Invest in Us!

Author: Fedcap Engagement

Posted on

Are You Paying Attention to Organizational Health?

Are You Paying Attention to Organizational Health?

May 10, 2021

Peter Drucker famously said, “What gets measured gets managed.” It is not difficult to imagine the converse, when something goes unmeasured, it is vulnerable to being unmanaged.

The challenge is in measuring the right things—data that really tells you about the corporate health and performance of your organization.
In a recent article in the McKinsey Quarterly on successful organizations, the authors stressed that outperforming companies set clear, measurable organizational-health targets in conjunction with their financial objectives. This concept of organizational health targets is worthy of taking the time to dissect. It includes dimensions such as leadership, accountability, innovation and learning.

An organization’s health—its ability to align around and achieve strategic goals—is critical for long-term performance. However, many leaders struggle to find a clear way to measure and improve it. They focus solely on financial performance. And yet, according to McKinsey, which has been monitoring the health of well over a thousand companies for more than 15 years, companies that are healthy (as measured by a diverse set of benchmarks) consistently outperform their peers.

The following reflect McKinsey’s suggestions for how to “jump start” measurement of organizational health:

  • Set a strategic direction and build a shared vision that has been translated into crisp goals and milestones. Every member of the organization must know where the company is going, how it will get there and how progress will be measured along the way. And then practice leadership by walking around, holding Zoom conference calls. Find out if your staff know what they need to know. Track your findings.
  • Provide clarity and meaning for staff at all levels of the company. Ensure that everyone understands what they are accountable for to advance the strategic direction and vision of the company. This requires finding ways to tie an employee’s day-to-day activities to the company’s vision and strategy. In staff focus groups and employee surveys, leaders might find it valuable to ask staff if they understand how their job relates to the company’s goals. Track your findings.
  • Spark ideas and innovation–capturing fresh new approaches from people external and internal to the organization and then operationalize the idea—rapidly. When stakeholders and staff see their ideas being implemented, it creates a tremendous sense of shared ownership in outcomes. Track the types of innovations that are generated and the success of implementation.
  • Cultivate strong operations. This requires a rigorous level of discipline—where people are held accountable for performance expectations and in return there is a high degree of investment by company leadership in the employees. Maintaining operational discipline places a premium on supportive leadership including creating effective teams and demonstrating concern for the welfare of employees. Then ask employees—do they feel supported and part of an effective team? Why or why not?

Measure results and then measure them again, and again.

Investment in organizational health, when tied to strong financial performance, leads directly to long term sustainability.

10 mayo 2021

¿Estás poniendo atención a la salud organizativa?

Peter Drucker lo dijo estupendamente: “Lo que se mide puede manejarse”. No es difícil imaginar lo contrario, cuando algo no está medido, es vulnerable a no ser manejado.

El desafío consiste en medir las cosas apropiadas; datos que realmente te hablen de la salud corporativa y del rendimiento de tu organización.

En un artículo reciente en el “McKinsey Quarterly”, acerca de organizaciones exitosas; los autores destacaron que las empresas que obtienen mejores resultados establecen objetivos organizativos y de salud, claros y medibles, junto con sus objetivos financieros. Este concepto de objetivos de salud organizativos; vale la pena de tomarse el tiempo para revisarlos minuciosamente. Estos incluyen elementos como: el liderazgo, la rendición de cuentas, la innovación y el aprendizaje.

La salud de una organización, su capacidad para alinearse en torno a y alcanzar objetivos estratégicos; esto es fundamental para el desempeño a largo plazo. Sin embargo, muchos líderes luchan por encontrar un camino claro para medirlos y mejorarlos. Ellos se centran únicamente en el rendimiento financiero. Y sin embargo según McKinsey, que ha estado monitoreando la salud de por lo menos mil empresas durante más de 15 años; las empresas que están sanas (medidas por un conjunto diverso de puntos de referencia) superan consistentemente a sus pares.

