A Message from our President

Spring 2015

Hello Colleague!

Spring has sprung. Leaves have appeared on trees, the grass is green again, flowers are popping out everywhere…and the pollen has coated everything with a nice, thick yellow mess. After a nice spring rain shower, though, everything sparkles in the sun, pollen covered-no-more. It makes me want to get outside, shed my layers, come out of winter hibernation, and seek out new adventures. Wander and roam and explore.

In this month’s article, I talk about what happens when wandering goes awry. Rather than finding a new path, we sometimes discover we have become lost on the way. Both literally, as in a springtime stroll gone too far, and figuratively, as in an organizational mission or personal career path that has strayed, being lost can be confusing and frightening. Read my thoughts below on how to find your way back “home” again.

As for colleagues embarking on new adventures this spring, we are excited that Randolph County Partnership for Children has completed their search for a new Executive Director. Look for the news update in our summer ezine. And, as one comes in, another leaves—we wish Pauline McKee all the best as she moves out of her role as longtime ED at RCPC and onto her next path.

Happy spring!
Sherry

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Current Searches

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Article of the Month

Word count: 423
Approximate Reading Time: 3 Minutes

Help...I’m LOST

by Sherry Heuser

We’ve all been lost. It can happen at any time, at any age. It isn’t a good feeling—we become powerless, frustrated, scared, and even angry. How could this happen to me? What do I do now? This really will ruin my day.

Becoming “lost” can happen to organizations as well as individuals. Whether it is a program or a person, not knowing where you are now or where you are going is unsettling. Doubts, fears, and anxieties rise. Energy and effort is wasted while you spin helplessly.

Being “found” brings relief, comfort, and confidence. Actions work toward goals and progress is made. The route and destination are clear. Regaining your bearings feels good.

So, how can you move from “lost” to “found”? Some simple tips we often share with children can be applied to even the most complicated professional situations.

• Take a deep breath—In a panic, organizational leaders cannot think clearly, their communication becomes stressed, and they aren’t able to take appropriate action. Remaining calm will give your team the ability to focus on resolving the situation
• Find help—Look to your allies to help steer you. Ask for suggestions and directions. Pay attention to the world around you—signs, structures, and landmarks can tell you if you are on the right path.
• Blaze a trail back home—Figure out how to get to a place where you have resources to support you and you are comfortable. Recognize your core and head for it; this is the best spot to be to restart your journey.
• Reconsider your path and destination—Decide if the route you are following will get you where you want to go, and if the end point you had pursued before was really where you wanted to be. Take the time to plan a new goal or map out a new course.
• Be aware of distractions—Sometimes, the destination was right and the path was good, but the organization was confused along the way by people or events, and may not have realized progress was stalled or that it became turned around. Assessing the situation may help you recognize that you weren’t really lost, you just had forgotten to continue moving forward.

The next time you are lost—perhaps worrying about a mission that seems to be sliding, frustrated about goals that feel unattainable, struggling to determine your next career step, or just needing help to regain your center of balance—make a path of breadcrumbs out of the woods and find your way again.

Bottom Line: Just because you are lost now, doesn’t mean you cannot be found.

Sherry Heuser is president of Capability Company Consulting, a Raleigh, N.C.-based firm supporting nonprofit organizations' searches for key hires.

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