Seven Turning Points by Susan Gross

Seven Turning Points by Susan Gross

As nonprofit organizations mature and grow, their staffs and programs expand, their operations and dynamics become more complex, and the climate they operate in changes and presents new challenges. If they are to move to a new level of effectiveness, they must periodically adjust their leadership, management, structure, governance, and operating style to fit their changed circumstances. Author Susan Gross calls these adjustments ""turning points."" The author's forty years of work with nonprofit organizations has shown that turning points are most likely to arise at seven predictable times in a group's life. Recognizing these turning points and taking action can ease the adjustments necessary as your organization pivots in a new direction. The seven turning points are:  When a loose, family style of operating leads to disorganization and a lack of professionalism or accountability When the management needs of an organization outstrip its executive director's management skills When a founding volunteer board hires its first executive director but finds it hard to delegate and adjust to a less involved role When opportunistic, unplanned growth results in an absence of focus and priorities and spreads an organization too thin When strong central direction becomes micromanagement, top-down control, and over-dependency on the leader When decentralization goes too far, splitting the organization into autonomous units that have little or no connection, coherence, or coordination;  When a longtime, cherished executive director must prepare to step down.   This lively text includes charts, illustrations, and an engaging graphic design to help readers assess the state of their organizations and decide what changes to make.

“This extremely helpful approach is for anyone facing change—which happens to be just about everyoneSusan Gross is one of the few writers who is truly thinking of how to help create positive change.” —Larry Cox, Executive Direction, Amnesty International USA, New York, NY

“Seven Turning Points is a clear and insightful discussion on the phases of organizational development that will prove invaluable to leaders who are managing change. I will turn to her book again and again.” —Maddy deLone, Executive Director, Innocence Project, New York, NY

“No one knows more than Susan Gross about what makes organizations work—and stumble—at key points in their history and development.” —Gara LaMarche, President and CEO, The Atlantic Philanthropies, New York, NY

“Change is never an easy process, but Seven Turning Points can help leaders see what needs to be done. A must read for all nonprofit executives and funders.” —Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union, New York, NY

“What a wonderful book! Susan Gross establishes a common vocabulary for understanding the challenges of organizational development in any nonprofit.” —Rosann Haggerty, President, Common Ground, New York, NY

SUSAN GROSS is a noted organizational development consultant and has spent more than forty years strengthening nonprofit organizations so that their people and programs succeed. She is cofounder of the Management Assistance Group (MAG), an organization that sees building the power of nonprofits as a critical contribution to the creation of a more just and equitable world. To learn more about MAG, and to download free tools, visit www.ManagementAssistance.org.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780940069732
ISBN 10	0940069733
Title	Seven Turning Points
Author	Susan Gross
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Turner Publishing Company
Year published	2009-04-23
Number of pages	118
Prizes	Commended for Benjamin Franklin Award (Business) 2010
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable