Richard@rpatonconsulting.com 2083 Chalmers Rd. Ottawa K1H 6K4 web site: Rpatonconsulting.com

Leading Associations and Non profit Organizations: Challenges for Senior Executives

PANL 5772: Special Topics in Organizational Leadership and Management)

Course for Philanthropy and Non profit Leadership Program, Carleton University, School of Public Policy and Administration

Room 3220, River Building ( hopefully other room)

Richard Paton (copyright)

Draft Dec 13 for May 29-June 2, 2017

Course Summary

If you want to learn how to learn how to manage associations and nonprofits, and prepare yourself for senior leadership roles in these organizations, this course is for you. This course is a unique practical management course that will help participants to better understand the leadership challenges and strategies required of the executives of associations and non profit organizations. Participants will review the challenges faced by these executives, and work through examples of the issues and choices that they face in leading their organizations. The course will draw upon the experiences of the course participants as well as the experience of the instructor, Richard Paton, who has worked for 19 years as the president of an association - doing so with references to cases developed by the instructor, and his text book, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions.

Office Hours: Since this is a one week course, the professor will be available before and after

classes in the class room or where convenient. Also Richard has a desk in the contract

instructors office 5130 River Building which can be used for discussions.

Page | 2

Course Overview

This is a course on managing non profit organizations and associations which is specifically designed for leaders and staff of these organizations, or those who want to learn more about the management of these organizations.. This course is designed to complement other courses in the program by focusing on the realities and challenges faced by executives/managers in association or non profit management. The course will be valuable to those already in management positions or who aspire to take on management responsibilities at some time in their career with a non profit organization, or association.

Since there are very few practical management courses in the public administration field, the course has also been valuable for students of the MPPA program who are interested in understanding better what it takes to lead and manage an organization using associations and nonprofits as examples. is also designed to be a stand-alone course for staff, as professional development participants, currently working in business associations or nonprofits who need a course specifically tailored to leading these organizations. The course will draw on relevant management and association literature and cases where available. This will provide key concepts and a framework that will enable participants to assess management situations and develop effective strategies for managing associations.

Most importantly, the approach to this course will be to build on the rich experiences of participants to create a learning experience that is relevant and useful to their roles in non profit organizations.

The Course Leader

Richard Paton was President of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) for 19 years. Before taking on the President role of an association, Richard spent 24 years in the Federal Government and was Deputy Secretary of two branches in the Treasury Board. Richard, is a MPA graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and has a Masters in Canadian Studies from Carleton. He has taught at the School of Public Administration at Carleton for over 27 years. The course he designed, “The Politics of Management” is a top rated course by students in terms of its quality, relevance and usefulness in the working environment.

Richard has authored articles and cases on management as well as a book titled “The Politics of Management: Thinking Like a Manger” which was published in the fall of 2013. Richard also published the main text book for this course in the spring of 2015. This book is titled Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions. Finally, he also published a shorter publication for this course What Makes an Effective Association: Benchmarking for Performance. All of these books will be the key readings for this course.

As an Adjunct Professor in the MPPA program Richard is continuing to do research and publications on leadership of non profits and associations. In particular, his current focus is to write a fourth book on the development of managers for government and non profit organizations. The book will include the learnings from 27 years of teaching mangement courses as well as the cases that Richard has authored over the years..

Page | 3

The Need for Developing Non Profit Leaders

i. There is an increasing need for capable association and nonprofit senior executives and managers. In the next decade there will be a lot of turnover of senior personnel in associations and nonprofits for demographic reasons, and due to increased restrictions by Governments on the movement of personnel from government to associations/nonprofits. It is likely that many positions will be filled by the movement of executives among associations or by promotion within associations. This is already happening. It is more and more important that nonprofit executives and staff have general association management skills that can enable them to be part of the succession plans in their organizations or to take on leadership roles in other associations.

ii. The challenges for leaders of associations and nonprofits are increasing. The second major need related to this course is that the challenges of managing associations and nonprofits are becoming more and more complex. The leadership roles in nonprofits require, more and more, professional management knowledge as well as a good understanding the successful practices of association executives.

iii. There is a need for a better understanding on the leadership challenges of non profits and associations. There is a need to improve the effectiveness of the interaction between nonprofits and associations with governments and other institutions. Most nonprofits or associations are involved with governments in some way through programs or through the policy making process. By understanding the leadership challenges of the executives of these organizations, as well as some of the dynamics of government, improvements can be made in how governments and nonprofits/associations work together to improve Canadian society in terms of health, environment, culture social needs or the economy or other areas.

iv. Opportunities to learn about managing organizations are scarce. Since there are very few courses in public administration programs that are what might be called practical management courses, a course on nonprofit management can be useful to any MPPA student who would like to learn more about management. The challenges faced by this sector encompass all the key challenges that are faced by most organizations albeit with some unique characteristics relating to boards and members.

