Leading Associations and Non profit Organizations ...€¦ · Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transition. This book is the central textbook which covers the key insights,

[email protected] 2083 Chalmers Rd. Ottawa K1H 6K4 web site: Rpatonconsulting.com

Leading Associations and Non profit Organizations: Challenges for Senior Executives

PADM 5472S: PANL 5772S : Special Topics in Organizational Leadership and Management)

Course for Philanthropy and Non profit Leadership Program, Carleton University, School of Public Policy and Administration

Room 3224: River Building

Richard Paton (copyright)

Draft 2019: May 13-17

Time: 830 AM to 430 PM

Course Summary If you want to learn how presidents, executive directors, and managers lead and manage associations and nonprofits, and prepare yourself for senior leadership roles in these organizations, this course is for you. This course, which is being offered for the fifth time as part of the MNPL program, is a unique practical management course that will help participants to better understand the leadership challenges and strategies required of the executives of associations and non profit organizations. Participants will review the challenges faced by these executives, and work through examples of the issues and choices that they face in leading their organizations. The course will draw upon the experience of the instructor, Richard Paton, who worked for 19 years as the president of an association and was a senior executive in government. The course will focus on cases developed by the instructor, the main text book, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions and the experiences of participants in the course in managing non profits or associations..

Office Hours: Since this is a one week course, the professor will be available before and after

classes in the class room or where convenient and is always available by e mail or phone as

required..

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Course Overview

This is a course on managing non profit organizations and associations which is specifically designed for leaders and staff of these organizations, or those who want to learn more about the management of these organizations. This course is designed to complement other courses in the program by focusing on the realities and challenges faced by executives/managers in association or non profit management. The course will be most valuable to those already in management positions or who aspire to take on management responsibilities at some time in their career with a non profit organization, or association.

Since there are very few practical management courses in the public administration field, the course has also been valuable for students of the MPPA program and other programs who are interested in understanding better what it takes to lead and manage an organization using associations and nonprofits as examples.

The course is also designed to be a stand-alone course for staff, as professional development participants, currently working in business associations or nonprofits who need a course specifically tailored to leading these organizations. The course will draw on relevant management and association literature and cases where available. This will provide key concepts and a framework that will enable participants to assess management situations and develop effective strategies for managing associations.

Most importantly, the approach to this course will be to build on the rich experiences of participants to create a learning experience that is relevant and useful to their roles in non profit organizations.

The Course Leader

Richard Paton was President of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) for 19 years. Before taking on the President role of an association, Richard spent 24 years in the Federal Government and was Deputy Secretary of two branches in the Treasury Board. Richard, is a MPA graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and has a Masters in Canadian Studies from Carleton. He has taught at the School of Public Administration at Carleton for over 28 years. He also teaches another course in the MPPA program focused on the Practice of Public Management. The three sections of this course ( taught by three different professors) is based on a course Richard designed and taught for 27 years titled the “The Politics of Management. Thinking Like a Manager” Richard has authored articles and cases on management as well as a book titled “The Politics of Management: Thinking Like a Manger” which was published in the fall of 2013. Richard also published the main text book for this course in the spring of 2015. This book is titled Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions. Finally, he also published a shorter publication for this course What Makes an Effective Association: Benchmarking for Performance. All of these books will be the key readings for this course.

Richard continues to consult in the field of non profit leadership; but, in the spring of 2017 he was appointed Chair of the Railway Safety Review by the Minister of Transport. This review involved a complete assessment of the legislation and operations of the rail safety function for

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the purpose of determining how to achieve the best possible railway safety regime in Canada. Along with two vice chairs and a Secretariat, the Report was presented to the Minister of Transport on May 1,2018 and tabled in Parliament a month later.

Association and non profit managers must work with their boards, governments, stakeholders, and staff, to manage issues or programs and achieve results. In addition they must ensure they have quality staff that is well aligned with the direction of the organization and the expectations of members and their boards. All of these challenges make these jobs difficult, yet rewarding.

This course will help association and non profit managers and staff to learn how to navigate these challenges successfully and provide other participants with some insights into the management challenges for these and other organizations.

Unique Focus of the Course and Learning Outcomes

The unique characteristic of this course is that it is focused on executives and managers leading associations and nonprofits. It deals with the realities, challenges, strategies and experiences of senior executives particularly presidents in leading non profit organizations.

The core of the course will be a framework and key concepts that can be utilized for association and non profit managers to assess their key relationships and challenges and develop strategies that will help to maximize their chances of success. This will also include the choices that senior executives can make in terms of their operating style. The lessons of the course are drawn from the experience of practitioners in associations and non profits. Since the non profit and association field is so diverse, a major part of the learning in the course is to draw from the experience of participants in the course.

By the end of the course participants will be able to fully assess the challenges leaders facing in managing associations and non profits and understand the requirements and approach to developing and implementing a successful agenda in a variety of different situations.

By learning the key concepts and framework and applying these to case situations, participants will develop key tools that can be used for their management development in non profits, associations as well as government organizations. The first and final assignments will provide an opportunity to apply and integrate the insights of the course to specific organizations including the organizations where participants work.

