Archive for March, 2009

Top 5 Mistakes Leaders Make in Tough Times

By Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE




Mistake #1: Become reactive and reactionary.
There is truth in the old saying, “Respond in haste. Regret in sorrow.” When leaders fail to gather information and critically assess the long-term impact of decisions, severe errors are made. Consider the Big Three auto executives who knee-jerked their way on private planes to ask for a handout without ever having a plan. Now that’s a bonehead mistake.

Before acting, stop and breathe. Think long-term strategy. Be cautious. Be proactive. Test your decisions by saying, “If this… then this…”

Mistake #2: Huddle with only the corporate folks.

First, answers are often found at the floor level, not at the ceiling. Involve everyone in the search for efficiencies and innovations. Engage everyone in a common vision and mission. How refreshing to have the Obama team now posting discussions on the Internet and seeking input from a variety of people with differing viewpoints. Building transparency goes a long way toward building trust and making us all feel we are part of the solution.

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Mistake #3: Cut. Cut. Cut.

No company has ever downsized its way to greatness. Underserved customers and too much work to be done by too few people are examples of the costs of wholesale terminations. These are cuts that could have been done with a scalpel instead of a hacksaw.

Canceling a meeting? This is the time to gather and candidly talk. Substitute Jell-O for Jamoca fudge and two-buck chuck for filet mignon but bring people together.

As for layoffs—if your organization or department can handle this—bring everybody together and lay out the facts. One very smart leader found that employees were willing to reduce work schedules, work half-time, and job share rather than have members of their team terminated.

Mistake #4: Go after new clients and customers.

Unless your current customers have vanished because of poor quality or service, they can be your best source of new revenue. Ask how you can turn them into champions of what you provide. Make them feel special and valuable. I’ve noticed that my bank is now making every effort to thank me for my business, to call me by name, to answer any request with a “no problem” attitude. Sure, they should have been doing that all along, but better late than never.

Mistake #5: Do more with less.

In my consulting practice, I have often found that much of the “more” is work that provides no value at the end of the day. Scrutinize every process; get rid of the sacred cows and the egos. Translate every action into a dollar value.

In one organization, we found senior executives tripping over each other to put their two cents into every new PowerPoint® presentation. It was a waste of executive talent, made each project longer than necessary, disempowered the employees creating the presentations, and actually used up some $15,000 worth of senior management time!

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BONUS Mistake: Buy into pessimism.
It’s a huge mistake we all make when we let the news of the day drive us to hiding under the covers, chopping up the furniture for kindling, and searching for recipes made with bread and water. What we have is an opportunity to really consider what is most important, to spend time at work that is meaningful, and to nurture relationships that matter. We have an opportunity to reclaim our reputation, our integrity, and our future.

Not to do this would be our biggest mistake.

That’s Eileen McDargh’s e-pinion. We’d like to hear yours. Share your comments below.

Eileen McDargh’s newest book, Gifts from the Mountain, received the 2008 Ben Franklin book award. www.eileenmcdargh.com

Source: HR Daily Advisor

10 Promises you will receive with Opportunity Knocks





1. Excellent Customer Service – You will receive only the best customer service from all of Opportunity Knocks’ staff members

2. Answers to your questions – Any questions you may have in regards to job descriptions, posting tips, resume search, etc. we will have the answers for you.

3. Respect for your time - we understand that your time is a very valuable asset to your organization. We are happy to post a job for you within 24 hours during the business week.

4. The knowledge you need – In order to get the best use of all of our services we will schedule a personalized demonstration on any/all of our services.

5. To customize a package that fits your needs - We are happy to consult with you and customize a hiring package for your organization that suits your specific hiring efforts.

6. Make professional recommendations - We are happy to proof read any posting and make suggestions that may help your response rate.

7. Listen to your suggestions and feedback –Your input on matters is essential to our work and without your participation our efforts are futile.

8. Notify you of all promotions and announcements – With your permission, we promise to keep you updated with any promotions, new services, and online training schedules.

9. To be a partner to you – We promise to be more than just an online job board by bringing you resources, online training, HR forms, resume search and content to help your organization build successful recruitment, retention and human resource strategies.

10. We will connect you with candidates passionate about Jobs that Change the World.


Recession gives foundations big job




The role foundations choose to play during these tough economic times will speak volumes about their commitment to people in need and to the services and advocacy organizations that serve them.

