Thomas Erikson has written a successful series of books about working with difficult people. Surrounded by Idiots, Surrounded by Narcissists, Surrounded by Psychopaths, Surrounded by Liars and more. It begs the question to Thomas: if all the people around you are idiots, liars and psychopaths, maybe the problem is you?
Partnership people have a unique set of skills: creativity, resilience, relationships and strategic thinking. It makes them hard to fit into the normal hierarchy of non-profit structures and partnerships don’t behave like conventional fundraising. It can sometime make partnership staff feel like outsiders, as if no-one understands them. We’ve worked with non-profits of all sizes and the sector is not immune to toxic cultures emerging. Unlike Thomas Erikson, sometimes the problem is not with the partnerships people but with the organisation that fails to support them.
The culture expert Colin Ellis in his book Detox Your Culture says that ‘culture is the number one determinant of team and organisational success’. It takes a village to build strategic and sustainable partnerships, yet little attention is paid to the organisational environment needed for individuals to succeed.
Here are four signs of a toxic culture for partnerships and what leaders can do to address them.
1. Unrealistic targets and lack of strategy
It’s tough to convince a corporate to commit to a 3-5 year journey with you if your organization has no clear strategy. It’s like selling a holiday package with no destination outlined. Corporates don’t commit significant dollars to be a random tourist in a mystery place. It’s the responsibility of leaders to create a clearly articulated strategy that speaks to future ambition and plans to get there. Then it’s easy to show a corporate how the partnership contributes to the strategy and the success they can expect to celebrate with you in future.
The lack of clear strategy can also contribute to unrealistic targets for partnership teams. Not only are the targets wildly ambitious (2 x $1mn cash partnerships in the first 12 months please) but the timeframes are usually unworkable too. Unrealistic targets demotivate the team and send the message that your leadership hasn’t spent any time informing themselves about how partnerships work.
The main role of leadership is to set direction and have a clear plan for the future. Without that roadmap there will be confusion, disengagement and potential damage to organisational reputation. Corporates will have a strategy and they expect you to have one as well.
2. Excessive workload
Burnout and staffing shortages continue to challenge the non-profit sector generally. But charities seeking new sources of income sometimes explore partnerships by stretching the limited staff they have in fundraising. We spoke to one fundraiser who had responsibility for philanthropy, community engagement, events and “in their spare day” they should work on corporate partners. Too many times I’ve been asked by NFPs how they can develop a partnerships program with no dedicated or paid staff or budget.
Small charities are always stretched but sometimes have unrealistic expectations that are guided more by their needs or funding gaps. Leaders have a responsibility to ensure appropriate workloads and supporting resources and not exploit the goodwill of staff. Removing unnecessary meetings, simplifying processes and modifying expectations will create a much better environment for partnership success.
3. Poor communication and slow decision making
Beyond creating confusion or uncertainty, poor communication can actively damage or derail partnership potential. It can manifest as too little communication or too much of the wrong kind. Partnership executives need regular access to leadership and board to leverage their networks and collaborate in building contacts with the most senior corporate decision makers. Sometimes a peer to peer approach is required. Without it, the partnership team will take much longer to work their way up from middle management contacts to those with budget authority.
Equally, the partnership team needs open communication with other departments such as marketing, community engagement or service delivery to ensure that the corporate partner’s needs are met and the contractual commitments of the relationship are fulfilled. I once had to explain to a big corporate that the charity had cancelled the program they funded, had kept the money for 3 years and had only just thought to tell anyone. A great way to kill a relationship. Decisions should be made with consultation and regard to all stakeholders, in a timely manner.
Conversely, poor communication can arise when your colleagues think they have right of veto over partnership decisions. Have you ever found yourself in a 20 person internal meeting where colleagues with no knowledge of partnerships tell you how to do your job? Or why you can’t do a key plank of the partnership agreement because they don’t like the corporate you’ve brought on? This is where leadership needs to set clear boundaries and establish a commonly understood process for decision making. It’s challenging enough winning new partners, but you don’t want to be shot down by friendly fire.
4. Unwillingness to address concerns that staff may have
Partnerships can take 12-18 months to get from initial approach to contract. You need to be adaptable along the way as the organisational needs or partner priorities shift. If you are growing your portfolio rapidly you’ll need help along the way. Management should be willing to listen to what you need, ask the right questions and build their understanding of the practice of partnerships. If you have a boss that persists in applying their formula of fundraising or thinks that 80 hour weeks are acceptable because you should be passionate about the cause, then you have a problem. Management isn’t a popularity contest and we don’t expect leaders to have an open chequebook for extra resources. However, willingness to explore options, listen to needs and concerns and respond appropriately will ensure that partnerships people feel properly supported and respected.
Toxic cultures are insidious and can be hard to shake. They destroy value and burn good people along the way. If you’re struggling with partnerships and wonder if it’s all your fault, perhaps it’s the environment that is wrong for you. As a successful entrepreneur once advised me “if you’re climbing the ladder of opportunity, make sure it’s propped against the right wall”. If you’re a non-profit leader that’s not seeing partnership results, maybe the problem is you.