Who will find this course relevant and useful

This course is designed largely for executives, managers and staff of associations and nonprofits who want to learn about leading and managing associations. The course will also be useful for those who work in government organizations who simply want to understand more about management and the strategies and approaches senior executives need to take in leading organizations, albeit in this case non profit organizations. MPPA students have been able to apply the lessons of the course to government organizations without difficulty. The lessons learned from this course can be applied broadly to many types of organizations.

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This course has been designed in a one week format so that it will be accessible to the participants of the National Philanthropy and Not for Profit Program which includes participants from across the country. In addition, the course has been designed so thats staff of associations and nonprofits can take the course for professional development, without enrolling in the overall program.

Objectives and Value Proposition

The objectives and value proposition of the program are:

1. To enhance the participants’ capabilities for leading or managing organizations including associations/nonprofits and/or to prepare them for a more senior role in their organizations.

2. To provide a forum for learning from experienced association and non-profit staff.

3. To share information on how to tackle key common issues facing the management of associations and nonprofits as well as other organizations and share best practices in the key areas that are essential to association management.

4. To provide networking opportunities for association and non profit staff to meet executives and staff in other nonprofits and associations and increase interchange and learning about management among diverse associations.

5. To provide participants with a practical management course that can be applied to a variety of different organizations; or assist participants working in government to understand the role and challenges of associations and non profits. (Note most government organizations interface with nonprofits and vice versa.)

Note: Although the course is focused on leadership in non profits and associations, there are very few courses available which are practical management courses. For this reason, in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and 2018 about 7 students each year from the general MPPA program took the course. The feedback was very positive. The course is sufficiently flexible that these students were able to apply the lessons of the course to government and other organizations.

Course Materials

The course materials will mainly include cases developed by the professor, specifically for this course, as well as two books authored by the professor. In addition, an additional textbook has been included that focuses on the role of executive directors in non profit organizations. These books draw on other literature on nonprofits and summarize their insights. Given the very short

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time for the course, the professor chose to focus the readings on these three texts and cases to enable participants to easily become acquainted with the key concepts and lessons of the course and apply them to realistic situations faced by leaders of associations and nonprofits.

All of the textbooks are available at the Carleton book store and listed on their web site. The approximate cost of the three texts is about $100.00. Participants can buy them at the Bookstore or order them on the web site or by calling the textbook management group at (613) 520 2600 ext 8115. If ordered directly or through the web site, the books will be sent and arrive in a few days.

Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transition. This book is the central textbook

which covers the key insights, framework and substance of the course. It deals with the

experiences of 26 association presidents in doing their jobs and what is required to be an

effective leader of an association and non profit. In addition to the copies that will be available in

the Carleton Bookstore, the book can be purchased electronically through.

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/leading-business-associations-making-successful-transitions

($11.30). https://kindle.amazon.com/work/leading-business-associations-successful-transitions-

ebook/B00VQWU5GU/B00VQWU5GU.

R. Paton, What Makes an Effective Association: Benchmarking Associations for Performance (CSAE, 2015). This book is designed to assist students to evaluate an association/nonprofit and determine the key management and performance challenges it faces. See assignment requirements. This publication is available directly from CSAE (Canadian Society of Association Executives). It can be ordered directly from the Resources or Bookstore section of the web site or from the Carleton Bookstore which will have the required number of copies for the course.

Joanne Oppelt, Moving Up to Executive Director: Lessons Learned from My first 365 days, Charity Channel Press, 2013. Available on Amazon but not electronically. Copies have been purchased and are available in the Carleton Bookstore and can be ordered through Carleton Bookstore web site or by phone. This book provides a practical example of an executive director leading a non profit. The book was viewed by participants as exceptionally useful and relevant to the challenges that non profit managers face.

General Reading for Long Term Learning ( CU learn)

A final reading is a provided for the first time in 2019 as a resource for students. In past years some students have asked for references to other literature on management that might be useful. This reading is a summary of key management books over the past twenty years and cover executive functions; research of what makes excellent leaders; challenges for management at various levels and finally some insights into what is required to build management talent.

Richard Paton, Summary of Studies on Management and Leadership, Feb.14,2019

Readings and Cases

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These will all be listed on the electronic site at Carleton or be made available for Professional development students if they do not have access to the site. The readings complement the main texts. They are limited because the one week format makes it unproductive to have a barrage of readings. The key to the course is to understand the key concepts , framework and approach to leading associations/ non profits and apply them to the cases and non profit or other organizations in assignments and discussions,

Course Organization. The course will be full day classes starting at 8:30 AM with sessions in

the AM and PM and a one hour break for lunch. The last class on Friday will end early ( 4PM) to allow for travel plans.

The course delivery creates opportunities for intense and interactive learning but also creates some limitations in terms of readings and assignments because there is little time outside of class to review the readings or prepare assignments. On the other hand, by having the class each day for five days, provides a great opportunity for class involvement and rapid learning. In the 2017 course, a few executive directors who were participants were able to share their experiences and this provided an exceptional learning opportunity. Depending on the make- up of the class, the professor will aim to draw on the experiences of leaders in the class.

The professor has designed the course in a way that maximizes the benefits of a very focused course over one week but also takes maximum advantage of the fact that most participants will be working with associations and non profit and can start preparing for the course before the course begins and finish the assignment after the week long course.