Association and nonprofit managers must work with their boards, governments, stakeholders, and staff, to manage issues or programs and achieve results. In addition they must ensure they have quality staff that is well aligned with the direction of the organization and the expectations of members and their boards. All of these challenges make these jobs difficult, yet rewarding.

This course will help association and nonprofit managers and staff to learn how to navigate these challenges successfully and provide other participants with some insights into the management challenges for these and other organizations.

Page | 4

Unique Focus of the Course and Learning Outcomes

The unique characteristic of this course is that it is focused on executives and managers leading associations and nonprofits. It deals with the realities, challenges, strategies and experiences of senior executives particularly presidents in leading nonprofit organizations.

The core of the course will be a framework and key concepts that can be utilized for association and non profit managers to assess their key relationships and challenges and develop strategies that will help to maximize their chances of success. This will also include the choices that senior executives can make in terms of their operating style. The lessons of the course are drawn from the experience of practitioners in associations and non profits. Since the non profit and association field is so diverse, a major part of the learning in the course is to draw from the experience of participants in the course.

By the end of the course participants will be able to fully assess the challenges leaders facing in managing associations and non profits and understand the requirements and approach to developing and implementing a successful agenda in a variety of different situations. By learning the key concepts and framework and applying these to case situations, participants will develop key tools that can be used for their management development in non profits, associations as well as government organizations. The first and final assignments will provide an opportunity to apply and integrate the insights of the course to specific organizations including the organizations where participants work.

Target Audience

This program will be designed largely for executives, managers and staff of associations and nonprofits who want to learn about leading and managing associations. The course will also be useful for those who work in government organizations who simply want to understand more about management and the strategies and approaches senior executives need to take in leading organizations, albeit in this case nonprofit organizations. The lessons learned from this course can be applied broadly to many types of organizations.

This course has been designed in a one week format so that it will be accessible to the participants of the National Philanthropy and Not for Profit Program, other MPPA students, as well as staff of associations and nonprofits who want to take the course for professional development, without necessarily enrolling in the overall program.

Objectives and Value Proposition

The objectives and value proposition of the program are:

1. To enhance the participants’ capabilities for leading or managing organizations including associations/nonprofits and/or to prepare them for a more senior role in their organizations.

2. To provide a forum for learning from experienced association and non-profit staff.

Page | 5

3. To share information on how to tackle key common issues facing the management of associations and nonprofits as well as other organizations and share best practices in the key areas that are essential to association management.

4. To provide networking opportunities for association and nonprofit staff to meet executives and staff in other nonprofits and associations and increase interchange and learning about management among diverse associations.

5. To provide participants with a practical management course that can be applied to a variety of different organizations; or assist participants working in government to understand the role and challenges of associations and non profits. (Note most government organizations interface with nonprofits and vice versa.)

Note: Although the course is focused on leadership in non profits and associations, there are very few courses available which are practical management courses. For this reason, in 2015 about 7 students of the general MPPA program took the course and the feedback was positive. The course is sufficiently flexible that these students were able to apply the lessons of the course to government and other organizations.

Course Materials

The course materials will mainly include cases developed by the professor, specifically for this course, as well as twobooks authored by the professor. In addition, for 2017, an additional textbook has been added that focuses on the role of executive directors in non profit organizations. These books draw on other literature on nonprofits and summarize their insights. Given the very short time for the course, the professor chose to focus the readings on these three texts and cases to enable participants to easily become acquainted with the key concepts and lessons of the course and apply them to realistic situations faced by leaders of associations and nonprofits.

All of the textbooks are available at the Carleton book store and listed on their web site. The approximate cost of the three texts is about $100.00. Participants can buy them at the Bookstore or order them on the web site or by calling the textbook management group at (613) 520 2600 ext 8115. If ordered directly or through the web site, the books will be sent and arrive in a few days.

Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transition. This book is the central textbook

which covers the key insights, framework and substance of the course. It deals with the

experiences of 26 association presidents in doing their jobs and what is required to be an

effective leader of an association and non profit. In addition to the Carleton Bookstore, the book

can be purchased electronically through. https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/leading-

Page | 6

business-associations-making-successful-transitions ($11.30). https://kindle.amazon.com/work/leading-

business-associations-successful-transitions-ebook/B00VQWU5GU/B00VQWU5GU

R. Paton, What Makes an Effective Association: Benchmarking Associations for Performance (CSAE, 2015). This book is designed to assist students to evaluate an association/nonprofit and determine the key management and performance challenges it faces. See assignment requirements. This publication is available directly from CSAE (Canadian Society of Association Executives). It can be ordered directly from the Resources or Bookstore section of the web site or from the Carleton Bookstore which will have the required number of copies for the course.

Joanne Oppelet, Moving Up to Executive Director: Lessons Learned from My first 365 days, Charity Channel Prees, 2013. Available on Amazon but not electronically. Copies have been purchased and are available in the Carleton Bookstore and can be ordered through Carleton Bookstore web site or by phone.