A continuación, se reflejan las sugerencias de McKinsey sobre cómo “arrancar de emergencia” la medición de la salud organizativa:

  • Establecer una dirección estratégica y construir una visión compartida, que se haya traducido tanto en objetivos nítidos como logros. Cada miembro de la organización debe saber hacia dónde va la empresa, cómo llegará allí y cómo se medirá el progreso en el camino. Y luego practicar el liderazgo observando alrededor, llevando a cabo llamadas de conferencias por “Zoom”. Dándote cuenta, si tu personal sabe lo que necesita saber. Monitorea tus hallazgos.
  • Proporcionar claridad y significado para el personal, en todos los niveles de la organización. Asegurándose de que todos entiendan de lo que son responsables, para fomentar tanto la dirección estratégica como la visión de la organización. Esto requiere encontrar maneras de vincular las actividades diarias de un empleado/a a la visión y estrategia de la empresa. En los grupos de sondeo del personal y las encuestas de los empleados; los líderes podrían encontrar valioso preguntar al personal; si entienden cómo se relaciona su trabajo con los objetivos de la empresa. Monitorea tus hallazgos.
  • Animar ideas e innovación, capturando nuevos planteamientos para la organización; tanto de personas externas como internas y luego poniendo en acción la ideas rápidamente. Cuando las partes interesadas y el personal ven sus ideas siendo implementadas; crea una tremenda sensación de propiedad compartida en los resultados. Monitorea los tipos de innovaciones que se generan y el éxito de la implementación.
  • Cultivar operaciones fuertes. Esto requiere un nivel riguroso de disciplina; donde las personas son responsables de las expectativas de desempeño y a cambio hay un alto grado de inversión por parte del liderazgo de la empresa en los empleados. Manteniendo la disciplina operativa, pone una prima en el liderazgo de apoyo; incluyendo la creación de equipos eficaces y la demostración de preocupación por el bienestar de los empleados. Entonces, pregunta a los empleados: ¿si se sienten apoyados y forman parte de un equipo eficaz? ¿Por qué o por qué no?

Mide los resultados y luego mide nuevamente, y de nuevo otra vez.
La inversión en salud organizativa cuando está ligada a un sólido desempeño financiero, te lleva directamente a la sostenibilidad a largo plazo.

Share on

Recent Posts

Posted on

Making the Most of ARP’s $40 Billion—Single Stop Plays a Critical Role on College Campuses

Making the Most of ARP’s $40 Billion—Single Stop Plays a Critical Role on College Campuses

Single Stop was featured in an opinion article on ways to use the American Rescue Plan’s $40 billion allocation for colleges.

Among the measures the authors recommend:

“Build an integrated support system. At both Miami Dade and Amarillo, the steps we have taken to address student needs during the pandemic are part of a larger, integrated system. Miami Dade’s Single Stop program is, as the name implies, a one-stop shop for a variety of social services.

Students experiencing food insecurity, for instance, can not only visit the pantry but also work with coordinators who can help them be screened for a variety of federal, state and local resources like SNAP. Over the past 12 years, Single Stop has helped 66,000 students receive food assistance, mental health counseling, financial coaching, legal aid and other services. Miami Dade has built an ecosystem of external partners that includes community-based organizations and private and public sector agencies that help provide holistic support to its students.”

Read the full article on the Inside Higher Ed website. Learn more about Single Stop at singlestop.org.

Posted on

Hiring Top-Tier Talent: Not as Easy as it Sounds

Hiring Top-Tier Talent: Not as Easy as it Sounds

May 3, 2021

Even in today’s labor market, where thousands of talented individuals lost their jobs due to the pandemic, finding top-tier talent is not easy. The talent is out there, but I am not sure we always know how to spot it when we see it. Determining if the prospective employee has the right talent, and if they know how to use that talent in the right way, is an art form.

Here are some of my top considerations when interviewing for an executive level position.

First and foremost, are they critical thinkers? This is difficult to assess. Certainly, you can explore scenarios and listen to responses. You can ask questions and see how they organize their thoughts and what they think is important. But the ability to critically think as part of day-to-day problem solving is challenging to see in the interview process. Prior to the pandemic we used to hold Corporate Weeks, where agency leadership would come to New York City for a week. We would discuss the health of the corporation, conduct strategy sessions, review financial projections, discuss organizational risks, explore market trends, share new aspects of infrastructure including large-scale software implementations, and more. When looking for top-tier executive talent, I would always invite potential executive candidates to these sessions and listen carefully to their observations and most importantly, to the questions they would pose following the sessions. Corporate Weeks have turned into weekly Zoom sessions as a result of the pandemic. While not quite as effective, I still invite candidates to listen in on these Zoom sessions. I listen for innovative and smart questions, observations that zero in on some of our organizational strengths and weaknesses, ideas that are in line with our strategic direction, or perspectives that reflect insight and intuition. I listen for whether or not the candidate listens to talk, or listens to understand. To be able to critically think within high-pressure situations is one of the characteristics that make good leaders great.

Next, I want to know if they understand the concept of building structure. If when I start to discuss this in the interview, they talk about an org chart (and this happens often), I find a way to end the interview. From my experience, the ability to comprehend and then operationalize a clear and precise structure that depicts how the end-to-end work gets done, is missing in many people who describe themselves as leaders. And in the absence of structure, good people fail. I see it over and over again. Staff want to do a good job, but when they do not have a clear structure in which to do their work, mistakes are made, and things get missed—often. During the interview process I ask about structures the candidate has built and how they went about the process. I listen to see if the individual was clear about what the structure was driving towards, the goals the structure was intended to advance, the ways they measured the efficacy of their structure.

Additionally, I want to get a clear sense of whether or not the candidate is a team player. It is amazing how many talented, successful people do not play well with others. That said, I have worked with very successful people who work best independently—and who do not thrive in a team environment. I can manage that. But if this characteristic is present in too many on the executive team, serious systemic challenges will arise.

Lastly, and this may seem obvious, I pay attention to whether or not I like them. Members of an executive team spend a lot of time together. They need to think together, they need to challenge each other and they need to produce. This can be excruciating if a member of the team simply does not click with others. It is tricky to know what makes people work effectively together. Often it comprises intangibles—but they matter. If you find yourself eager for the interview to be over and getting annoyed frequently throughout the conversation, save yourself future problems, and let this candidate pass.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

 

Share on

Recent Posts

Posted on

Are You Cultivating a Leverageable Network?

Are You Cultivating a Leverageable Network?

April 26, 2021

Over the past several months the leaders of The Fedcap Group have been discussing the importance of building, cultivating and ultimately leveraging business relationships.

In a 2013 article in The Huffington Post, Porter Gale, author of the bestselling book, Your Network Is Your Net Worth: Unlock the Hidden Power of Connections for Wealth, Success, and Happiness in the Digital Age wrote, “I believe your social capital, or your ability to build a network of authentic personal and professional relationships, not your financial capital, is the most important asset in your portfolio.” Recently Harvard Business Review (HBR) Management Tip of the Day echoed that same sentiment, suggesting that many times individuals focus so much time on building skills that they fail to build the critical relationships demanded in today’s environment—and don’t realize it until they experience the repercussions. In a 2014 study conducted by HBR, it was discovered that among the 165 lawyers at a large North American law firm, those who networked effectively were the most successful, better able to bring business into the firm and ultimately achieve partnership status.

As important as networks are to an individual’s professional growth, they are equally important to business growth. Business networking is the process of establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with other people also in your business. Shared knowledge, opportunities and a raised profile all result from effective networking.

A valuable network helps us understand where our organization fits strategically in the wider business environment and provides opportunities to tap into new business—often sooner than the rest of our competitors. Leveraging a network is how work gets done in the interconnected environment in which we compete. Networking provides you with connections and opens the door to influential people that can be a boon for business and help shape new business.

Effective networks are based on trust. A 2018 article in Entrepreneur stressed that leaders prefer to become intermingled in important transactions with people they trust. Relationships establish and fortify that trust. Networking can help to build your businesses reputation as a knowledgeable and reliable partner. When referred to a potential new business opportunity by a trusted colleague, both you and the potential partner build the relationship on a foundation of trust. The good news is that digital platforms and social media networks make it easier than ever to develop and stay connected to a global network of colleagues.

A professional network is built with intentionality and requires an investment of time to cultivate and sustain. In my experience, it is worth the investment.

Share on

Recent Posts

Posted on

Granite Pathways Team Members Recognized by State of New Hampshire

Granite Pathways Team Members Recognized by State of New Hampshire

Lisa Bee and Lori Herbert of Granite Pathway’s Strength to Succeed program were presented with awards by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).

Lisa Bee and Lori Hebert

Granite Pathways is thrilled to announce that two team members have been recognized by the State of New Hampshire for outstanding service! Lisa Bee, a Parent Partner in the Strength to Succeed (STS) program, was presented with the Exemplary Leadership and Service Award for her outstanding work by NH Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Commissioner Lori Shibinette, and Joe Ribsam, Jr., Director of the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). Lisa was nominated by DCYF staff as a leader whose work is exceptional and as someone who goes above and beyond for the parents with whom she works. For those parents, she is a beacon of hope and inspiration.

The recognition was given virtually at the annual DCYF conference. “It is hard to express how honored I am to receive this award,” Lisa said. “I am humbled to be able to help build relationships with families here in New Hampshire.”