While some foundations — such as MacArthur, Gates and Irvine — have announced their intentions to exceed their 2008 grantmaking in 2009, most news reports cite grantmaking cutbacks.

And even in cases of proposed increases, some announcements contain equivocal wording suggesting that foundation overseers might reconsider or curtail their proposed increases

For many foundations, when they see their assets depleted by 20, 30 or 40 percent in one fell swoop, the first reaction is to cut back their grantmaking accordingly.

It is a business-rational calculus.

But unlike profit-oriented corporations responsive to shareholders, philanthropic foundations have a different mission — the welfare of our society-and a different set of stakeholders.

Those stakeholders are the American public that has entrusted them with the stewardship of tax-exempt resources.

From community foundations and health-care conversion foundations to family foundations and “independent” foundations, these institutions have the decision-making and financial latitude to respond to this economic crisis that is beyond the capacity of cash-strapped operating charities.

The social mission of foundations is on the docket.

Are foundations going to focus on husbanding their assets or deploying them at the most dire time nonprofits have faced since the Great Depression?

Unlike many tens of thousands of nonprofits, foundations are unlikely to go out of business because of the recession.

Their assets may be down, but they will survive until the market rebounds, as it inevitably will.

But without capital infusions for their capacity and sustainability, many nonprofits will not be there to greet them, and the communities they serve will be devastated by the effects of this downturn.

During economic recessions, nonprofits and communities are at their most vulnerable, with few alternative ports in the storm.

Foundations are under no mandate to cut back or hoard their resources. To the contrary, by virtue of their functions on behalf of the U.S. taxpayer, they could and should follow a more recession-specific agenda.

That kind of agenda involves the following components:

  • Think countercyclical grantmaking.

    When the economy goes south, that is the time for foundations to increase their grantmaking. Why should foundations give more only when their assets skyrocket during a bull market?

  • Convert program grants to general operations.

    If there were ever a time to heed the messages of these philanthropic experts, it is now. Whether or not a foundation believes in the long-term efficacy of general-operating grantmaking, now is the moment to release grant recipients from life-threatening project-related restrictions.

  • Rethink mission and priorities in this economy.

    At least for the moment, there is nothing to prevent foundations from asking whether they might do more for people in need, for families and communities that are likely to bear the brunt of our national economic vortex.

  • Fund community-based nonprofits.

    Whether foundations believe in service or advocacy, they have to remember their obligation to build and support a vital nonprofit infrastructure at the community level if these communities are to access the government stimulus or recovery resources.

  • Don’t turn off the spigot.

  • Unless their investment advisers or Bernard Madoff decamped with their assets, foundations should put their money into the budgets of frontline nonprofits and open themselves up to nonprofits with the best ideas for responding to the crisis. Hibernation is not an option.

  • Increase program-related and market-related investments.

    Through market-related investments, foundations could invest in nonprofit-sponsored social enterprises that would address national priorities of job generation, green technology, K-12 education, and community technology — and meet or surpass returns from investments in the stock market.

    Foundations have choices to make during these turbulent times. With the help of regional and state grantmaker associations and state nonprofit associations, they may find their way to the choices that support nonprofits and boost economic prosperity.

    Rick Cohen is national correspondent for The Nonprofit Quarterly.
    Source: The Nonprofit Quarterly

    • Serve America Act Passes





    The Senate passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (HR 1388/S 277)by a vote of 78 to 20 without the “poison pill” amendment barring nonprofit lobbying. This is a major victory for the nonprofit community and brings us much closer to enacting legislation to expand national and community service programs and strengthen the infrastructure for volunteerism within the nonprofit community.

    Because of the differences between the House and Senate versions of the service legislation, policymakers must resolve whether to pass the Senate bill, as is, in the House or convene a conference committee to work out a compromise bill. President Obama has made passage of service legislation a high priority and is urging Congress to quickly send him a bill to sign.

    Here are a few of the highlights and additions:

    Nonprofit Advocacy Challenges: Unlike the House-passed version, the Senate bill does not include language limiting the advocacy and lobbying rights of nonprofits. We all must remain vigilant to ensure that the Senate language prevails in the final version of the bill. Go here for more information.