It is designed to be flexible enough to be relevant and useful to a diverse group of participants involving nonprofits; business associations as well as students working in government or aiming to work in government organizations. This diversity creates challenges for the design of the course, but also creates huge potential for participants to learn from each other and take advantage of the experiences of participants in many organizations.

It is important to get participants thinking about management challenges and approaches early in the program, especially as they are in their work environment. Management learning tends to take time. It requires reflection combined with observation in the work environment. For this reason, some of the course materials and assignments will be made available to participants before the formal course begins and students will be requested to begin one assignment before the course starts. In addition, the final assignment for the course will not be due until about six weeks after the course is finished. This will also enable students to apply the lessons of the course to their associations or nonprofits.

Learning Approach

In the experience of the professor the most effective teaching approach for management courses involves a multifaceted approach including:

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Some literature on managing associations drawn from the experiences of association/non profit presidents/executives.

Key concepts that help assess management situations; drawn from the general management literature.

The use of a framework that is central to the assessment of management situations.

The application of this framework and concepts to specific examples through class discussion, application to an association/nonprofit where students are working, cases, or a study of a manager.

Involvement of association and non profit leaders in 2-3 classes in the program.

Active involvement and sharing of experience by participants in discussion and cases

Self reflection by participants on management and leadership style and their skills and capabilities to take on senior executive roles.

Note: This combination of the textbook based on the experiences of association presidents, key concepts, class discussion of examples, cases, and the final assignment, all provide for a strong and unique learning experience. Participants are able to apply the lessons of the course to their organizations as well as their management situations and enhance their development.

Course Requirements

(All participants will be required to complete these assignments. Although Professional Development (PD) students are not required to do assignments for marking purposes, the professor hopes all PD students to complete these assignments ( especially the first one) in order to enhance the learning process and contribute to class discussion. Class Participation (20%) The course relies on active involvement of participants because they can bring their experiences with associations and their perceptions of the management challenges facing various organizations. In a course of this nature students not only learn from the professor and course material, they also learn from each other by being exposed to a wide variety of different nonprofits and their challenges. For this reason, there is a class participation mark for the course.

Assignment 1: Benchmarking Non Profit and Implications for Leadership (20%)

The purpose of this assignment is to get participants thinking of the key requirements for an effective association and to apply the framework to an organization. Given that some students may not have experience with nonprofits or associations, there are two options for this assignment.

(i) If you are working in a non profit or association or have worked with one of these organizations in the past or even have access to reviewing a non profit, assess an association or non profit using the benchmarking framework developed by the

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professor and published by CSAE. This assignment is due before Session 4, which is the session covering effective associations. I.e. by the beginning of the PM session on Day 2. Value 20%. (See further explanation of this assignment for the session on Day 2.

(ii) If you are working in government or have no experience with a non profit organization, there are a few options. If you have a friend or acquaintance who is working in a non profit or association, contact that and discuss the elements of the benchmarking framework with them. Second, governments deal constantly with various nonprofits and associations; you could contact a staff person in one of these organizations and work through the benchmarking criteria. Finally, former students have used the Association benchmarking framework and applied it to government organizations without difficulty and only a few adjustments.

(iii) Note: The assignment under either option should be a three page assessment ( single spaced) of an organization) using the benchmarking framework for associations.. The assignment should include a ranking of the organization either by including assessment numbers in the text or using the chart in the Association Benchmarking book. In addition, at the end it is important to note what this assessment means for leadership challenges and to include any concepts used in the assessment drawn from the main text of Leading Associations. . Note: In the three previous years a good percentage of students completed this assignment before the course began

Assignment 2: Case Analysis: Choose One of the Three Cases in the Course for Assignment

(20%) or Class Presentation on Developing Agenda and Building a Network in a Role.

A critical part of the learning process for a management course is the application of the concepts, framework and key insights to particular situations. This is the reason that four cases are included in the course, all of which are linked to specific chapters of the book. These cases have been developed specifically for this one week course. They are very focused so that students should be able to read them inside of half an hour.

The case analysis requirement is only for a two to three page case analysis (single spaced) focused on the role and agenda of senior executives. Participants can complete any of the cases These case analyses will be due before the class starts that deal with the case. They should be sent electronically to the professor’s email and in MS Word BEFORE the class begins. Each case will have specific questions that participants can address which reinforce the key concepts and lessons of the course.

The cases will provide a focus for class discussion and the application of the insights of the book to nonprofits.

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In lieu of a case, 2-3 participants can volunteer to do a presentation or essentially a case of their own as part of Session 8 on developing an agenda and building a network. This presentation of 20 minutes or so should include: Role and Organization; Challenges for Manager. Staff person, Developing an Agenda ( or Not); Building Network; Challenges with agenda and network; Lessons learned. ( Volunteers should be identified by the end of session 3). The presentation should be followed up by a short summary of about 2 pages of the main insights with links to the course concepts and readings.

Assignment 3: Final Assignment (40%) Due August 3, 2018 ( so marks can be submitted for summer session).

The final assignment is structured so students can complete a significant part of the course requirements after the formal course is concluded. This approach also encourages participants to reflect on the course and apply the framework and key concepts and insights to organizations and leadership situations. The quality of the final assignments in the past three years was remarkable. By providing six+ weeks to complete the assignment after the course, participants did a superb job of applying the lessons of their course to their organizations or other organizations. If there was a weakness in these papers it was in applying the key concepts of the course to the assessment of the organization. For this reason, this aspect of the course will receive special emphasis in 2018.

