10/10/07: Getting the Right People on the Bus

by Faye Dresner

In Good to Great, Jim Collins’ book on why some companies achieve enduring greatness while others remain mediocre, he writes that one of the primary contributing factors to a company’s greatness is getting the “right people on the bus” before deciding where to drive it. My experience as a nonprofit manager and director supports Jim Collins’ notion as well as the converse that if you don’t have the right people on the bus, you may reach your destination at some point, but the journey will be unsatisfying, unproductive, and often really unpleasant.

So how does one go about getting the right employees on the bus? It may seem counter intuitive, but the process begins with you – the employer. You set the tone for and create the culture of the work environment whether it’s the entire nonprofit or your department.

Ask yourself the following:
“Am I creating a place where I enjoy working and that can attract great employees? What does that take?”
“Do I treat everyone as individuals with something to contribute?”
“Do I help guide people into positions in which they can capitalize on their strengths?
“Do I bring a fairly high degree of self awareness to being a leader?”
“Am I a good communicator and do I take the time to listen?”

Leaders set the tone for daily life in a nonprofit, and model what behavior is acceptable. If you witness employee actions that are disturbing, take a moment to reflect on how you and the rest of your organization’s leadership are setting that example. Take an inventory of what attitudes and behavior you bring to work everyday. Are you inadvertently condoning certain behavior? Do you expect people to do as you say and not as you do? Only after you’ve done an honest self-assessment (and this should be done periodically) will you be fully equipped to attract the right people to join your “bus.”

In Collins’ book, he emphasizes that companies with enduring greatness hire the “right” people often BEFORE they set the vision, choose strategies, or zero in on tactics. And he points out that finding the right people has to do more with hiring people with particular inherent character traits than with specific skills or education. I believe these principles apply to the nonprofit world as well. Consider the culture you’re trying to create and what types of people will best advance the work you’re trying to do. Then go after them with an uncompromising focus. Be willing to keep looking until you find employees who fit because as the saying goes, “One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch,” and most of us have had work experiences that verify that truth.

Once you hire great employees, retention is critical. High turn over is costly and affects morale and productivity. So how do you create an environment in which people want to stay long term? In an article for Leader to Leader magazine a few years ago, Carol Sturman wrote that “It is the primary job of leaders to inspire the people who work for them, and…to encourage people to take risks and become leaders themselves, and to support them when they stumble.”

Doing this involves creating a work environment that values employees in word and deed. It means sharing information, and asking for feedback. It entails involving employees in higher level decision making, asking for suggestions, and acting on those you receive. It means being personally accessible, willing to delegate and trust your employees, and knowing how to listen. Make it your mission as a nonprofit leader to create strategies to show those who work for you how important they are to the organization and to you. The return on that investment will be far higher than any other cost saving strategies you have created thus far.

Faye Dresner

Faye Dresner is the founder of Dresner Consulting, LLC which she started to help tap the power of nonprofits and philanthropists to affect change. For over two decades, Faye has served in director-level positions with a variety of nonprofits which has taught her that when a person finds work that is personally fulfilling and life enhancing, both employer and employee benefit.

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