How Much Organizational Administration Does the Organization Need?

In relating to Non-profit organizations much of my time, the most common question I hear is “How much organization (or administration) is needed for us to do well and keep growing”?  Of course, there is a difference between organization and administration, but they are closely related.  I wish to refer to both terms here interchangeably.  My fast answer to that question is always the same.  You should have only as much administration or organization that you need. Yet, how much administration is needed to effectively fulfill your mission.

Organizational structure

Organizations all need some form of organizational structure.  There are several things in the structure that help provide stability, sustainability and growth.

One of those being a clear understanding of authority within the organization.  The lines of authority need to be clearly stated and explained.  There must also be a respect for authority within the organization.  When the authority lines are understood it allows all persons to function freely in their skills and knowledge.  Authority provides boundaries that both define and releases people in their responsibility. This brings boundaries yet promotes a person’s potential. In every level of the organization there must be clear leadership roles and boundaries.  This provides a track for each volunteer to travel on and also protects them from going down an unproductive or even wrong track in the organization.

A planned and strong support system for volunteers is an essential element of the structure.  This refers to the personal side of the organization.  The volunteers or paid staff are in fact people. They each come with their set of complications, hardships and life situations that cannot be checked at the door like a coat.  There must be an awareness of this need by the leaders.  Some thought should be given to how to support individuals and facilitate support by others in the organization.  Some organizations have gone as far as offering free counseling services to their volunteers when crisis arise.  Others have simply maintained an approachable attitude among the leaders for those who may need special care or a listening ear.

Closely related to this is the need for the organization to build a culture of respect and value of people.  All people are valuable to the leaders, to each other and to their clientele.  When this value is rooted in the foundation of the organization it tends to be worked into the fiber over the years of growth. If it is not there from the beginning, it may be blended into the workings of the organization over time, but only if there is a conscience decision from the “top down”.

An organization, no matter how well designed, is only as good as the people who live and work in it. Dee Hock (Dee Ward Hock is the founder and former CEO of the Visa credit card association)

Of course, the relational part of the ministry cannot carry the organization alone. There must be good operational procedures.  These are often developed over time according to the daily, practical activity that is being done.  Procedures enable the organization to function effectively and more productively.  They also serve to keep the flow of work moving toward the goals and mission of the organization.  However, the leadership must be periodically evaluating those procedures so they do not become antiquated and in fact hinder the mission.  The other thing to observe is the possibility of procedures diverting our attention away from people.  The organization is served best by procedures and policies that unite the staff and serve the needs of the clientele qualitatively and effectively.  I have seen some policies in organizations that are more focused on the need of the leaders than on the clientele. Personal preferences of procedures or the distaste for some methods among leadership should not confuse the best choices of operation.

With procedures in place we can turn our attention to the training system of the organization.  There is always a system of training, but sometimes it is not a well-planned system.  The best plan of training takes into consideration what has already been said about valuing people, respectful authority lines and providing support for the new workers.  The organization depends on the training of workers.  Without it there is no assurance of the workforce in the organization working toward the vision and mission.  Training must then include instilling a clear sense of the vision in order to unify the staff and solidify the purpose that all are serving in the organization. The amount of training needed is dependent upon the responsibility given.

When we speak of organization or administration we cannot say enough about communication.  How much communication is needed?  There is never enough communication. I have not found a maximum level for this element in a growing organization.  The fact is that just when the leader believes he has communicated fully the vision, the goals, and the steps needed to get there, someone will do or say something that brings out the reality that more is needed.  All members in the organization need to continually develop and promote communication skills with each other and the clientele.  When directions are given to staff members they must be repeated in multiple ways and then later repeated in more ways.  Many interpersonal problems arise due to the lack of clear and respectful communication.  Many tasks are unfinished or done incorrectly because the volunteer did not receive the needed information to fulfill the task.  Sometimes he or she isn’t even aware of their need for more information because they are not in on the original brain storming and discussion of an idea.  That leaves the responsibility of communication on the leader or supervisor. Yet, when the worker doesn’t understand, it is his responsibility to ask for more information.

 Administration that serves the vision

Let me focus my comments here on administration.  The role of administration is to assist the flow of productivity and activity and provide accountability.  The administration brings an oversight to the volunteers’ responsibilities and personal development. The person who is gifted with administration skills will seek to find the best way to keep the people in the organization moving toward the goals identified. They will provide of the organization to accomplish those goals.  Then in the fulfilling of the goals they support and promote relationships within their area of responsibility. Good administration always takes into consideration the human factor while overseeing the tasks of the volunteers.  So then, administration always serves to guide everyone toward the vision of the organization.

When is there too much administration?

There is a need here to define three different meanings of administration that I am aware of.

The first being the leadership or executive of an organization who are responsible for the overall movement of people toward the vision of the organization.  The second is the process or activity of running a business, organization, etc. “the day-to-day administration of the organization” Thirdly there is the talent or potential of administration that a person possesses. Often these definitions are encased by the same people, however, those with administrative potential may not be in positions of administration as of yet.  So it is helpful to separate the position from the ability at times.

Too much administration can be seen when the value of the volunteer begins to decrease. When people become less important than the administration of tasks and people something is lost. In time this mind set becomes detrimental to the overall organization.  People normally appreciate forms of administration as long as they feel that the procedures and policies are not the main focus of the organization.  When too much attention is given to administering the task morale begins to drop.

When organization itself is more important than the mission it exists for confusion sets in and both members and non-members lose sight of the main purpose.  The identity of the organization is at stake.  When the focus is on our administrative procedures and administrative abilities the face of the organization changes from that which was originally presented to the clientele.  It no longer reflects the branding we give it, but instead shows our administrative pride as being our brand.

Too much administration can easily be spotted when procedures and policies stifle the organic life and development of the organization.  A growing organization requires administration but we must retain the organic element of growth or we will lose the momentum we once experienced.  There is no substitute for the natural development of the origin of the organization.  Questions like, “Why did this organization begin?”, “What need are we trying to meet?” or “How are we making this world a better place?” will help us to stay organic in our procedures and administration of the organization.  If we cannot answer those kind of questions easily, we may have over administrated the organization.  When the life of the organization is at risk, it may be time to cut back on some policies or adjust the procedures.  Then we will allow for a more fluid and organic way of processing decisions and executing them.

Leaders are responsible to monitor the life of the organization.  This includes evaluating the balance of administration and the spirit or purpose of the organization.  Some volunteers will give us feedback on the balance of the organizational structure vs the human factors.  Though, by the time the volunteers of an organization are voicing their opinion of excessive administration, the morale is nearly non-existent.  A leader needs to spot this before he hears about it from too many volunteers.  The human factor; the recognition of people’s emotions, ambitions, and commitment to the vision must all be kept in tension with the organizational structure needed to keep a forward movement. How much organizational administration is needed?  Only as much as is needed, but not more.

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