The prime requirement of the assignment is for participants to reflect on what they learned and apply it to an organization, manager or even an issue using the framework and concepts of the course. It is very important to apply the concepts to assess a situation or management challenges. This is where the real learning takes place. There is lots of flexibility in the form of this assignment, the focus is on the result which is an integration of the course lessons to a real management situation. A case write up would be definitely acceptable with a teaching note. Several participants have done cases in the past. Since there are so few useful cases for non profit management they could also form part of the course readings for the future.

There are two main options for a final assignment and a third option for participants who do not have a background in nonprofits or associations.

i. Assessing an Association and Leadership Requirements

One option is to do a more thorough assessment, than the initial assignment, of an association or another association/non profit based on the factors that are critical to effective associations and nonprofits. The focus of this paper is to use the key concepts of the course and the readings and class discussions to assess the leadership challenges and potential strategies for an association leader based on this assessment.

The framework for this assignment will be based on the publication by the professor What Makes and Effective Association: Benchmarking for Performance. This includes 9 factors plus an X factor that can be used to assess the quality of an association or nonprofit. If participants identify other factors that are more significant to their organizations they can substitute them for

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some of these factors. Once course participants have assessed an association they would address the key question:

Question: Given the performance of the association in these nine areas and the X factor, what are the challenges the association leader faces and what is a potential agenda and strategies that the manager should consider to lead the association?

During the course, participants will be encouraged to continuously review their organization in the context of the experiences of other associations or benchmarks that are established relating to best practices. This is the equivalent of the final exam or assignment. If students want to develop a case based on these benchmarking criteria (has to be made fictional) for future use in the course that is also an option. The major difference in this assignment and the first assignment for the course should be the depth of the analysis and assessment of the management challenges using the framework and concepts of the course and the thoughts on potential successful management strategies for this organization.

ii. Studying an Association or Non profit Executive or Leader

A second option for an assignment is a study of a senior executive of a non profit organization or association (President, VP or Director) using a framework which is outlined in Appendix C of the Politics of Management book which can be made available by the professor.

Given the short duration of the course, it will probably not be possible to do interviews with association leaders during the course. However, if students are able to review some of the course material before the beginning of the course and do some advanced work (with any guidance needed by the professor) this assignment can be completed after the formal course. This would be the equivalent of the final assignment or exam. Students who would like to develop a case focused on a non profit or association executive or manager using the lessons of the course can also discuss this option with the professor.

Overall Requirements for Assignments

The assignments should be approximately 10 pages single spaced with a maximum of two pages for an appendix which outlines the key concepts used, how the basic framework of the course was applied, or any background information that is relevant. References only need to be provided by noting the book source - not a detailed footnote or bibliography. (Paton, Politics of Management, p.5.) The organization or manager should not be identified and fictional names should be used. These assignments will be graded based on the demonstration of the participant’s understanding of the key lessons and concepts of the course and their application to a particular association and manager.

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The key assessment criteria for this assignment is the application of the concepts and lessons of the course to a real situation and the understanding of the leadership challenges involved for the organization.

These assignments will also provide an important source of information for future cases and to broaden the course to include a variety of non profit organizations.

Note: All final assignments should be done in MS word and sent by email to [email protected] at the latest by August 3,2016.

Summary of Schedule for Case Assignments and Final Assignment

1. Mandatory Assignment 1: Session 4: Benchmarking association, non profit or government organization ( due May 29 before I P.M.) Students can send this in at any time before the class. In the past many students completed it before the course started using their own organization as a example.

2. Complete 1 of three cases or personal case for assignment

Session 5: Case Assignment 1 Resource Products Association, Case assessment Due May 15 before 8:30 AM

Session 6 Case Assignment 2: Sustainable Solutions Canada. Due 1:30 May 15.

Session 7: Case Assignment 3: The Food Bank, Case Assignment May 16)(8:30 AM)

Session 8: PM . Personal Experience Case Option: Participants can Choose to do a Presentation based on their management experiencing on formulating and agenda and building a network. This is equivalent to a case analysis if students choose that option.

This will require a class presentation in session 8 plus a two page summary which can be handed in after the class or within a few days of the class. Presentation and two page summary should cover: Management role and description of the organization, challenges for the manager (i.e. establishing agenda, building network, working with board, management of change; dealing with staff) lessons learned.

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3. Mandatory Final Assignment : Due August 05 ( so the professor can send in the marks)

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Sessions

Day 1 8:30 AM - May 13- Introduction

Session 1 Challenges of Managing Organizations and “Thinking Like a Manager”

To successfully provide a course on the roles of managers in leading and managing associations and nonprofits, it is necessary to first establish a fundamental understanding of the challenges of managing organizations and some of the key concepts and strategies that can assist managers to be effective in their jobs. The first day of the course will be devoted to establishing this foundation based largely on one of the text books by the professor The Politics of Management: Thinking Like a Manager.

A key success factor for a course focused on realistic management challenges is to draw from the experiences of course participants in their organization. The first session of the course will start with a round table where each course participant provides a brief description of their organization, some of the challenges faced by their organization, and the expectations for the course. Participants should come prepared to do this.