    Nonprofit Capacity Building: The Senate agreed to include the Baucus-Grassley nonprofit capacity building amendment to set up a program in the Corporation for National and Community Service to expand organizational development assistance to small and midsize nonprofit organizations. Go here for more information.

    Music and Arts Education: The Senate also accepted an amendment offered by Sens. Shaheen (D-NH) and Gregg (R-NH) that expressly includes music and arts education in the Education Corps activities. The amendment will encourage the use of “skilled musicians and artists to promote greater community unity through the use of music and arts education and engagement through work in low-income communities, and education, health care, and therapeutic settings, and other work in the public domain with citizens of all ages.”

    Charitable Giving Incentives Sense of Senate: The Senate adopted by a 56-41vote a Baucus amendment (#721) that states: “It is the sense of the Senate that Congress should preserve the income tax deduction for charitable contributions through the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and look for additional ways to encourage charitable giving.”

    Source: Service Nation

    TwitterJobSearch gets the juice out of Twitter to help you find a job





    So you’ve probably heard about Twitter quite a bit this year, right?! Whether it’s from the news, presenters like Jonathan Ross and Ellen DeGeneres, celebrities such as Aston Kutcher and Demi Moore, or even friends and family, Twitter is fast becoming the ‘next big thing’. But did you know that in amongst all the tweeting and twittering, there are thousands upon thousands of great job opportunities which often appear on Twitter before they go anywhere else?

    www.TwitterJobSearch.com is here to help people find out about all these jobs by organising them onto a simple, searchable website. Twitter members know just how hard it can be to find information from the 1.3 billion plus (yes, really!) messages posted so far and trying to search for all the different words used to describe just one job takes far too long. And is it really worth spending all that time registering and finding the recruiters to speak to or jobs to apply for unless you’re planning on using it regularly?

    This is why TwitterJobSearch helps. Instead of needing to become a Twitter Master, just visit TwitterJobSearch to get hold of every single job opportunity that has been added onto the Twitter site. Find jobs by browsing through different industries, locations, salaries and more, or just type in the kind of thing you’re looking for and TwitterJobSearch will do the rest. As a quick example, searching on Twitter for ‘marketing manager new York job’ gives 19 jobs, on TwitterJobSearch you get 4122. If being a Sales Director in London is the job you want, searching on Twitter gives you 4, yet TwitterJobSearch finds you 6202! Its clever technology knows that retailing can include shops or stores, sales also means business development and branding is part of marketing, which gives you much more choice.

    Once you’ve found the right kind of job, it’s quick and easy to sort out the results by date added, job type or skills for example to get the perfect shortlist together. On the site, you can of course choose to click over to the message on Twitter, or follow the person who posted it, but you can also jump straight across to the website that has the vacancy if that’s why you came to visit the TwitterJobSearch site. Since the website came out just one week ago, TwitterJobSearch has already sent people to over 100,000 job opportunities, which shows just how useful it is!

    TwitterJobSearch currently has over 30,000 jobs covering every industry and every type of job, about 3% of all the vacancies out there in fact. As more businesses use Twitter, more jobs will be added there, all of which immediately go on TwitterJobSearch. With bad news on the work front coming out all too often at the moment, the 100% free to use www.TwitterJobSearch.com is the first place to visit if you need to get a job this year.


    Source:Onrec.com

    Survive a Downturn Through Effective Restructuring by Aarti Thapar, Jeff Gilley and Anny Fenton





    As the economy continues to slump, organizations of all sizes, in all industries, are focusing their attention on survival. Many are pursuing huge restructuring initiatives to increase efficiency, improve delivery and cut costs. As talent leaders respond to mounting pressure to reduce their workforces while delivering better value to customers and shareholders, they face complex — and often unanticipated — organizational design challenges.

    A straightforward head-count reduction without a full transformation — a common knee-jerk reaction to such challenges — often creates more problems than it was meant to solve, as organizational design efforts are thrown over the fence. At the minimum, lack of collaboration between HR and the business can prevent restructuring efforts from realizing their intended benefits. At worst, it could obscure employee roles and undermine productivity and operational efficiency.

    Talent leaders can avoid such problems by taking two necessary yet often overlooked steps: one, develop a thorough understanding of the organization’s operations; and two, integrate organizational and process change. To the second point, there are four key elements involved in creating and sustaining a strong link between process and organizational design. Each provides a critical guidepost in the restructuring process.

