RACI
RAPID
RACI & RAPID Decision Making Roles
The Hawthorne Effect
Currently I am helping an organization develop an internal leadership manual that details culture around the processes and practices in the organization. We look at how to resolve conflict, make decisions, deal with information sharing, and more.
We recently hired a consultant to assist us with improving equity in the organization. During our meeting today asked if they could join in on our next staff retreat to observe our conversations around our leadership manual development. Our tiny staff has been working together now for several months and built a stronger sense of trust–and as a result–honesty through that process.
I was hesitant and tried to vocalize my concern that I didn’t want to create a situation where we were inserting a ‘stranger’ into the process midway (our 3rd out of 5 staff retreats)–and that this could possibly result in a backslide and close down the openness and candor I’ve been able to cultivate.
She understood immediately and said that she agreed after further dialogue, citing the Hawthorn Effect.
Nonprofit Notes | Board of Directors Cloud Server / File System
One thing that many smaller nonprofits struggle with is getting board members onboarded, organized, and informed. The goal is to set up a precise and easy-to-navigate system that will allow your board to access information and work smoothly. Create a shared cloud-drive folder that will include all critical board related data, including a dedicated folder with onboarding materials.
Before You Begin
- Review & update your data sharing and security policies.
- Designate an administrator who has access to view, edit, or delete files on your company’s shared drive.
- Set up and document a naming convention: Having a consistent format will ensure files remain chronological and easy to find.
- Schedule a board training, providing an overall orientation on how to access, navigate, and utilize your new system.
Setting Up Your System
I set up my system the same way you might set up a Chart of Accounts, with the following:
- 100 Level – Orientation / On-Boarding Kit
- 200 Level – Administrative
- 300 Level – Legal
- 400 Level – Finance
- 500 Level – Committees
- 900 Level – Everything Else
0 – Start Here Cheat Sheet – A one pager document that sits outside of all the folders, outlining and annotating the contents of your board packet. This should help board members quickly find what they’re looking for.
100 Level – Orientation – All the materials necessary for a new board member to get successfully oriented. Check out my other post on Board Orientation / On-Boarding materials for an in-depth list of my recommendations.
200 – Administrative – Board reports & meeting minutes, annual reports, board trainings, etc.
300 – Legal – This should include your bylaws, articles of incorporation, and IRS determination letter. Leases, where applicable, and key contracts.
400 – Finances – This should include historical copies of your 990s, annual financial reports including statements of activity & statements of financial position, endowment details, audits, narratives, specific policies, and so forth
500 – Committee Folders – Each committee should have its own folder, with a charter, minutes, workplans, and all other relevant data.
August Round Up | Trust and Hope
August
I‘ve been a bit swamped the last month ahead of a major career transition, so I haven’t been able to document all that has been coming across my desk and into my brain. However, here are some of my highlights!
Building Trust
I really like the concept of an organization consciously developing a Trust Agenda, and engaging in a process where they research and develop Trust Profiles for different stakeholder groups–getting to the bottom of what each group deeply values and prioritizes–and then using these tools to align business practices.
“When a culture is built on an ethical framework of principles, convictions, and norms, rather than rules, the right tone can be set not only from the top, but also from the middle and bottom. Employees are empowered to make decisions about trade-offs at critical moments.”
- Book : The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey→
- Article: Forbes | ‘Trust Me’ Advertising Does Not Build Trust. Create A Trust Agenda. by Larry Light → “A Trust Agenda is a corporate codification of behaviors reflecting how the business will focus and lead on responsibility, credibility and integrity.”
- Article: Strategy & Business | The Trust Agenda by Dennis Nally→ “Building trust among customers and other stakeholders depends on the business practices and ethics you follow while dealing with them. These can range from how you conduct your business every day, to what role you play as a good corporate citizen, to being a good employer.”‘
- Article: Innerwill | The Powerful Impact of Trust by Sharon Amoss→ “Whether it’s trust at a systemic level, or trust in our work teams, low trust can turn any challenge into a full blown crisis.” // “What’s helpful to remember is that trust is an ongoing exchange between people and is not static. Trust can be earned. It can be lost. And it can be regained.”
Other highlights
- Book: On that same note of trust, I completed the book Radical Candor by Kimberly Scott which I am definitely going to add to my top reads for managers.
- Book: Doing Agile Right by Rigby, Elk, and Berez
- Book: The Count of Monte Cristo by Andre Dumas
- Book: The Poppy Wars
Precedence | Sliding Scale by Attic Apothecary
How to place yourself on the sliding scale
Suggested Rate based on income:
$40 if you make less than $15,000
$50 if you make $15k – $20k
$60 if you make $20k – $30k
$70 if you make $30k – $40k
$80 if you make $50k – $60k
$90 if you make $60k – $70k
$100 if you make $70k – $80k
$110 if you make $80k – $90k
$120 if you make more than $90k
Consider paying less on the scale if you:
- are supporting children or have other dependents
- have significant debt
- have medical expenses not covered by insurance
- are eligible for public assistance
- have immigration-related expenses
- are an elder with limited financial support
- are an unpaid community organizer
- are a returning citizen who has been denied work due to incarceration history
- experience discrimination in hiring or pay level
- are descended from enslaved people or Native American Indians (I recognize that much of my privilege has come at the expense of these communities)
Consider paying more on the scale if you:
- own the home you live in
- have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money
- travel for recreation
- have access to family money and resources in times of need
- work part time or are unemployed by choice, including unemployment due to full-time school in a degree-earning program
- have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.) Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, I ask you to recognize this as a choice.