Since it is expected that there will be a wide diversity of organizations involved, this will provide a rich source of examples of the challenges faced by senior executives. This will enable participants to learn from fellow students as well as from the professor and course material.

Given the fact that the course is scheduled for one week, it will be challenging to absorb the key concepts and insights to management in one week and apply these concepts to specific management situations. For this reason, participants are encouraged to do some advance work for the course, and the final assignment will not be due until two weeks after the formal course ends on June 26.

To assist in this learning process, participants are encouraged to purchase and read the Politics of Management text book before the course begins, and determine if the concepts, framework of strategies outlined in this book provide any insights into the challenges faced by the senior executives of their association or non profit. The other textbooks will also be available as well.

Key Concepts - Alignment, Choices, Power Gap, Agenda Setting, Building a Network, Implementing an Agenda Through a Network.

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Readings R. Paton, The Politics of Management: Thinking Like a Manager. Section 1, pp.1-42 Participants who are in Ottawa can purchase the book from the bookstore. Since this reading is important early in the course and participants are from across the country, this Section is available electronically by going to the professor's web site rpatonconsulting.com. Under the books section this book is listed and the sections of the book can be accessed by clinking on the Politics of Management book.

For the first session, the introductory session and the pages summarizing Linda Hill’s work on first time managers are very important to introduce participants to the challenges of management.

Day 1 PM - May 13

Session 2 Framework and Concepts for Developing Management and Leadership Strategies

This session will focus on the framework that the professor utilizes for discussing management challenges and choices. Each element of the framework will be explored drawing from examples from students in the course.

The experience of the professor from 27 years of teaching management is that the framework and key concepts do not become useful until they are used for a case or a management situation. Thus, there will be four cases in the course where these concepts and the framework can be applied.

The first half of the session will discuss the framework (p. 45 Politics of Management book) and reinforce the key concepts. In the second part of this session, the professor will draw from examples in the class to explore the application of the framework to specific associations.

( Note to class: A speaker who has gone through a transition to an executive director role or association president is usually invited to this class. This will depend on availability. Readings. R. Paton, The Politics of Management, Sections 2 and 3, (pp. 43-89) and Appendix A. This reading is available electronically by going to the web site of the professor rpatonconsulting.com . Scroll down to the section titled publications. Click on the reference to Politics of Management book and you will have the reading..

Key Dimensions of the Framework: Management in relation to External and Task Environment: Managing Relations with Superiors; Managing work with Subordinates; Managing Interface with Clients; Managing Relations and Dependence on Other Groups.

Note: Request for 3-4 volunteers to present their benchmarking assessment of non profits, associations or government organizations for Session 3

Two volunteers from non profit to reflect on lessons from Oppelt chapters 2.3.

Day 2 AM - May 14)

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Session 3 Transition of Presidents to Association Leaders: The Role of President or Senior Executives

Leadership by the permanent staff of associations is critical to effective associations and nonprofits. Association and non profit leaders are usually CEOs and are expected to provide considerable leadership to their associations. This leadership usually requires vision, strategy, and ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders which impact on the association.

This session will start by reviewing Chapter 2 regarding the stages that a president goes through in managing the transition to the head of an association or non profit. Participants will be asked to identify examples of where they have witnessed a transition and how the president approached it.

This session will also be focused on the role and expectations of a President & CEO or executive director of an association or non profit, the leadership challenges that they face and how to work with boards, members, staff and governments in changing an association. To assist in this discussion, the class will focus on the key framework that will be used for the course which includes relationships with board, staff, stakeholders and members.

The session will explore each of the critical roles of the president of an association/nonprofit and identify the mistakes or “death moves” that a president can make in carrying out this function.

The class will also illustrate the differences between various types of associations/nonprofits and the implications for the role of senior executives. For this part, students will provide examples of the rich variety of types of organizations and challenges.

Finally, the class will draw on an article by Jack Shand on the characteristics of association leaders., Jack has experience as the head of an association as well as extensive consulting experience in this area.

Reflections by class participants on how lessons in chapters 2 and 3 of Oppelt relate to their experiences in non profits.

Readings

R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions (2015) Chapter 2, 4.

Jack Shand, “The Characteristics of Association Executive Leadership”, Association, (April-May

2006. Google Jack Shand and Association leadership and you will get short article on PDF

outlining 10 solid attributes of successful executives.Joanne Oppelt, Moving Up to Executive

Director, Chapters 2&3, Pp.17-38.

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Day 2 PM - May 14

Session 4 Characteristics of Effective Associations and Non Profits: Implications for Executives

Based on the publication on benchmarking associations this class will review the 9 characteristics of effective association, plus an X factor, and their implications for association and non profit leadership. Since all class participants will complete assignment 1, this will provide a rich variety of insights by class participants on various associations and nonprofits. This class is vital to helping the class learn from each other and to experience the tremendous variety of challenges facing non profits and other organizations. Several participants will be asked to present their findings for the class and take questions. The professor will ask for volunteers at the end of session 2 so that participants will be prepared to present their assessment of organizations. Normally, about four organizations are ideal: two non profit, one association and one government.