    1. Understand where you’re going. While it defines the end goal, the vision alone lacks a clear process to create a new organization design. Without a process, HR has no roadmap to reach its intended destination. Talent managers need to work with the business to:

  • Define the business’s future-state vision.
  • Establish design principles aligned with the business vision. This could be a set of statements that define how the organization must operate in order to achieve its ambition.
  • Develop a campaign to communicate the case for change and win the support and commitment of key stakeholder groups.

    2. Know where you stand. To understand how the organization will achieve its vision, talent managers need to understand employees’ specific roles, responsibilities and reporting lines. While stockpiled job descriptions and manager interviews are staple resources, they provide a limited view of the organization. Further, job descriptions could be defunct or outdated, and managers often lack a detailed view of employees’ daily responsibilities. For this reason, talent and business leaders must collaborate on the following tasks: documenting existing business processes, paying close attention to current organization roles and responsibilities; and analyzing gaps among existing organizational design principles for the future-state organizational design, paying particular attention to where efficiencies can be realized.

    3. Create the change. If role boxes are moved and responsibilities shifted, but no adjustment is made for how work is assigned or completed, change likely will not last. To prevent backsliding to a pre-restructure state, talent managers must work with the organization to transform current processes and ensure they align with proposed design principles. This requires that they:

  • Develop a high-level operating model to demonstrate how processes will be undertaken in the new organization.
  • Map out transformed processes in detail. Ensure maps demonstrate exactly how roles and responsibilities will change.
  • Develop job descriptions. Make sure descriptions map to process activities — creating connections between processes and organizational structure.
  • Develop a structure that assigns lines of reporting and accountability to employees.

    4. Make it real. Restructuring can leave those affected wary and confused. Changes should be communicated to employees so they understand their new roles and how they will operate within the initiative’s early stages. This can be accomplished by:

  • Creating and sharing operating scenarios. Show people how to apply the changes to their daily work lives to life.
  • Coaching and supporting talent. Help employees see the connections between process, organizational structure and job responsibilities.

    Restructuring never is an easy process. It requires a large investment of time, money and resources and drastically impacts an organization. By heeding these suggestions, an organization can facilitate a successful restructuring that achieves lasting gains. More importantly, it can ensure employees successfully function in their roles, fostering a supportive and productive workplace.

    Aarti Thapar is a managing consultant in PA Consulting Group’s business transformation group. Jeff Gilley is a consultant in the business transformation group. Anny Fenton is an analyst in PA’s IT consulting practice.

    Source:Talent Management

    • Opportunity Knocks Releases Impact of the Economy on the Nonprofit Workforce Research





    Atlanta, Ga. / March 23 2009 – Nonprofit employers seeking free, definitive data on how the current state of the economy is affecting nonprofit employment and human resource practices can now access the Opportunity Knocks Impact of the Economy on the Nonprofit Workforce Research.

    Opportunity Knocks conducted research to provide the nonprofit community with an understanding of how the economy is impacting nonprofits and their workforce. Respondents represented all sizes of organizations and across all subsectors.

      Key findings include:
    • Larger organizations report fewer layoffs vs. smaller organizations
    • Positions least affected by the economy are C level Executives, operations and finance and upper level management
    • More than 50% do not offer any severance pay
    • Close to 60% report no effects on salaries and current major employee benefits
    • Hiring freezes are most impacting administration and support, midlevel management, staff and program service delivery positions

    The results of this research are brought to life beyond the data in a webinar providing real world context, perspective and recommendations with a panel discussion featuring the following sector leaders and subject matter experts:

    • James Siegal, Vice President Nonprofit Sector Programs and Practice; Independent Sector
    • Jan Masaoka, Editor; Blue Avocado
    • Stephen A. Bauer, Director; Initiative for Nonprofit Sector Careers American Humanics
    • Karen Beavor, President and CEO; Opportunity Knocks

      “We have produced the Opportunity Knocks Impact of the Economy on the Nonprofit Workforce Research to help both organizations and nonprofit professionals by providing insight and points of comparison on the impact that the economy is having on nonprofits and their employees.” says Karen Beavor, President and CEO of Opportunity Knocks. “True to our mission, production of this report demonstrates our commitment to lead and support efforts promoting a robust nonprofit workforce that enables organizations to complete their missions.”

