Luxury Expense?
How can I justify asking you to spend limited resources on my services when times are so tough?
Over lunch with a couple excellent consultant/friends last week we talked about the reality that’s facing the charities we serve. Economic and political pressures here in Canada and around the world are making it desperately hard for charities to function. Fundraising is only getting more difficult and costs are rising across the board.
One leader told me recently that their costs are growing 10-15% annually on fixed costs alone.
So how can I expect leaders to spend precious dollars on something as ephemeral as leadership development and team building?
It’s a very fair question and one I wrestle with everyday.
Here’s my response: Every charity I know says their people are their most valuable asset. We believe in our staff and we know our impact and sustainability are ultimately dependent on them. And they are facing profound challenges both at work and beyond.
Leadership and life are just really hard.
We’ve seen what happens when our people aren’t well supported and directed:
-Burn out.
-Leaves of absence.
-Damaging mistakes.
-Interpersonal tensions.
-Regrettable departures.
As a leader your capacity is limited and you are facing at least as much pressure as your team. You just can’t do enough on your own to keep everything on track and everyone aligned.
That’s where I can help.
I can work with you to design and deliver a customized program of support and development that increases the performance of your organization and protects the essential healthy culture that underlies all the good stuff you’re doing. I can help you lead with clarity and confidence in the midst of all this turmoil. And I can be the trusted voice that is a half step removed from you organization but truly understands your dynamics to provide insight and accountability crucial for this season.
And, I can usually do that at a price you really can afford because of my commitment to keeping my rates low and my access to a private funder who believes in the importance of this kind of work.
So in some ways it is true that I offer a luxury service. It’s highly impactful, specific to your needs, and responsive to the changing realities you’re facing. The value is significant.
But we can make it affordable.
I’d be happy to talk with you (for free) about how we can create a proposal that considers both what your organization needs to perform well under all these pressures and the realities of finances.