Why terriers are the perfect role model for your people
This is part two of a five-part blog series, based on a session of Top Tips for Transformational Change at Small Charities that I hosted at a Fundraising Everywhere event earlier this year. Part one was all about Your Board. Part two is about the three P’s that your people need - and why terriers are the perfect role model!
Your people are essential to achieving transformational change in your organisation - in fact, they are probably the most important ingredient.
Yet all too often, I see charities fixating on growth while failing to devote enough energy to recruiting, developing and retaining a great team - the real engine that will actually deliver their goals.
How can you build a brilliant team of change-makers at your charity?
Here are my top tips:
It sounds obvious, but every single member of your team should have genuine passion for your charity’s mission. As a leader, your role is to inspire and motivate your team by keeping them connected to your charity’s vision and impact. Our passions are active, evolving emotions that need to be nurtured and fuelled - not intrinsic personality traits. To sustain a world class team, make sure your mission is always at the forefront of everything you do.
Recruit for potential, not experience. Don’t get too caught up in qualifications and technical knowledge. Look for commitment to the cause, curiosity and willingness to learn. You should be prepared to invest time and resources in training and supporting your people to be the best they can be - and that means focussing on wellbeing and personal growth, as well as hard skills.
Give your team more than they are ready for and be there to support them. Small charities are the best training ground! Trying new things and making mistakes is a crucial part of achieving transformational change. Create a culture where you are always learning, tweaking and improving as a team.
Encourage and empower your team to ‘play big’ - be bold and ambitious, stand up for what you believe in, and don’t be afraid to set ambitious goals and say what you need to be successful.
Train your people to be ‘smart’ fundraisers. A great team must manage your charity’s income streams effectively and always be looking for opportunities to generate unrestricted income, recover more overhead costs, and cultivate flexible, reliable, multi-year funders. At the heart of this is the ability to build trusting, collaborative relationships with donors and have honest conversations about how they can invest in your big vision. Smart fundraising is key to running a sustainable business and laying solid foundations to achieve transformational change.
The 3 P’s
In summary, there are 3 key things an organisation should focus on when investing in its people.
Professionalism: Train, support, learn, return
Purpose: For the people, for the cause
Pride: Motivation, responsibility, growth
As a dog-obsessed person, I always think of terriers as the perfect embodiment of these qualities.
While small in stature, terriers are known for their fearlessness, persistence, focus, self-confidence and big hearts — a formidable combination which makes them more than a match for dogs 10 times their size!
As a small charity, a team of terriers will allow you to box well above your weight, stay brave and determined in pursuit of your goals, and deliver transformational change.
If any of this resonates, then email us on hello@rootsandwings.studio to have a chat. Or read more about how we can help your organisation grow Roots + Wings.
Look out for Part 3: Your Purpose coming soon