      Full information on the report and how to access is available online here

      About Opportunity Knocks
      Opportunity Knocks is the national online job site focused exclusively on the nonprofit community. For Nonprofit professionals, www.OpportunityKnocks.org is the premier destination to find nonprofit jobs and access valuable resources for developing successful careers in the nonprofit community. For Nonprofit Employers, www.OpportunityKnocks.org is the best way to find qualified candidates and receive valuable information that nonprofit organizations need when building successful recruitment, retention and human resource strategies.

      Contact: Lynne Norton, Marketing Manager, Opportunity Knocks, 678-916-3066 or lnorton@opportunityknocks.org

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    GIVE Act Passes in House





    Efforts to expand voluntary community and national service opportunities for Americans of all ages took a major step forward yesterday afternoon when the U.S. House of Representatives passed the GIVE Act (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act) with an overwhelming, bi-partisan majority.

    The action now moves to the Senate, which will vote this week on its version of the bill — the Serve America Act. Both versions of the legislation propose using service as a strategy to address some of the most pressing issues facing our communities, and both include funding to support nonprofits in recruiting, training, and managing volunteers.

    You can help ensure that the Senate passes this legislation. Please take a moment to call — and to urge your colleagues to call — your senators about how the Serve America Act will benefit our communities. You can find information and talking points the Service Nation website.

    Opportunity Knocks Named on 100 Best List





    Opportunity Knocks made the list of 100 Best Resources for an Online Job Search by Graduate Degree Blog.

    Graduate Degree.org is your guide to online graduate education. We can help you take your education and career to the next level by finding the masters or doctoral degree to help you achieve your dreams and become an expert in your field. Whether you want to complete your degree part-time while you work or as a full-time student, there are many reputable online schools to help you obtain an advanced degree in a flexible and affordable manner. Check out our blog for authoritative advice for online learners and read through our top 10 schools to find the best graduate degree for you.

    Source: Graduate Degree.org

    ON DEMAND -All you ever wanted to know about the Nonprofit Sector (but were afraid to ask)




    Click here to purchase
    (you must log in or create an account to purchase)


    Topic: All you ever wanted to know about the Nonprofit Sector (but were afraid to ask)
    Duration: 52 minutes

    Summary: The nonprofit sector is large, diverse and growing. In both urban and rural areas, you will find nonprofits serving citizens and communities and addressing issues of concern. Our nation’s nonprofits range from hospitals to environmental groups, from universities to youth programs, from emergency shelters to organizations working with senior citizens, veterans and individuals with disabilities.

    Participants will learn: Participants will learn more about how nonprofits create a caring community, one that strengthen and enhances the quality of life in our country. This webinar provides an overall view of the nonprofit sector both from a demographic and economic impact perspective. It will also delve into the biggest trends that are impacting the sector today and why these trends are important to nonprofit professionals.

    Who should attend: Nonprofit Professionals and Corporate professionals looking to transition into the nonprofit sector

    Course Level: Introduction

    Cost: $39.99 - Click here to purcahse All you ever wanted to know about the Nonprofit Sector (but were afraid to ask)

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    $84.99 - Click here to purcahse which includes All you ever wanted to know about the Nonprofit Sector (but were afraid to ask) + 2010 Wage & Benefits Report (Value of $49.95).

    Presenter: Karen Beavor, CEO & President of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and Opportunity Knocks

    Faculty bio: Karen Beavor is CEO & President of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and Opportunity Knocks. She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College and serves as a board member or advisory board member of a variety of civic and nonprofit organizations, including the National Nonprofit Risk Management Center, Family Connections Partnership, the Foundation Center-Atlanta, The Nonprofit Quarterly, American Humanics, The Center for Nonprofit and Government Leadership at Kennesaw State University, The State Bar of Georgia’s ABC Committee and the National Center for Charitable Statistics.

    Karen has received the Martin Luther King Leadership award and the Harvard Business School Club of Atlanta’s Community Leader Award. She is a graduate of the 2000 class of Leadership Atlanta and the 2003 Coca-Cola Diversity Leadership Academy.

    Click here to purchase
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