Some recent experiences – both personal and professional – are making it clear to me that there are critical partnerships that need to be built between those of us with many years of management experience (the Old Dogs) and the 30 somethings (Bright Young Things) that are emerging from a wide variety of graduate programs who are going to be the next generation of business and not for profit leaders.  I have been struck not only by the speed of their brains and their capacity to understand and analyse but also their work ethic. These are people who grew up being told that they could succeed at whatever they wanted to do and they are committed to do just that, whatever field of endeavour they tackle. While they can hardly wait for the Baby Boomers to move on and let them run things, the Bright Young Things also seem to recognize that they can learn something from us. And the dialogue that ensues is rich, and dynamic. In my encounters with a representative sample of these future leaders, I feel energized and excited to be supporting them to find their way. And I am learning new things which is always a natural high for a curious person.

As someone who worries about the coming crisis in leadership when the Boomer generation finally retires, I am revising my outlook on this transition as I can see the wonderful opportunity to infuse our corporate and non profit agencies with leaders who may be more creative, more self aware, and more confident than many of us were at the time that we assumed leadership positions. If we can forge partnerships where we can impart some of the wisdom we have gained through coaching and mentorship relationships, I suggest that the future could be very bright.

Jane Rounthwaite

Contemporary models of non-profit policy governance are all clear on one issue - the Executive Director is the only employee who is hired by and answers to the Board of Directors. Ensuring that an organization has the right Executive Director – someone who is competent to run the day to day operations, can engage effectively with the Board in their strategy and governance work, and move the organization forward in accordance with its mission and values – can present a Board with a real recruiting challenge at the best of times. Now consider the difficulty when the talent pool shrinks dramatically over the next 10 years as the Baby Boomers retire. Most sectors have not even begun to think through the implications of that massive retirement and the majority of organizations have no idea where their next ED will come from. It’s time for the Boards of Directors to step up to the task of ensuring that their organizations are contributing to the development of the next generation of Executive Directors – if not for themselves, then to replenish the pool. 

Jane Rounthwaite

In the brave new world of RFPs, the first meaningful dialogue between the client and a prospective consultant happens at the interview stage. Unfortunately, many of the RFP processes make this optional which is, in my opinion, the other major trouble with RFPs. And when there is an interview,  it is usually structured which robs the client of a chance to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the consultant.
 
Developing an effective working relationship between a consultant and their client is about more than deliverables – it’s about fit. And the depersonalization of the procurement process makes it harder and harder on both sides to assess the quality of the fit. For example, can I as a consultant understand the frustration of my prospective client with a challenging management issue by reading a document that is posted for public consumption ? Where in this process does the client get to express their reservations about a particular situation to assess whether the consultant can or will respond is a way that aligns with the culture of the organization?
 
By making relationship building secondary to describing deliverables and setting out work plans before the individuals involved have even met, the RFP process makes it harder for all of us – consultants and clients – to do our very best work together.

Jane Rounthwaite

As the entire bidding process is built around the calibre of the RFP, the loss of exploratory dialogue means that  all the respondents assume that the RFP is an accurate description of what the client really needs and wants. And in some organizations, which are large enough to have a lot of experience in writing RFPs such as the provincial government, this may be the case. However, in many smaller community-based organizations operating with limited senior staff resources, the calibre of the RFP may not be what it needs to be to solicit the responses they are hoping for and the help they really need.

Jane Rounthwaite

Some people think the point of networking is to develop new business opportunities and to win contracts. While this is partially true, the real reward of networking is the connections that we make – or remake if we haven’t been in touch for a while. It’s the mutuality of finding out what someone you possibly used to work with is doing now and to let them know the same about you. It’s the chance to have some informal input into a great new idea that someone you know or have just met is working on – even if you never know how your comments may have shaped the direction that their initiative takes. It’s the way to re-introduce yourself to people who have known you in another context but don’t really know what you do in your professional like. The new tools like LinkedIn that support networking in the 21st century are great but it’s the human connections that make it fun.

Jane Rounthwaite

The Board of Directors of The Osborne Group recently announced that Jane Rounthwaite has been named to the position of President of The Osborne Group. In this role, Jane will be responsible for the overall strategy and implementation of the company's business development.

Jane succeeds John Annett who has been President since the founder, Don Wood retired in the spring of 2010. John is returning to the role of Vice President, a position which he held for many years when Don Wood was President.

 The Osborne Group 

One of things that I enjoy the most about interim executive assignments is the opportunity to be part of putting the long term solution in place for a client. I am coming to the end of 20 month assignment as a senior executive with a large social services agency in a role which has given me a unique perspective on the requirements for the role on a go-forward basis. Through discussion with the Executive Director during the recruiting process, I am able to share my thoughts and opinions about what is needed as someone who has actually done the job in some depth. These insights help the decision-makers during the selection process to zero in on what’s most important in terms of skills and experience but also in terms of fit with the personalities of the team of managers who report to this position, as well as the peer group. It’s another way that The Osborne Group adds value for our clients by offering deep insight into a client’s needs and a healthy objectivity as our contract executives are not angling for the long-term assignment.   

Jane Rounthwaite