Approach to this Class

Based on feedback from earlier courses this session is divided into three parts.The first part will be a brief summary and discussion on the key factors for benchmarking non profits and associations. 1-2 pm.

The second part will involve several break out groups where participants share their assessment of an organization and any major insights. ( this was suggested in earlier courses to enable students to engage with each other early in the course and learn from the experiences of other participants.) ( 2-3:30) including break)

The third part will be a general discussion led by a spokesperson from the break out groups on what they learned from their discussions on the challenges of achieving performance in non profits and associations and the leadership challenges involved.

Assignment 1 (due before class on Day 2 by email to the professor). Due to the condensed time frame for this course, it is necessary to provide an opportunity for participants to do some work on assignments before the course begins. This will also enable participants to apply the insights of the course to their work situations. Participants will be asked to assess their own associations or nonprofits or other organizations using the chart at the end of the reading for this class, and indicate which areas they are strongest and which areas need improvement. If participants do not have an association or non profit to work with they can contact the professor who will provide them with an option.

Assignment Requirements. Using the framework of the chart provided at the end of the reading on benchmarking associations and non profits, provide a one paragraph assessment of each of the nine factors plus the X factor and then a summary paragraph on the leadership challenges that result from this assessment. This report should be a maximum of three pages single spaced. Value: 20%. See section on assignments for alternative assignments for those not working in nonprofits or associations or who do not have easy access to reviewing such organizations.

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Participants in the class should not identify the name of the organization in their assessment. It is recognized that students may not be able to assess all the factors at this time; however, just the exercise of thinking about the entire organization and its leadership requirements is important.

By understanding the fundamental requirements of managing and leading organizations, (Day 1) the role of senior executive (Day 2 AM) and then the requirements for an effective association (Day 2 PM), the course will create the essential groundwork for the remaining sessions which deal with how senior executives can deal with the challenges of leading associations and nonprofits.

This assignment will provide a basis for break out groups and class discussion on the challenges senior association executives face in achieving high performance in these areas. Participants will also be asked to refer to the role of association leaders discussed in session 3 and determine where the major challenges or gaps are in achieving these functions for the association or non profit that they are reviewing.

In the past two years, participants with government experience used the benchmarking framework for associations without difficulty. Participants from government should also feel free to modify the framework for these organizations.

Readings R. Paton, What Makes an Effective Association: Benchmarking Associations for Performance (published by CSAE, spring 2015).

Day 3 AM - May 15

Session 5 Assessing the Non profit Environment and Implications for an Agenda for Association Presidents

Associations and nonprofits work within a very complex environment involving governments, communities, media and various stakeholders. Effective organizations have a very good understanding of their environment and how to maximize their policy objectives within that environment.

To be effective, associations/nonprofits must constantly be aware of changes in political and public trends and be able to respond to these changes with strategic directions. Many associations have processes for strategic planning with varying degrees of involvement of their board and members.

The session will be focused on assisting participants to assess the environment of an association and the implications for a president or senior staff for leading the association.

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The first half of the session will focus on Chapter 7 of the text using examples from participants in the class.

The second half of the session will use a case to further explore how to assess the environment of an association and an example of the role that a president and senior executives of the association can play in setting strategic directions.

The case is largely aimed to provide a focus for applying the framework and key concepts of the course to assessing the environment of associations and non profits. Since there are typically a wide variety of organizations involved in the course, participants will be asked to share their experiences with large changes in the organizational environment and the impact on the organization and management.

Readings R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions, Chapter 6.R. Paton, “The Resource Products Association (RPA): Challenges and Opportunities in the Environment. updated Dec.2016.

Note: Case analysis should be submitted before the class begins and the case is discussed.

Case Questions

Prepare a three - page ( single spaced) briefing note : From Allison Lawrence to the Chairman of the Board outlining:Format: To Chairman from Allison Lawrence. ( Use these questions to prepare case analysis)

1 Provide an assessment of the challenges of the association in relation to its environment and the capacity of RPA to significantly increase its credibility and influence under current policies and directions.

2.Given this assessment, what initiatives should Allison propose to the Board that will address the challenges the association is facing with government, enivornmental groups and the public?3..What steps should Allison and the Chair should take leading up to the board meeting or in designing the board agenda and process to enable the proposals to be accepted by all board members.

4. What changes should Allision plan to make to align the organization and staff to any proposals that are accepted by the Board.

Include a one page attachment of what concepts or readings your used to assess the case and develop the proposals. Examples, alignment, power gap, environment, dominant coalition.

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Day 3 PM - May15

Session 6 Assessing the Organization and Staff: Implications for a President’s Agenda (Revised)

This session deals with the role of the president and association/non profit leaders in managing the staff and other key functions of the organization while at the same time working with the chairman and board. It focuses on the initial assessment of the organization by an incoming President and then also reviews the challenges that face Presidents in the longer term over the average tenure of 7 years.

One of the three key areas for an incoming president to review is the organization and staff. A president must ensure the staff are aligned with the priorities established by the board and have the capacity to deliver what the board and members expect.

In most associations/nonprofits, the major challenge of an executive director, president or vice presidents is to ensure that the non profit has the right staff with the right skills and the right resources focused on the right direction. Given that the environment and priorities of nonprofits are usually changing, it is very important that an association leader can make the adjustments required in the organization to achieve the directions that are of value to the membership.

