Nurture Young Talent Even During Tough Times

It feels almost inappropriate to write about anything other than the uncertain economic climate. With the decline of local foundation endowments and threatened cuts in government funding for cultural institutions, it might not seem like the right time for a discussion of staff development. But I'd like to suggest that periods of retrenchment and belt-tightening are exactly when we need to be thinking about workplace morale and leadership development - because they are the main things that will carry us through the storm.

And herein lies the challenge for all organizations, but particularly for arts nonprofits that are perpetually underfunded and understaffed, even in the best of times. With limited resources and a mountain of work to do, how can we make sure that our organizations - and our sector as a whole - are developing the leadership talent that will take us to the future?

Encourage young workers to take responsibility for their own development
It's a plain fact that most supervisors simply don't have enough hours in the day to devote to developing their employees. So instead, encourage your reports to take control of their own career paths.

"I suggest that people take charge of their own development and figure out what experiences they need and who they should approach to mentor them," says Leslie Bonner, senior consultant at Dewey & Kaye and co-author of Nonprofit Leadership Development: A model for identifying and growing leaders in the nonprofit sector. "When an employee can approach his or her supervisor with a thought-out plan, it can help to solve the problem and make clear an area of development that can be beneficial for both the organization and the individual."

Then, use that energy
Does your organization have "special projects" lying around - important but not urgent initiatives that don't clearly fit in one person's job description or a single department? Consider using this project as a development tool for emerging leaders in your organization. After all, members of the Millennial generation thrive on teamwork, so tapping a 20- or 30-something might be exactly what you need to get a team-focused project off the ground. And it's probably safe to bet that we're itching for a really juicy project that will help us develop our skills - so it's a win for both sides.

For example, one of the best opportunities I was ever given as an executive assistant was the charge to manage the development of a new team training program. It was completely outside the normal scope of my job but made me feel as though I was learning valuable skills and making a difference for my company. I didn't stop doing my assistant work; if anything, having an exciting project to work on made me more efficient at my normal duties.

And if you really, really have no time...

Invite aspiring leaders to be in the room
This is probably the easiest, cheapest thing an organization can do. Expose aspiring leaders to your board of directors and/or senior management, if your organization is large. Taking notes at Board meetings gave me a perspective on my organization that I never would have achieved from my desk. I got to see how decisions were made, but more importantly, I could understand how my slice of the business fit into the whole, which gave me more nuanced decision-making abilities. Particularly in times like these, when difficult issues are being addressed, there is so much to learn just by observing.


Lauren Bracey blogs at Burghilicious when she's not working.