprofit professionals with similar responsibilities, you will have: * A support group * Potential collaborators * People who can share experience and tools that can save you time * Valuable perspective from people who understand your work better than anyone else Be sure, with this group, to: * Give generously yourself * Include several peers who you look up to (and can regularly learn from) * Leverage electronic tools like Google Groups or Slack for easy communication * Have at least a few face-to-face gatherings each year (if possible) * Keep it simple

Review the last 90 days of meeting notes and organisational information to better assist you in the transition as well as being promptly up-to-date on was going on so that you can better carry out the mission of the organisation.

Another idea is to find a mentor in your new organization. It would be good to seek out someone who has worked at the organization for a while. This mentor can help you learn the mission and values of the organization. This mentor can answer your questions, guide and support you as you learn the company, your job and the people. It is also nice to have a friend and mentor at your new job. It will help make the transition smooth.

Whenever I come into a new organization with my Manager's cap on, I spend a few weeks getting together to hear my stories of previous Management roles, with the best and the worst of these experiences, and then solicit each of my team members should take the pulpit of their best/worst experiences in this and other teams they have been a party to.

One thing i've also found helpful is Organisation Process Asserts (OPA). Every Organisation has it. These are documents including Strategic Plans, Policies, Procedures, Reports on various Projects and Programs implemented by the Organization etc. Reviewing these documents will not only reveal the goals of the Organisation but also quickly bring you up to speed on how the Organisation is working to reach those goals.