Readings and Cases

These will all be listed on the electronic site at Carleton or be made available for Professional development students if they do not have access to the site. The readings complement the main texts. They are limited because the one week format makes it unproductive to have a barrage of readings. The key to the course is to understand the key concepts , framework and approach to leading associations/ non profits and apply them to the cases and non profit or other organizations in assignments and discussions,

Course OrganizationThe course will be delivered the week of May 29-June 2. The course will

be full day classes starting at 8:30 AM with sessions in the AM and PM and a one hour break for lunch. The last class on Friday will end early ( 4PM) to allow for travel plans.

The course delivery creates opportunities for intense and interactive learning but also creates some limitations in terms of readings and assignments because there is little time outside of class to review the readings or prepare assignments. On the other hand, by having the class each day for five days, provides a great opportunity for class involvement and rapid learning.

The professor has designed the course in a way that maximizes the benefits of a very focused course over one week but also takes maximum advantage of the fact that most participants will be working with associations and non profit and can start preparing for the course before the course begins and finish the assignment after the week long course. It is designed to be flexible enough to be relevant and useful to a diverse group of participants involving nonprofits; business associations as well as students working in government or aiming to work in government organizations. This diversity creates challenges for the design of the course, but also creates huge potential for participants to learn from each other and take advantage of the experiences of participants in many organizations.

It is important to get participants thinking about management challenges and approaches early in the program, especially as they are in their work environment. Management learning tends to

Page | 7

take time. It requires reflection combined with observation in the work environment. For this reason, some of the course materials and assignments will be made available to participants before the formal course begins and students will be requested to begin one assignment before the course starts. In addition, the final assignment for the course will not be due until about six weeks after the course is finished. This will also enable students to apply the lessons of the course to their associations or nonprofits.

Learning Approach

In the experience of the professor the most effective teaching approach for management courses involves a multifaceted approach including:

Some literature on managing associations drawn from the experiences of association/nonprofit presidents/executives.

Key concepts that help assess management situations; drawn from the general management literature.

The use of a framework that is central to the assessment of management situations.

The application of this framework and concepts to specific examples through class discussion, application to an association/nonprofit where students are working, cases, or a study of a manager.

Involvement of association and non profit leaders in 2-3 classes in the program.

Active involvement and sharing of experience by participants in discussion and cases

Self reflection by participants on management and leadership style and their skills and capabilities to take on senior executive roles.

Note: This combination of the textbook based on the experiences of association presidents, key concepts, class discussion of examples, cases, and the final assignment, all provide for a strong and unique learning experience. Participants are able to apply the lessons of the course to their organizations as well as their management situations and enhance their development.

Course Requirements

(All participants will be required to complete these assignments. Although Professional Development (PD) students are not required to do assignments for marking purposes, the professor hopes all PD students to complete these assignments in order to enhance the learning process and contribute to class discussion. Class Participation (20%) The course relies on active involvement of participants because they can bring their experiences with associations and their perceptions of the management challenges facing various organizations. In a course of this nature students not only learn from the professor and course material, they also learn from each other by being exposed to a wide variety of different nonprofits and their challenges. For this reason, there is a class participation mark for the course.

Page | 8

Assignment 1: Benchmarking Non Profit and Implications for Leadership (20%)

The purpose of this assignment is to get participants thinking of the key requirements for an effective association and to apply the framework to an organization. Given that some students may not have experience with nonprofits or associations, there are two options for this assignment.

(i) If you are working in a non profit or association or have worked with one of these organizations in the past or even have access to reviewing a non profit, assess an association or non profit using the benchmarking framework developed by the professor and published by CSAE. This assignment is due before Session 4, which is the session covering effective associations. I.e. by the beginning of the PM session on Day 2. Value 20%. (See further explanation of this assignment for the session on Day 2.)

.

(ii) If you are working in government or have no experience with a non profit organization, there are a few options. If you have a friend or acquaintance who is working in a non profit or association, contact that and discuss the elements of the benchmarking framework with them. Second, governments deal constantly with various nonprofits and associations; you could contact a staff person in one of these organizations and work through the benchmarking criteria. Finally, former students have used the Association benchmarking framework without difficulty and only a few adjustments.

(iii) Note: The assignment under either option should be a three page assessment ( single spaced) of an organization) using the benchmarking framework for associations.. The assignment should include a ranking of the organization either by including assessment numbers in the text or using the chart in the Association Benchmarking book. In addition, at the end it is important to note what this assessment means for leadership challenges and to include any concepts used in the assessment drawn from the main text of Leading Associations.

Assignment 2: Case Analysis: Chose One of the Four Cases in the Course (20%)

A critical part of the learning process for a management course is the application of the concepts, framework and key insights to particular situations. This is the reason that four cases are included in the course, all of which are linked to specific chapters of the book. These cases have been developed specifically for this one week course. They are very focused so that students should be able to read them inside of half an hour.

The case analysis requirement is only for a two to three page case analysis (single spaced) focused on the role and agenda of senior executives. Participants can complete any of the cases except the case on Sustainable Solutions Canada which is designed only for class participation. These case analyses will be due before the class starts that deal with the case. They should be sent electronically to the professor’s email and in MS Word BEFORE the class begins. Each case

Page | 9

will have specific questions that participants can address which reinforce the key concepts and lessons of the course.