Participants should also review their own organizational experiences and reflect on the challenges of managing staff or aligning staff with the role and strategic directions of the association/non profit and the agenda of a president.

Readings R. Paton, Leading Business Associations; Making Successful Transitions, Chapter 6 and Chapter 10 (section 10.4).

J. Oppelt, Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapter 8, Working with Staff and Volunteers. Student review of the reading and discussion.

Case: Sustainable Solutions Canada: Organizational and Staff Challenges in Strategic Direction ( R. Paton, Revised Dec. 2018) This case is for group discussion not individual assignments.

This session will start with a one hour introductory discussion based on Chapters 6 and 10 of the Leading Associations textbook. The class will then be broken into groups to discuss the case on Sustainable Solutions Canada. It is essential to read and think about this case before the class in order to fully participate in the group discussions.

Participants who choose to complete this case for grading purposes should hand it in before the class begins by 1:30. Those preparing case analyses should answer all five questions and include an attachment.

Questions for Break Out Group Discussion and Presentation

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1. How could team work in SSA deteriorate so quickly? What leadership mistakes did Jane make

leading up to her leave of absence and with the nomination of Max as acting President during

her three month absence? Could she have foreseen the problems that developed with SSA and

improved the changes that the organization would retain its focus on the core mission and

operate effectively as a team in her absence?

2. When Jane returns, what does she have to do, in what time frame, to rebuild her credibility

with SSA staff and the Board as leader of SSA, rebuild the teamwork in the organization, and

reconcile the actions Max has taken with the mission and role of SSA approved by the Board?

What does she do with the request for an interview by the journalist? What does she need to do

to deal with the registration problems for the Gala?

3. Drawing from the Difficult Conversations attachment, how should Jane approach the very

difficult conversation with Max in order to fully understand how this dysfunctional situation

emerged and what to do about it?

4. What are some options and next steps for dealing with Max and his team? What is your

recommendation for Jane on Max's future with SSA? What about Max's team?,

5. How should Jane prepare SSA ( staff and board) for the strategic planning process? What are

some of the main issues that will need to be addressed that deal with the mission of SSA and its

relationships with government, business and environmental groups as well as donors of SSA and

potential contractors for the sustainability services of SSA.?. Is there anything Jane and SSA need

to do to ensure the success of the Gala which is a month after Jane returns. If completing a case

analysis, explain how the following concepts help in the analysis of this case: environment,

alignment, power gap, dependency relationships, value proposition and any thoughts on the

management style of Jane.

Day 4 AM - May 16

Session 7 Managing the Interface with the Chairman and Board as well as the Organization and Staff: Implications for an Agenda

All associations and non profits have boards. If staff does not work with their board and key committees effectively, they are in trouble. The problems will show up either in loss of membership or involvement, budget issues, or problems making policy or strategic decisions. Without strong rapport between a president and the chairman/board, the tenure of the president will be limited.

The first half of the session will engage participants in a discussion on the findings in Chapters 5 and 9 of the text book on Leading Business Associations. Participants will be expected to reflect on their experiences in associations and nonprofits and be prepared to discuss these in class (without attribution to the organization). The research on associations and nonprofits indicates

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that the president / board / chairman relationship is the largest source of problems for association executives and results in the most departures.

How can association/non-profit executives ensure that the overall governance of the association works effectively – especially their relationship with their chairman and board? How do they build a common agenda and priorities with their chairman, executive committee and board?

The second half of the session will be a case outlining the challenges in a particular association or non profit. Students will be expected to read the case before the class and be ready to discuss the choices for the president of the association. Note: If students chose this case to do as a case analysis it should be handed in before this class.

The case will also include a role playing situation involving participants in the class.

add in case questions and note attachment

Readings

R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions. Chapter 7, 9 and Section 10.1 of Chapter 10.

Sidney Abrams, “The Board’s Role in Human Resource Management.” Managing Director HR Consulting Services, Board Source 2014. (Reading to be made available by the professor.)

J. Oppelt, Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapter 4, Working with the Board. pp 39-48. Chapter Nine: Working with the Community. pp.97-104. Student review of reading and discussion.

Case: R. Paton, “ The Food Bank: Challenges of Change for a Non Profit Executive Director.

Note: Case should be handed in before the class begins and sent by e-mail.

Guest speaker: The professor aims to have a guest speaker attend this class who is head of a similar non profit organization as the case. The plan is that the speaker will join the class following the case discussion for the period 10-1130 .

Day 4 PM - May 16 Session 8 Setting an Agenda and Building a Network

This session brings together the three main contributors to an agenda: board; environment and staff and discusses how presidents and senior executives of associations/nonprofits develop agendas and build a network to achieve that agenda.

The main source material for this session will be Chapter 8 of the text book Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions.

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The first half of the session will discuss the requirements for developing and implementing a successful agenda and the challenges that can undermine success.

This class depends on the participation of 2-3 students who will be asked to share their experiences in setting an agenda and building a network related to non profit, association or government organization. The class will begin with an overview of Chapter 8 of the Leading Associations text and a brief discussion. This will be followed by one presentation and then after the break one or two more participant presentations.. This approach was very successful in the 2017 course and provided a rich source of insights for participants.

