The Listening Organization
Executive Directors are called upon to do a tremendous amount of public speaking in all types of settings. From my own experience, I know that this causes a lot of angst. Research shows I’m not alone. According to the National Social Anxiety Center, public speaking comes out ahead of death, spiders, and heights as common sources of stress.
What I’m talking about though is listening… public listening! Well, Ok… I don’t think the term “Public Listening” will take hold, but we are running a series of blogs this month about listening as a leadership quality. Amanda’s recent post focused on how leaders can listen effectively, and this one focuses on who we should listen to and why.
Public listening has the potential to be more nerve-racking than public speaking but setting your organization up to be a “Listening Organization” can mollify this potential.
First, why public listening? I add the word public as a reminder that nonprofit organizations, supported by tax-exempt funding, belong to the community. The structure carries with it a responsibility to hear and be responsive to “the community voice.” Executive Directors should strive to hear this voice. And of course, it is more than one. The list could and should include:
Clients or Participants or Member
Staff
Volunteers
Board Members
Funders
Partners
The community at large
That’s a lot of voices. It’s a lot of input. It’s a lot of processing.
Creating systems to make listening a routine activity can be very helpful. Let me give you an example:
At one organization I led, an awesome Director of Volunteers asked if I’d be open to frequent lunchtime meetings with the volunteers. The purpose of the meetings would simply be for the volunteers to ask me any questions they wanted to, as well as share their experience of volunteering for the organization. We would sit in a simple circle and have a conversation. Of course, I agreed, and I’ll admit to being a little nervous about the transparency that this would require, given that I was used to being more in control of meeting agendas. In every instance, these meetings strengthened relationships, enhanced teamwork, created a stronger more positive culture, and developed my capacity to see things from different perspectives.
This actual structure might not work with all groups, but the point is to highlight the value and importance of listening. Do you have structures in place that ensure you’re hearing the voices of your constituents?
How do you know, for example, that the services your organization provides are the services that your target population most desires? By setting up a good listening process with constituents, you ensure that program development is community informed and that resources are being used effectively. Surveys, focus groups, or informal conversations can be used to gain this information.
I hope that these two examples show how you might operationalize the task of listening to all constituent groups and set your organization up to become a Listening Organization.
The task, however, is to decide what to do with all of that data. Listening alone is not sufficient.
This is where strategic planning comes in. I know that with limited resources and multiple priorities, strategic planning often doesn’t receive the attention it should. This is a lost opportunity. Strategic planning is a prime opportunity to consult and engage a broad constituent base and to invite and include these voices in the development of organizational priorities and goals. It is also an opportunity to create processes to ensure that these voices inform organizational development on an ongoing basis, rather than as a one and done event. A well-designed strategic planning process strengthens the listening capacity of an organization and develops goals that address the needs of the people effectively.
It is equally important to be aware that the responsibility of public listening falls primarily on the shoulders of the Executive Director. It requires a lot of
Mental energy
Patience
Processing
Open mindedness
Vulnerability
In fact, with spiders in mind, public listening is like sitting at the center of a spider’s web, being sensitive to any and all vibrations. It is a lot of input and a lot to process.
A piece of advice to Executive Directors who experience this: get some outside support to help process all of these factors. Public listening is likely more anxiety provoking than public speaking, spiders, death, or heights – or all of them put together. Sharing leadership experiences with other executive directors in a safe and trusting environment is key to coping with the stresses of the position.
The Nonprofit Strategy Group offers:
Expertise in leading strategic planning processes that will strengthen your organization’s capacity to listen to and respond to the voices of your constituents, and
pace to engage monthly in peer support, creative problem solving, and learning with other Executive Directors through the Colorado Leader’s Circle.
Contact us today for more information or visit our website at The Nonprofit Strategy Group.