The cases will provide a focus for class discussion and the application of the insights of the book to nonprofits.

Assignment 3: Final Assignment (40%)

The final assignment is structured so students can complete a significant part of the course requirements after the formal course is concluded. This approach also encourages participants to reflect on the course and apply their insights to organizations and leadership situations. The quality of the final assignments in 2015 was remarkable. By providing six weeks to complete the assignment after the course, participants did a superb job of applying the lessons of their course to their organizations or other organizations.

The prime requirement of the assignment is for participants to reflect on what they learned and apply it to an organization, manager or even an issue using the framework and concepts of the course. It is very important to apply the concepts to assess a situation or management challenges. This is where the real learning takes place. There is lots of flexibility in the form of this assignment, the focus is on the result which is an integration of the course lessons to a real management situation. A case write up would be definitely acceptable with a teaching note. Since there are so few useful cases for non profit management they could also form part of the course readings for the future.

There are two main options for a final assignment and a third option for participants who do not have a background in nonprofits or associations.

i. Assessing an Association and Leadership Requirements

One option is to do a more thorough assessment, than the initial assignment, of an association or another association/non profit based on the factors that are critical to effective associations and nonprofits. The focus of this paper is to use the key concepts of the course and the readings and class discussions to assess the leadership challenges and potential strategies for an association leader based on this assessment.

The framework for this assignment will be based on the publication by the professor What Makes and Effective Association: Benchmarking for Performance. This includes 9 factors plus an X factor that can be used to assess the quality of an association or nonprofit. If participants identify other factors that are more significant to their organizations they can substitute them for some of these factors. Once course participants have assessed an association they would address the key question:

Question: Given the performance of the association in these nine areas and the X factor, what are the challenges the association leader faces and what is a potential agenda and strategies that the manager should consider to lead the association?

Page | 10

During the course, participants will be encouraged to continuously review their organization in the context of the experiences of other associations or benchmarks that are established relating to best practices. This is the equivalent of the final exam or assignment. (Timing to be determined). If students want to develop a case based on these benchmarking criteria (has to be made fictional) for future use in the course that is also an option.

ii. Studying an Association or Non profit Executive or Leader

A second option for an assignment is a study of a senior executive of a nonprofit organization or association (President, VP or Director) using a framework which is outlined in Appendix C of the Politics of Management book which is one of the textbooks provided by the professor. Given the short duration of the course, it will probably not be possible to do interviews with association leaders during the course. However, if students are able to review some of the course material before the beginning of the course and do some advanced work (with any guidance needed by the professor) this assignment can be completed after the formal course. This would be the equivalent of the final assignment or exam. (Timing to be determined.) Students who would like to develop a case focused on a non profit or association executive or manager using the lessons of the course can also discuss this option with the professor.

iii. Review of Interface of Non Profit/Association with Government or Application of Course Concepts to other Organizations

For those who do not have access to an association or non profit for study, participants can do a study of the interface of a government organization and a non profit and what the leadership challenges are for both organizations. Like the other assignments, a case can also be developed for this assignment. Students from government organizations have generally used the association benchmarking framework with only a few modifications and had no difficulty applying this to a government department or other organization. As will be noted in class, the aim of this course is helping participants to think like leaders of an association or nonprofit and to understand the challenges of leading an organization. If students have other ideas for a final assignment with draw on the key course concepts this is another option but the topic should be approved in advance by the professor.

Overall Requirements for Both Assignments

The assignments should be approximately 10 pages single spaced with a maximum of two pages for an appendix which outlines the key concepts used or any background information that is relevant. References only need to be provided by noting the book source - not a detailed footnote or bibliography. (Paton, Politics of Management, p.5.) The organization or manager should not be identified and fictional names should be used. These assignments will be graded based on the demonstration of the participant’s understanding of the key lessons and concepts of the course and their application to a particular association and manager.

Page | 11

The key assessment criteria for this assignment is the application of the concepts and lessons of the course to a real situation and the understanding of the leadership challenges involved for the organization.

These assignments will also provide an important source of information for future cases and to broaden the course to include a variety of nonprofit organizations.

Note: All final assignments should be done in MS word and sent by email to Richard@rpatonconsulting.com at the latest by August 14,2016.

Summary of Schedule for Case Assignments and Final Assignment

Mandatory Assignment 1: Session 4: Benchmarking association, non profit or government organization ( due May 30 before I P.M.) Students can send this in at any time before the class. In the past many students completed it before the course started using their own organization as a example.

Complete 1 of three cases for assignment

Session 5: Case Assignment 1 Resource Products Association, Case assessment Due May 31 before 8:30 AM

Session 7: Case Assignment 3: The Food Bank, Case Assignment due June 1 ( 830 AM)

Session 8 Post Secondary Institutions Case : Assignment Due: 1PM June 1.

