Managing Up, Down and Across:
Clearer Communications
for Strong Volunteer Boards
Lauren Grattan
YNPN National Conference
May 18, 2013
INTRODUCTIONS
Lauren Grattan
Chair, YNPN San Diego
A bona fide fundraising and
management geek, I read
anything I can get my hands on
to empower emerging leaders
and drive social change through
philanthropy and better
communication.
@cheeseaugrattan
lauren@ynpnsandiego.org
linkedin.com/in/laurenkgrattan
Workshop Purpose
• Many feel they need more from their
managers to achieve success
• This is even more acute in nonprofits and
volunteer organizations like YNPN
• I want to help create a culture of personal
accountability, clearer communication, trust
and effectiveness
Workshop Objectives
• Show value of strengths-based leadership
• Examine “victim mentality” vs. accountability
• Share how to communicate and manage up,
down and across
STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP
IN A VOLUNTEER CONTEXT
Fear Bias
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Report card
SWOT analysis
Backpacking
Olympic athletes
Invest in Your Strengths
You can spend all the time in the world
correcting your weaknesses, you’ll just end
up average
- Marcus Buckingham
Invest in Your Shining Stars
Managing with Strengths
If your manager…
Ignores you
Focuses on your
weaknesses
Focuses on your
strengths
The chance you will be
actively disengaged is:
40%
22%
1%
YNPN San Diego
2012 Board Strengths
JF
Achiever
Activator
Adaptability
Analytical
Arranger
Belief
Command
Communication
Competition
Connectedness
Consistency
Context
Deliberative
Developer
Discipline
Empathy
Focus
Futuristic
Harmony
Ideation
Includer
Individualization
Input
Intellection
Learner
Maximizer
Positivity
Relator
Responsibility
Restorative
Self-Assurance
Significance
Strategic
Woo
EB
x
LL
BB
BT
CS
JK
KH
x
x
LG
x
JR
LF
SRA MM
x
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CREATING A CULTURE OF
ACCOUNTABILITY
Back to the Fear Factor
First Steps to Accountability
SEE IT
• Build awareness of yourself, your team, your
environment
OWN IT
• Understand what unique strengths you
contribute
Which would you rather be?
•
•
•
•
Someone who makes things happen?
Someone who watches things happen?
Someone who wonders what happened?
Someone who never knew anything
happened?
Take Initiative
SOLVE IT
• What else can I do?
• Stay engaged/persist
• Think differently
• Stay conscious
Make It Happen
DO IT
• Embrace full responsibility for your results
• Don’t excuse situations with stories
• Focus on action you can take
• Recognize you can’t do everything
COMMUNICATION TACTICS
Practices to Employ
• Bring it back to the mission
• Know & accept strengths/weaknesses/pet
peeves of your team
• Be honest and trustworthy
• Be gracious in defeat
• Show team solidarity
• Understand how to nag appropriately
Avoid at All Costs
• Focusing on yourself
• Whining and blaming
• Airing dirty laundry/speaking about your team
less than professionally
• Surprising your boss, staff, team
• Holding back from asking for feedback
• Putting in the bare minimum
How Do You Change Your Speech?
• Frame questions: How, What, What else?
• Not: Why, Do?
• Affirm the subjective feelings, then address
objective facts
Scenarios
• Communicating with a challenging person
• Asking for clarity without seeming whiny
• You’ve got one foot out the door, but don’t
want to/can’t afford to burn bridges here…
• Every time you talk to a particular individual,
you’re asking for help or a favor
Questions?
@cheeseaugrattan
lauren@ynpnsandiego.org
linkedin.com/in/laurenkgrattan