Hire Slowly – Fire Quickly Consider Interim Leadership as a Bridge

Hire slowly; fire quickly. The start-up world lives by this adage. Does it make sense for the nonprofit sector? Turns out the answer is “yes.” Whether you need to make changes because of a shift in direction or because a recent hire is just wrong, by the time you admit it to yourself, it is probably too late.

In fact, this might be a more important rule to follow in the nonprofit sector than in the for-profit sector. Why? Because resources are scarce and teams are small. Someone who is not pulling his or her weight or is a cultural misfit can reduce the impact of productive employees.

But what is the backup? We have found that interim staffing bridges the gap. In the nonprofit sector, hiring slowly is more critical than in the for-profit sector. Job openings for executive director and development director greatly outnumber qualified applicants. Plus, each nonprofit has a distinct history, culture, and leadership style. Finding a person who fits the bill takes time.

TIPS: Click here for some tips about how to fire someone kindly. The only thing we add to the list is to give the news on a Monday, so the person can begin a new search immediately. Fridays are tough, because the individual must wait two agonizing days before reaching out to his or her network.

And, if you need interim support, Growth for Good can probably help. Click here for case studies about our team stepping in to provide support. Drop us a line.

Growth for Good has provided interim leadership to these nonprofits and others:

“Joyce Isabelle delivered exactly what we needed from an interim development director, and more. In particular, her laser-like focus on the gala led to a 33% net increase in proceeds, despite a very short timeline. Thanks to Joyce and Growth for Good, we had a seamless management transition, secured new institutional funding and are better positioned to raise money than ever before.” – Elsie McCabe Thompson, President, NYC Mission Society