Mandatory Final Assignment : Due August 14 ( so the professor can send in the marks)

e Sessions

Day 1 AM - May 29 - Introduction

Session 1 Challenges of Managing Organizations and “Thinking Like a Manager”

To successfully provide a course on the roles of managers in leading and managing associations and nonprofits, it is necessary to first establish a fundamental understanding of the challenges of managing organizations and some of the key concepts and strategies that can assist managers to be effective in their jobs. The first day of the course will be devoted to establishing this

Page | 12

foundation based largely on one of the text books by the professor The Politics of Management: Thinking Like a Manager.

A key success factor for a course focused on realistic management challenges is to draw from the experiences of course participants in their organization. The first session of the course will start with a round table where each course participant provides a brief description of their organization, some of the challenges faced by their organization, and the expectations for the course. Participants should come prepared to do this.

Since it is expected that there will be a wide diversity of organizations involved, this will provide a rich source of examples of the challenges faced by senior executives. This will enable participants to learn from fellow students as well as from the professor and course material.

Given the fact that the course is scheduled for one week, it will be challenging to absorb the key concepts and insights to management in one week and apply these concepts to specific management situations. For this reason, participants are encouraged to do some advance work for the course, and the final assignment will not be due until two weeks after the formal course ends on June 26.

To assist in this learning process, participants are encouraged to purchase and read the Politics of Management text book before the course begins, and determine if the concepts, framework of strategies outlined in this book provide any insights into the challenges faced by the senior executives of their association or non profit. The other textbooks will also be available as well.

Key Concepts - Alignment, Choices, Power Gap, Agenda Setting, Building a Network, Implementing an Agenda Through a Network.

Readings R. Paton, The Politics of Management: Thinking Like a Manager. Section 1, pp.1-42 Participants who are in Ottawa can purchase the book from the bookstore. Since this reading is important early in the course and participants are from across the country, this Section is available electronically by going to the professor's web site rpatonconsulting.com. Under the books section this book is listed and the sections of the book can be accessed by clinking on the Politics of Management book.

For the first session, the introductory session and the pages summarizing Linda Hill’s work on first time managers are very important to introduce participants to the challenges of management.

Day 1 PM - May 29

Session 2 Framework and Concepts for Developing Management and Leadership Strategies

This session will focus on the framework that the professor utilizes for discussing management challenges and choices. Each element of the framework will be explored drawing from examples from students in the course.

Page | 13

The experience of the professor from 27 years of teaching management is that the framework and key concepts do not become useful until they are used for a case or a management situation. Thus, there will be four cases in the course where these concepts and the framework can be applied.

The first half of the session will discuss the framework (p. 45 Politics of Management book) and reinforce the key concepts. In the second part of this session, the professor will draw from examples in the class to explore the application of the framework to specific associations.

( Note to class: A speaker who has gone through a transition to an executive director role or association president is usually invited to this class. This will depend on availability. At the time this course outline was completed, a former professional development student, Jennifer Crawford, Executive Director of Anglican Social Services Centre 454 in Ottawawill join the class and talk about her transition a few years ago .

Readings. R. Paton, The Politics of Management, Sections 2 and 3, (pp. 43-89) and Appendix A. This reading is available electronically by going to the web site of the professor rpatonconsulting.com . Scroll down to the section titled publications. Click on the reference to Politics of Management book and you will have the reading..

Key Dimensions of the Framework: Management in relation to External and Task Environment: Managing Relations with Superiors; Managing work with Subordinates; Managing Interface with Clients; Managing Relations and Dependence on Other Groups.

Note: Request for volunteers to present their benchmarking assessment of non profits, associations or government organizations.

Day 2 AM - May 3)

Session 3 Transition of Presidents to Association Leaders: The Role of President or Senior Executives

Leadership by the permanent staff of associations is critical to effective associations and nonprofits. Association and non profit leaders are usually CEOs and are expected to provide considerable leadership to their associations. This leadership usually requires vision, strategy, and ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders which impact on the association.

This session will start by reviewing Chapter 2 regarding the stages that a president goes through in managing the transition to the head of an association or non profit. Participants will be asked to identify examples of where they have witnessed a transition and how the president approached it.

This session will also be focused on the role and expectations of a President & CEO or executive director of an association or non profit, the leadership challenges that they face and how to work with boards, members, staff and governments in changing an association. To assist in this discussion, the class will focus on the key framework that will be used for the course which includes relationships with board, staff, stakeholders and members.

Page | 14

The session will explore each of the critical roles of the president of an association/nonprofit and identify the mistakes or “death moves” that a president can make in carrying out this function.

The class will also illustrate the differences between various types of associations/nonprofits and the implications for the role of senior executives. For this part, students will provide examples of the rich variety of types of organizations and challenges.

Finally, the class will draw on an article by Jack Shand on the characteristics of association leaders., Jack has experience as the head of an association as well as extensive consulting experience in this area.

Readings

R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions (2015) Chapter 2, 4.

