When I added the Nonprofit Communications Confidential aspect to our Day in the Life Series, I wanted you to have a place where you could share your frustrations about your job, not only so you would have a place to vent, but also so we could understand the biggest issues you’re facing and help come up with some solutions.
But then I thought maybe we shouldn’t just focus on the negative, and created a second form for those of you with healthy work relationships. I wanted examples of great EDs or CEOs or how well your different departments work together so I could show those who are struggling how it should be.
Here are a few responses we got when we asked, “What makes your ED or CEO great?”
She listens, is flexible, offers guidance and advice when needed and does not try to “over-regulate” my work. She wants to know what’s going on but I’ve earned her trust enough for her not to have to approve every little thing. She gives her honest opinion and I respect it, even if it means I need to re-do something. She cares about the entire staff and takes time to say “Hi” each day she in the office.
In three words she is is: approachable, diligent and passionate.
She promotes a family-friendly workplace and encourages her employees to take care of themselves by taking our earned vacation and not burning ourselves out. She models this by going swimming every day at lunch for an hour and taking vacations herself. By giving us flexibility in our schedules, we in turn are happy being flexible to work more when it’s needed. She strikes a great balance of being a confident, savvy leader while also listening to our ideas and being willing to try new strategies to accomplish our goals. She also recognizes her own weaknesses and is lets us fully take the reins on certain projects if they are taking advantage of our strengths.
He’s a program guy so he’s passionate about our mission. He’s great because he’s a big-time extrovert and is not afraid to speak off the cuff. He supported marketing during our rebranding and he does his best to include our key messages whenever he presents.
I think that deserves a round of applause!
Here are some other resources on great bosses:
How to Find a Great Nonprofit Boss by Joanne Fritz
The Secret to Managing Nonprofit Staff by Joan Garry
My Best Boss – Stories of the Greatest Bosses of All Time by
Who else has a great boss? Just fill out the form below to share:
