I Resigned So You Don’t Have To
by Corey Jackson, Managing Partner
I recently had the rare opportunity to hear my eulogy while still alive.
It turns out that if you decide to leave a job working with people you love and you give that organization six months notice, you’ll learn more about yourself as a professional and the nonprofit you’ve been running than you ever might otherwise.
Here are two valuable lessons I learned when I said goodbye. I’m passing these along so that you can benefit from them without needing to leave your nonprofit leadership role!
#1 - Accountability Matters.
I became a better manager of people.
I’ve always prided myself on being a highly flexible and trusting leader. Working with a leadership consultant, I learned that sometimes these traits are helpful and at other times they can degrade colleagues’ accountability–to me, to each other, and to themselves. Because I knew that the team would be critical to the new executive director’s success, I did my best to create more balance in these arenas. I created more accountability for the team through measured flexibility and controlling my urge to give too much benefit of the doubt.
Challenge #1 - Think of your own organization without you. How would your team function and which outside resources would help them succeed in your absence?
#2 - Succession Planning is Important. No, Really.
Giving six months’ notice worked, but it would have been even better if the organization had had a year.
Most organizations receive 2-4 weeks notice from their leaders–and, even worse, some have to be let go on the spot. Imagine being in that situation with no plan? Because I put myself in a bit of a “lame duck” position, I gained the unusual advantage of being the Executive Director (ED) and the Interim ED at the same time. The result: I learned everything good and everything bad about the organization in those six months. People were more honest with me than ever about their own professional development goals. More honest about the challenges they were having across departments–and even within their own teams. Fortuitously, for almost two years before I gave notice, our nonprofit was participating in a training program on organizational health, where we were able to work through some of these issues. Because our organization’s strong board and incredible Governance Committee had already completed some succession planning through that process, they were ready to replace me when the time came. The other thing we learned in the succession planning process was that I was in fact doing two jobs. We were able to break those roles into separate job descriptions and set priorities for organizational structure moving forward.
Challenge #2 - Think about your board, governance system, and succession plan and whether the organization is ready for change. I’m not just talking about the ED, but key talent at the organization as well. Is there a bench to replace that talent? Does that bench have external coaching and professional development opportunities preparing them to take on those roles?
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Now more than ever, I know how to uncover the good and the bad within nonprofit organizations. I know how to build trust within teams and assist an executive director and other key leaders toward effective strategies for team growth and effectiveness.
Today I’m excited to be at Sarah J Consulting, where I can support and guide nonprofit leaders through these complexities.
My final message to you: Don’t resign! Just connect with us and let’s get to work.
About the Author
Corey Jackson is the Managing Partner of Sarah J Consulting, a nonprofit management and fundraising consultant firm in Boxford, MA. Previously Corey served as Executive Director of Citizens Inn, Inc. and has been involved with community related causes for over two decades. As Executive DIrector, Corey grew Citizens Inn from a $1.8M nonprofit serving 25 families to an $8M nonprofit, now merged with Haven from Hunger, serving over 5,000 individuals. Previous roles included managing director of Lynn's Arts After Hours regional theatre, and a 13-year career in Enterprise Software program and business management working with teams in Massachusetts, Illinois, Utah, Ireland, India and Japan.