Jack Shand, “The Characteristics of Association Executive Leadership”, Association, (April-May

2006). The professor will provide coordinates to access this reading.

Joanne Opelet, Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapters 2&3, Pp.17-38.

Day 2 PM - May 3O

Session 4 Characteristics of Effective Associations and Non Profits: Implications for Senior Executives

Based on the publication on benchmarking associations this class will review the 9 characteristics of effective association, plus an X factor, and their implications for association and non profit leadership. Since all class participants will complete assignment 1, this will provide a rich variety of insights by class participants on various associations and nonprofits. This class is vital to helping the class learn from each other and to experience the tremendous variety of challenges facing non profits and other organizations. Several participants will be asked to present their findings for the class and take questions. The professor will ask for volunteers at the end of session 2 so that participants will be prepared to present their assessment of organizations. Normally, about four organizations are ideal: two non profit, one association and one government.

Assignment 1 (due before class on Day 2 by email to the professor). Due to the condensed time frame for this course, it is necessary to provide an opportunity for participants to do some work on assignments before the course begins. This will also enable participants to apply the insights of the course to their work situations. Participants will be asked to assess their own associations or nonprofits or other organizations using the chart at the end of the reading for this class, and indicate which areas they are strongest and which areas need improvement. If participants do

Page | 15

not have an association or non profit to work with they can contact the professor who will provide them with an option.

Assignment Requirements. Using the framework of the chart provided at the end of the reading on benchmarking associations and non profits, provide a one paragraph assessment of each of the nine factors plus the X factor and then a summary paragraph on the leadership challenges that result from this assessment. This report should be a maximum of three pages single spaced. Value: 20%. See section on assignments for alternative assignments for those not working in nonprofits or associations or who do not have easy access to reviewing such organizations.

Participants in the class should not identify the name of the organization in their assessment. It is recognized that students may not be able to assess all the factors at this time; however, just the exercise of thinking about the entire organization and its leadership requirements is important.

By understanding the fundamental requirements of managing and leading organizations, (Day 1) the role of senior executive (Day 2 AM) and then the requirements for an effective association (Day 2 PM), the course will create the essential groundwork for the remaining sessions which deal with how senior executives can deal with the challenges of leading associations and nonprofits.

This assignment will provide a basis for class discussion on the challenges senior association executives face in achieving high performance in these areas. Participants will also be asked to refer to the role of association leaders discussed in session 3 and determine where the major challenges or gaps are in achieving these functions for the association or non profit that they are reviewing.

In the past two years, participants with government experience used the benchmarking framework for associations without difficulty. Participants from government should also feel free to modify the framework for these organizations.

Readings R. Paton, What Makes an Effective Association: Benchmarking Associations for Performance (published by CSAE, spring 2015).

Day 3 AM - May 3

Session 5 Assessing the Nonprofit Environment and Implications for an Agenda for Association Presidents

Associations and nonprofits work within a very complex environment involving governments, communities, media and various stakeholders. Effective organizations have a very good understanding of their environment and how to maximize their policy objectives within that environment.

Page | 16

To be effective, associations/nonprofits must constantly be aware of changes in political and public trends and be able to respond to these changes with strategic directions. Many associations have processes for strategic planning with varying degrees of involvement of their board and members.

The session will be focused on assisting participants to assess the environment of an association and the implications for a president or senior staff for leading the association.

The first half of the session will focus on Chapter 7 of the text using examples from participants in the class.

The second half of the session will use a case to further explore how to assess the environment of an association and an example of the role that a president and senior executives of the association can play in setting strategic directions.

The case is largely aimed to provide a focus for applying the framework and key concepts of the course to assessing the environment of associations and non profits. Since there are typically a wide variety of organizations involved in the course, participants will be asked to share their experiences with large changes in the organizational environment and the impact on the organization and management.

Readings R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions, Chapter 6.R. Paton, “The Resource Products Association (RPA): Challenges and Opportunities in the Environment. updated Dec.2016.

Note: Case analysis should be submitted before the class begins and the case is discussed.

Case Questions

Prepare a three - page ( single spaced) briefing note : From Alan Lawrence to the Chairman of the Board outlining:

1.What initiatives Alan will propose to the board at the upcoming meeting and why?

2.What steps Alan and the Chair should take leading up to the board meeting or in designing the board agenda to enable the proposals to be accepted by all board members.

Include a one page attachment of what concepts or readings your used to assess the case and develop the proposals.

Page | 17

Day 3 PM - May 1

Session 6 Assessing the Organization and Staff: Implications for a President’s Agenda (Revised)

This session deals with the role of the president and association/non profit leaders in managing the staff and other key functions of the organization while at the same time working with the chairman and board. It focuses on the initial assessment of the organization by an incoming President and then also reviews the challenges that face Presidents in the longer term over the average tenure of 7 years.

One of the three key areas for an incoming president to review is the organization and staff. A president must ensure the staff are aligned with the priorities established by the board and have the capacity to deliver what the board and members expect.

