Moving to a not-for-profit? Check the board and consider your career values

Moving to a Not-for-Profit? Tandem Career Consulting can help you explore your career values to maximize chances of job satisfaction.

Not-for-profits fill many essential roles that governments step away from. So, it makes sense to assume they exist to fill a void that ‘helps’ their members, recipients or community. And as consumers, clients, patrons and employees, we expect no less. 

As an employee of a not-for-profit organization, you may receive less financial reward than your counterparts in other entities. But, working for an honourable cause is what matters. Right?

Yes, for some it really matters. So, what’s the fallout for individual employees when boards lose perspective? What’s the result when the camaraderie and care for board members is of higher importance than delivering on the true intent of the organization? And how can that affect you as an employee?

Will the board’s decisions impact me?

That probably depends on your career values. Individuals become committee or board members for a variety of reasons and, for the most part, they do a stellar job. Boards, (of co-ops, charities, and community services, for instance), make decisions on a pedestal of trust and long-held ideologies. But they can also offer a platform for self-promotion. This, in itself, is not a problem, but what happens when the contribution of board members skews decisions and these decisions are not in the best interests of the organization or the staff who have been loyal foot soldiers, delivering on a daily basis?

The fallout for individual employees can be brutal, especially for those why value honesty, integrity, community and helping others – not uncommon, non-tradeable career values for those choosing to work for NFPs.

In simple terms, even the local men’s shed member who suggest their pal take home a donated chisel that fits the bill for a home project is compromising the ability of the shed to deliver on its agreed purpose. If I’d sharpened the chisel for the use of the team, I’d be pretty miffed to see it walk out the door because one of the members thought his pal needed it more than the shed and its projects.

But what of a new GM, previously a committee member, selected because he was an easy and persuasive choice? Recruiting from the inner circle, doesn’t exactly tick the box for finding the best man for the job, (even if they are a woman)! How were the employees and the organization best served by such a decision? Perhaps brilliantly. Perhaps not. Could the board have done better?

Quite aside from the capability of the new leader, those who view the decision-making process with distrust, may enter a period of discomfort that can build to real and measurable stress and dissatisfaction – increased heart rate, sadness, anxiety, anger, absenteeism. 

And for those who hold honesty and integrity in the highest regard, perhaps those who were motivated to work in a NFP because of these values, there can only be one outcome to maintain their own integrity and everything they hold dear – departure.

Of course, these feelings and behaviours can surface in any organization. But perhaps the expectation of contributing, of actually joining up to honour your key career values, can make the frustration worse?

How to make the right move if considering a not-for-profit? Review your career values and those of the board.

To avoid becoming collateral damage of board quick fixes and temporary distractions from commitment to their stated goals, do your research. Ask about the contribution of the board to daily operations. How do they make decisions? Do they consult with staff? What’s their vision for the organization and what are they doing to mitigate risk? What’s their background and what are their personal drivers? Does all this line up with what you supposed to be true? If so, you could just be on a winner!

If you struggle to articulate your values, as a career practitioner, I love Knowdell’s Career Values Card Sort to remind clients, tangibly, about the ‘value of their values’ when settling on the right career / job choice. The cards don’t lie and are a great little reality check – a reflection of what’s on the inside.