The presentations will be viewed as the equivalent of a case for those doing the presentation. A mark will be provided if the participant chooses this option. For marking purposes participants doing a presentation should provide a two page summary of their presentation focusing on how they set an agenda and built a network to achieve it and any concepts from the course that they found useful in reflecting on their experience

The participant can also just choose to do this without a grade and instead use the one of the other case analyses for grading purposes.

Day 5 AM - May 17

Session 9 Requirements for Leadership Development: Style, Skills and Learning Approaches

A major challenge for association/non profit leaders is to determine what approach to leadership is most effective in a given association. This requires an ability to understand the culture and expectations of the board and staff in the non profit organization. It also requires these leaders to be able to assess their own leadership style and its impact on others. This is one of the most common areas where association leaders experience problems and lose their jobs.

The session will explore various operating styles of association leaders and assist participants to assess which leadership styles are potentially the most effective in various situations.

The professor will introduce some concepts based on Section 3 of the Politics of Management and the book by Oppelt and article by Kotter and Gabarro as well as some description of various types of tests ( Myers Briggs and DISC) that are used to help understand differences in style and teams.

Participants will be asked to share their perceptions of their own style tendencies as well as some examples of the differences of leadership style that they have experienced and their effectiveness.

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Participants will be asked to share instances where they have, or wished they had, managed their boss. A debate and discussion will be encourged on ways to understand the approach to management of superiors and how to align or develop a workable relationship and what happens when this does not occur

Readings R. Paton, The Politics of Management: Thinking Like a Manager, Section 3 on Operating Style. This reading can be accessed by going to rpatonconsulting.com. Under Publications and The Politics of Management, the relevant section on Operating Style is listed.

R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions, Chapter 10. Managing for the Long Term.

Kotter, J and Gabarro, " Managing Your Boss" HBR Classic. Go to Google or other Search engine, put in Kotter and Gabarro with title and you will get PDF version.

J. Oppelt, Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapter 5 , When Everything Demands Your Attention. pp.49-60. Chapter 12 /13 Personal Development and Work Life Balance. Chapter 8 .....

In this class we will talk about various personality types using the Myers -Briggs categorization or other categorizations that students are familiar with If participants want to do the test go to Google and type free Myers Briggs Personality test. You can fill it out in ten minutes and get results. This is just one of many tests that help to understand your tendencies and to inclinations of managers or staff,

Possible guest speaker on leading an association or an organization that works with multiple agencies.

DAY 5 PM - May 17

Session 10 Overview of the Course and Thoughts on Leadership and Career Development)

This first hour of this session will focus on the findings in Chapter 10 in the Leading Business Associations book on managing for the long term; the findings on the development of association and non profit leaders in Chapter 11 and J. Oppelt Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapter 1 on what executive recruiters look for.

The session will include the issues involved with leadership style and the challenges for developing executives of non profits and associations.

Participants should come prepared to discuss all three areas but particularly the challenges and requirements for their development and the development of a strong cadre of executives for the future.

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Summary of the Course and Feedback

This second hour of the session will involve feedback by each participant on what they learned in this course that is relevant and useful to their jobs or role in a non profit. This session enables all participants to learn from each other and can be a rich source of insights. The feedback from the three previous courses has been very important to fine tuning the course for the needs of participants.

The Professor will seek feedback on: overall relevance of course to management development; readings; cases; class discussion; usefulness of presentations by participants; discussion and class engagement or any other aspects of the course that participants want to mention.

Professional development students, receive a certificate for participation in the course. Usually this is done at the end of this class. Others who are part of the MPPA program or MNPL program will get credits for their program.

This session usually has two challenges. First, participants from outside Ottawa might need to catch a flight or drive home and for that reason there are often requests to end the class early. Second, it is the last class of a long week for both participants and the weary professor. The general approach for this class is to skip the break and end the class part about 3pm and for PD students provide certificates at that time ( Anna usually does that).

University Policies

Academic Integrity Please be aware that all work submitted as a requirements of PADM 5xxx must be both your own work and original to this course. Academic offences are serious infractions and will not be tolerated. Students should consult Section 14 of the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar, General Regulations concerning academic integrity and instructional offences. Academic Accommodation You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. For an

accommodation request the processes are as follows.

Pregnancy obligation: write to the instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the Equity Services website: http://www2.carleton.ca/equity/

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Religious obligation: write to the instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the Equity Services website: http://www2.carleton.ca/equity/

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides services to students with Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/mental health disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, chronic medical conditions, and impairments in mobility, hearing, and vision. If you have a disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact PMC at 613-520-6608 or [email protected] for a formal evaluation. If you are already registered with the PMC, contact your PMC coordinator to send the instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term, and no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation. After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with the instructor to ensure accommodation arrangements are made.

Intellectual Property

Classroom teaching and learning activities, including lectures, discussions, presentations, etc. –

by both instructors and students – are copy protected and remain the intellectual property of

their respective author(s). All course materials, including PowerPoint presentations, outlines, and

other materials, are also protected by copyright and remain the intellectual property of their

respective author(s).

Students registered in the course may take notes and make copies of course materials for their

own educational use only. Students are not permitted to reproduce or distribute lecture notes

and course materials publicly for commercial or non-commercial purposes without express

written consent from the copyright holder(s).

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