In most associations/nonprofits, the major challenge of an executive director, president or vice presidents is to ensure that the non profit has the right staff with the right skills and the right resources focused on the right direction. Given that the environment and priorities of nonprofits are usually changing, it is very important that an association leader can make the adjustments required in the organization to achieve the directions that are of value to the membership.

Participants should also review their own organizational experiences and reflect on the challenges of managing staff or aligning staff with the role and strategic directions of the association/nonprofit and the agenda of a president.

Readings R. Paton, Leading Business Associations; Making Successful Transitions, Chapter 6 and Chapter 10 (section 10.4).

J. Oppelt, Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapter 8, Working with Staff and Volunteers.

Case: Sustainable Solutions Canada: Organizational and Staff Challenges in Strategic Direction ( R. Paton March 2016) This case is for group discussion not individual assignments.

This session will start with a one hour introductory discussion based on Chapters 6 and 10 of the Leading Associations textbook. The class will then be broken into four groups to discuss the case on Sustainable Solutions Canada. It is essential to read and think about this case before the class in order to fully participate in the group discussions.

The class will be divided into four groups. Two groups will be given the first question and two will be given the second question. All groups will provide a short report to the class.

Questions for Case Discussion and Presentation

Page | 18

1. Upon her return, Jane quickly finds that things did not go as smoothly as planned. She has to

convene a management meeting with the senior people in the organization which included: Max

( Advocacy), Ted ( Consulting and Research), Helen ( Fund Raising) and David Wolcott (

Communications) to design the strategic planning process and documents for the November

board in 2+ months. How should she approach this meeting to ensure SSA can bring together a

common assessment and recommendations for the Board?

2.. When faced with major conflicts in direction among staff as is the case with SSA, what is the

role of the President ( in this case Jane) in bringing the organization together and dealing with

these issues? Is there a leadership lesson learned for Jane? What does Jane do with Max?

Day 4 AM - June 1

Session 7 Managing the Interface with the Chairman and Board as well as the Organization and Staff: Implications for an Agenda

All associations and non profits have boards. If staff does not work with their board and key committees effectively, they are in trouble. The problems will show up either in loss of membership or involvement, budget issues, or problems making policy or strategic decisions. Without strong rapport between a president and the chairman/board, the tenure of the president will be limited.

The first half of the session will engage participants in a discussion on the findings in Chapters 5 and 9 of the text book on Leading Business Associations. Participants will be expected to reflect on their experiences in associations and nonprofits and be prepared to discuss these in class (without attribution to the organization). The research on associations and nonprofits indicates that the president / board / chairman relationship is the largest source of problems for association executives and results in the most departures.

How can association/non-profit executives ensure that the overall governance of the association works effectively – especially their relationship with their chairman and board? How do they build a common agenda and priorities with their chairman, executive committee and board?

The second half of the session will be a case outlining the challenges in a particular association or nonprofit. Students will be expected to read the case before the class and be ready to discuss the choices for the president of the association. Note: If students chose this case to do as a case analysis it should be handed in before this class.

The case will also include a role playing situation involving participants in the class.

Readings

R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions. Chapter 7, 9 and Section 10.1 of Chapter 10.

Page | 19

Sidney Abrams, “The Board’s Role in Human Resource Management.” Managing Director HR Consulting Services, Board Source 2014. (Reading to be made available by the professor.)

J. Oppelt, Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapter 4, Working with the Board. pp 39-48. Chapter Nine: Working with the Community. pp.97-104.

Case: R. Paton, “ The Food Bank: Challenges of Change for a Non Profit Executive Director.

Note: Case should be handed in before the class begins and sent by e-mail.

Guest speaker: The professor aims to have a guest speaker attend this class who is head of a similar non profit organization as the case. The plan is that the speaker will join the class following the case discussion for the period 10-1130 AM

Day 4 PM - June 1 Session 8 Setting an Agenda and Building a Network

This session brings together the three main contributors to an agenda: board; environment and staff and discusses how presidents and senior executives of associations/nonprofits develop agendas and build a network to achieve that agenda.

The main source material for this session will be Chapter 8 of the text book Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions.

The first half of the session will discuss the requirements for developing and implementing a successful agenda and the challenges that can undermine success.

This second half of the session will involve the participation of a very successful association executive. This will enable students to understand leadership situations and to interact with the leader on issues of development of an agenda, working with a board and the question of leadership style and effectiveness. ( This could be the class for Bob Masterson to attend)

Case: R. Paton, “Post Secondary Institutions Association (PSIA) Developing and Implementing an Agenda.” Note: Case should be sent in before class begins by e-mail to the professor.

Readings R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions. See Chapters 8 and 9 - particularly chapter 9 (157-174).

Questions/Assignment (2 pages, single spaced, case analysis). Point form is acceptable. Submit before class begins.

1. Using the concept of vertical and horizontal alignment illustrated in Figure 5 (p.155) in the Leading Associations text book, identify the horizontal and vertical alignment that

Page | 20

factor into the development of an agenda for Robert and the Association. Also, identify the areas that Robert should address to strengthen the alignment with a potential agenda.