Lori Hebert, STS Program Director, was presented with the Granite Award for Exceptional External Partnership and Collaboration with DCYF. “It is truly an honor to be recognized by DCYF. I share this award with our entire team who have tirelessly worked to build and expand peer services for families involved with child protection. Together with the Division, we are helping families find healing through sustainable recovery and I look forward to continuing this work together.”

The State of NH deserves significant credit for its commitment to innovation. Recognizing the challenges faced by families impacted by substance use disorder (SUD), DCYF introduced STS as a collaborative, voluntary approach to support children and parents through a peer-to-peer support model.

Learn more about the awards and the Strength to Succeed program on the Granite Pathways website. 

Posted on

Areas Where Not-for Profit Companies Need to Mirror For-Profit Business Practices

Areas Where Not-for Profit Companies Need to Mirror For-Profit Business Practices

April 19, 2021

All corporations, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, need to be viewed as solving problems and creating value. Both the for-profit investor and the not-for-profit donor are looking for the same thing … measurable, positive impact.

To achieve the greatest impact, businesses must invest in their companies. Today I want to highlight some of the critical areas of investment where we in the not-for-profit sector can improve.

INVESTMENT IN TALENT
As in any business, there is competition for top talent. Effectively competing requires having an inclusive and diverse workforce, an engaging company culture, a generous benefit package, and competitive salaries. It also requires having top-rate onboarding and professional development processes that allow for career ladders within the organization. Investment in talent is expensive—and while the nonprofit may not be able to compete with Fortune 500 companies in terms of salary and benefits (although in many instances the difference in line level staff positions is negligible), it can offer the authentic experience of changing lives. It is the job of the not-for-profit to make the business case to potential employees, on why working within an organizational culture committed to making an impact is worth the possible pay and benefit difference.

INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY
Financial: Companies must efficiently monitor and control revenue and expenses, manage cash flow, drive AR/AP and ensure resources to allow us to invest strategically in new business. This requires an investment in technology. An effective financial management system improves short- and long-term business performance.

Client Management: Sustaining corporate health over time requires understanding “product” impact. In the for-profit sector it might be improving the volume of grain produced or a reduction in bug infestation, in the nonprofit sector it might be the success in helping people obtain and retain jobs. Regardless, we need to be able to demonstrate that what we do works. Technology is critical to outcomes/impact tracking. In today’s environment, anecdotes are an insufficient approach to convincing an individual or company to invest in the business.

Business Development: Because of the increased cost of labor, insurance, benefits, space— if businesses are not growing, they are shrinking. Both for-profit and not-for-profit companies must invest in technology to support new business development. Being able to predict win rates allows for accurate short- and long-term planning.

INVESTMENT IN MARKETING
Marketing requires a growth strategy and the ability to “tell the business story” in a compelling way. Brand recognition is an imperative. Marketing fulfills five key functions: 1) enabling a business to successfully educate customers, 2) keeping customers engaged, 3) creating a strong reputation in the minds of current and potential customers and 4) providing a way to smartly sell goods and services and 5) growing business. For a variety of reasons, the not-for-profit sector has been reluctant to develop and implement comprehensive marketing strategies. To sustain long term corporate health, this needs to change.

TRANSPARENCY WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND DONORS
For both for-profits and not-for-profits, most investors want to “see” into the company. They want to understand high-level business decisions and they do not want to be surprised. Transparency builds trust. It eliminates any suspicions or anxieties stakeholders might have about the company. By laying out the realities faced, and discussing approaches to problem resolution, a business demonstrates that it is not trying to hide issues or challenges. Many for-profit businesses release financial performance and operational trends on a bi-annual or quarterly basis. This is not a standard practice for not-for-profit companies—but it should be.

Note: In 2015 The Fedcap Group initiated bi-annual Financial and Operation Releases –ensuring that our funders, donors and key stakeholders have timely and comprehensive information about our status. Our next release is May 11th at 11:00 am ET. Please click here to register. 

As always, I look forward to your comments.

19 abril 2021

Áreas en las Que las Organizaciones Sin Fines de Lucro, Necesitan Reflejar las Prácticas de Negocios con Fines de Lucro
Todas las corporaciones, ya sean con fines o sin fines de lucro, deben ser vistas como resolviendo problemas y creando valor. Tanto el inversionista con fines de lucro como el donador a sin fines de lucro están buscando lo mismo …un impacto medible y positivo.

Para lograr el mayor impacto, los negocios deben invertir en sus empresas. Hoy quiero destacar algunas de las áreas críticas de inversión en las que nosotros; en el sector sin fines de lucro, podemos mejorar.

