Non Profit Math

ONE JOB + ONE JOB + ONE JOB =
3 WORKERS, MINUS ONE WORKER=
3 JOBS FOR 2 WORKERS,
MINUS ONE WORKER =
3 JOBS FOR 1 WORKER
Sound familiar? In this age of tightening belts, understandably and sensibly, this seems logical. We don’t have enough money in the budget, so we cut workers and spread out the duties. However, one Visionary does not a healthy company make, and I’m here to advocate for the other half, the ones with the skills we Visionaries don’t have (or have, but it sucks the life out of us). For me, that’s these type of amazing, miraculous skills, such as:
- Handling budgets and making sense of money
- Gathering data and information
- Scheduling and saying no to people
- Making meetings efficient without extensive side conversations
- Writing grants and bringing in thousands of dollars
- Thanking donors and reminding staff
- Remembering birthdays
- Preparing outlines and meeting minutes
- Answering calls, collecting and distributing mail, and making everyone feel SAFE
As a collaborative Visionary myself, who is married to a just such a beautiful person, I know first hand how many of my wonderful, brainstormed ideas would actually have been implemented if he were not by my side, supporting and coaching me all the way…exactly 0. (There’s some math for you!).
Walt Disney - Roy Disney = 0 Disney
Next to (not behind) every successful Visionary is just such a person: a steadfast, talented, often overlooked and taken-for-granted Roy to your Walt. Someone with administrative strengths needs to handle the details, put legs on the vision, heck…maybe even tether the Visionary for a few days to keep the vision from flying off-course. Healthy organizations need BOTH, and we NEED EACH OTHER. Ideally, you’re on the same team and rooting for the same goals.

So, honor your secretary. Thank your database people. Listen to them. Value their input…not flippantly, but sincerely.

Onward and Upward!

racehorses & Workhorses


Which are you? Let’s take a little quiz:
1. Do you fixate on a finish line OR focus on the task in front of you?
2. Do you look for an end to each task, meeting, day, week, month, season, year OR see chunks of tasks that must be accomplished in rotation?
3. Are you commanding, energizing and collaborative OR loyal, steadfast and peace-giving?
4. Do you like to make decisions quickly OR collect and weigh all the information before making a decision?
If you answered “That’s ME!” to the first set of options, you’re a Racehorse; you’re someone (like me) who needs a finish line in sight to accomplish a goal. I can get anything done if I can see an end.

My husband, on the other hand, is a Workhorse. This has caused a bit of friction in our marriage. For instance, when we were looking for a financial planner. Before making a decision, he wanted to interview at least five (FIVE!) candidates. I reluctantly agreed. After we met with the first gentleman, I was ready to sign on the dotted line. I liked him. He was warm, kind, and seemed knowledgeable…even if he was over our budget. Besides, we could have the decision made, and move on to the fun part! My solid Workhorse husband insisted we needed more information and options to compare. So, we interviewed number two. He was smarmy and strange. A definite no for both of us. Number three had a super expensive, impressive office downtown overlooking the ocean and offered us designer coffee. After learning what he was charging for his services, we understood why. Number four was also a wash. Number five was a humble guy with a simple office and a good plan, who we ended up hiring.

We had a chance, while we were going through this process, to consider factors we hadn’t before, and saved ourselves from signing up for something we would have regretted. At that point, it dawned on me that my husband is not “slow”…he’s WISE!

I want to honor all the Workhorses out there who make us Racehorses slow down a bit, consider the variables, compare, and count the cost. Their loyalty, tenacity, and groundedness are essential to our success!
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