2. Given the priorities of the Board and members, the state of the organization, and the environment, what should be three elements of the agenda of Robert Bryce and how should he proceed to implement it through the network?

3. How can Robert plan this Board meeting in Ottawa or arrange the agenda to achieve his advocacy agenda?

For this case the professor will ask one or two students to present their assessment of the case and answers to the questions.

Day 5 AM - June 2

Session 9 Choosing the Leadership Style of an Association and Non Profit Leader

A major challenge for association/non profit leaders is to determine what approach to leadership is most effective in a given association. This requires an ability to understand the culture and expectations of the board and staff in the non profit organization. It also requires these leaders to be able to assess their own leadership style and its impact on others. This is one of the most common areas where association leaders experience problems and lose their jobs.

The session will explore various operating styles of association leaders and assist participants to assess which leadership styles are potentially the most effective in various situations.

The professor will introduce some concepts based on Section 3 of the Politics of Management and the book by Oppelt as well as some description of various types of tests ( Myers Briggs and DISC) that are used to help understand differences in style and teams.

Participants will be asked to share their perceptions of their own style tendencies as well as some examples of the differences of leadership style that they have experienced and their effectiveness..

Readings R. Paton, The Politics of Management: Thinking Like a Manager, Section 3 on Operating Style. This reading can be accessed by going to rpatonconsulting.com. Under Publications and The Politics of Management, the relevant section on Operating Style is listed.

R. Paton, Leading Business Associations: Making Successful Transitions, Chapter 10. Managing for the Long Term.

Page | 21

J. Oppelt, Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapter 5 , When Everything Demands Your Attention. pp.49-60. Chapter 12 /13 Personal Development and Work Life Balance. Chapter 8 .....

In this class we will talk about various personality types using the Myers -Briggs categorization. If participants want to do the test go to Google and type free Myers Briggs Personality test. You can fill it out in ten minutes and get results. This is just one of many tests that help to undertand your tendencies and to inclinations of managers or staff,

DAY 5 PM - June 2

Session 10 Managing for the Long Term and Leadership Style

This session will focus on the findings in Chapter 10 in the Leading Business Associations book on managing for the long term; the findings on the development of association and non profit leaders in Chapter 11 and J. Oppelt Moving Up to Executive Director, Chapter 1 on what executive recruiters look for.. The session will include the issues involved with leadership style and the challenges for developing executives of non profits and associations.

Participants should come prepared to discuss all three areas but particularly the challenges and requirements for their development and the development of a strong cadre of executives for the future.

This class is usually designed so that a guest speaker from an executive recruiting organization can share his or her insights and experiences in recruiting executives for non profit organizations and associations. Proposed and confirmed: Ron Robertson: Partner, Boyden Global Search.

Summary of the Course and Feedback

This second part of the session will involve feedback by each participant on what they learned in this course that is relevant and useful to their jobs or role in a non profit. This session enables all participants to learn from each other and can be a rich source of insights.

Since there are few if any practical management courses on non profit or association leaderhsip, the professor has had to develop two of the texts for the course as well as the cases and he has had to design the course as well. For 2017 , two cases were added one on a Food Bank and the other focusing on leadership style. The aim of the professor is to continue to add non profit cases to achieve a balance of associations and non profit cases that emphasize the key learnings of the course. Feedback is critical to continuously fine-tune the course to keep it relevant and useful to participants.

For professional development students, they receive a certificate for participation in the course. Others who are part of the MPPA program or MNPL program will get credits for their program.

Page | 22

University Policies

Academic Integrity Please be aware that all work submitted as a requirements of PADM 5xxx must be both your own work and original to this course. Academic offences are serious infractions and will not be tolerated. Students should consult Section 14 of the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar, General Regulations concerning academic integrity and instructional offences. Academic Accommodation You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. For an

accommodation request the processes are as follows.

Pregnancy obligation: write to the instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the Equity Services website: http://www2.carleton.ca/equity/

Religious obligation: write to the instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details visit the Equity Services website: http://www2.carleton.ca/equity/

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides services to students with Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/mental health disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, chronic medical conditions, and impairments in mobility, hearing, and vision. If you have a disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact PMC at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation. If you are already registered with the PMC, contact your PMC coordinator to send the instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term, and no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation. After requesting accommodation from PMC, meet with the instructor to ensure accommodation arrangements are made.

Intellectual Property

Classroom teaching and learning activities, including lectures, discussions, presentations, etc. –

by both instructors and students – are copy protected and remain the intellectual property of

their respective author(s). All course materials, including PowerPoint presentations, outlines, and

other materials, are also protected by copyright and remain the intellectual property of their

respective author(s).

Students registered in the course may take notes and make copies of course materials for their

Page | 23

own educational use only. Students are not permitted to reproduce or distribute lecture notes

and course materials publicly for commercial or non-commercial purposes without express

written consent from the copyright holder(s).

Page | 24