INVERSIÓN EN TALENTO
Como en cualquier negocio, hay competencia por los mejores talentos. Competir eficazmente; requiere tener una fuerza de trabajo inclusiva y diversa, una cultura de empresa atractiva, un generoso paquete de beneficios, así como salarios competitivos. También requiere tener procesos de incorporación y desarrollo profesional de primera clase que permitan ascensos profesionales dentro de la organización. La inversión en talento es costosa, y aunque la organización sin fines de lucro pueda no ser capaz de competir con las empresas “Fortune 500”, en términos de salario y beneficios (aunque en muchos casos la diferencia en los puestos de personal de nivel de orden es insignificante), puede ofrecer la experiencia auténtica de cambiar vidas. Es el trabajo de las sin fines de lucro de presentar el caso de negocios a los empleados potenciales; sobre el por qué, trabajar dentro de una cultura organizacional comprometida haciendo impacto, vale la pena; la posible diferencia salarial y de beneficios.

INVERSIÓN EN TECNOLOGÍA
Financiero: Las empresas deben monitorear y controlar eficientemente los ingresos y gastos; administrar el flujo de caja, así como tanto las cuentas por cobrar y por pagar, y garantizar recursos que nos permitan invertir estratégicamente en nuevos negocios. Esto requiere una inversión en tecnología. Un sistema de gestión financiera eficaz mejora el rendimiento empresarial a corto y largo plazo.

Manejo de Clientes: Mantener la salud corporativa a lo largo del tiempo, requiere entender el impacto del “producto”. En el sector con fines de lucro, podría ser en mejor el volumen de granos producidos o una reducción de plagas de insectos; en el sector sin fines de lucro podría ser; en el éxito en ayudar a las personas a obtener y retener puestos de trabajo. A pesar de todo, tenemos que ser capaces de demostrar que lo que hacemos funciona. La tecnología es fundamental para el seguimiento tanto de resultados como de impactos. En el entorno actual; las anécdotas son un enfoque insuficiente para convencer a un individuo o empresa, para que invierta en el negocio.

Desarrollo de Negocios: debido al aumento tanto del costo de la mano de obra como de seguros, de beneficios, de espacio; si las empresas no están creciendo, entonces se están reduciendo. Tanto las empresas con fines, como las sin fines de lucro deben invertir en tecnología para apoyar el desarrollo de nuevos negocios. Ser capaz de predecir las tasas de ganancias permite una planificación certera a corto y largo plazo.

INVERSIÓN EN MERCADEO
El mercadeo requiere una estrategia de crecimiento y la capacidad de “contar la historia del negocio” de una manera convincente. El reconocimiento de marca es un imperativo. El mercadeo cumple cinco funciones claves: 1) da a las empresas el poder de convencer con éxito a los consumidores, 2) mantenerlos comprometidos, 3) creando una fuerte reputación en la mente de los clientes actuales y potenciales y 4) ofrecer una manera de vender inteligentemente buenos productos y servicios y 5) hacer crecer el negocio. Por diversas razones, el sector sin fines de lucro se ha mostrado reacio a desarrollar e implementar estrategias de mercadeo integrales. Para mantener la salud corporativa a largo plazo, esto necesita cambiar.

TRANSPARENCIA CON LOS ACCIONISTAS Y LOS DONANTES
Tanto para las empresas con fines, como para las sin fines de lucro; la mayoría de los inversionistas quieren “ver” adentro de la compañía. Quieren entender las decisiones empresariales de alto nivel y no quieren sorprenderse. La transparencia genera confianza. Elimina las sospechas o ansiedades que los accionistas puedan tener sobre la empresa. Al exponer las realidades a las que se enfrenta y discutir enfoques para la resolución de problemas, una empresa demuestra que no está tratando de ocultar problemas o desafíos. Muchas empresas con fines de lucro liberan el rendimiento financiero y las tendencias operativas de forma semestral o trimestralmente. Esta no es una práctica estándar para las organizaciones sin fines de lucro, pero debería serlo.

Nota: En 2015 el Fedcap Group inició lanzamientos financieros y operativos semestralmente, asegurando que nuestros financiadores, donantes y partes interesadas clave, tengan información oportuna e integral sobre nuestro estado. Nuestro próximo lanzamiento es el 11 de mayo a las 11:00 am (tiempo del este). Haz clic aquí para registrarte.

Share on

Recent Posts

Facebook-f Linkedin-in Youtube Instagram

© 2025 The Fedcap Group

Privacy Policy