The Fund Raiser

Meet the New Boss

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By Mark J. Drozdowski

After spending the better part of spring and summer drifting on the job market, I've finally landed safely on the shores of another institution. I traded the rustic beauty of southern New Hampshire for the urban sprawl of Fitchburg, Mass., a blue-collar, industrial city with an eclectic mix of neighborhoods and nationalities. My commute remains roughly the same, about 25 minutes, though I now encounter more than two traffic lights along the way. The biggest difference is that I'm now the boss.

At my former institution, I was an island unto myself, a free spirit unencumbered by the responsibilities of management. No one asked me for a day off, or had me sign time sheets. I didn't have to approve someone else's expense reports. Performance evaluations? ffice reorganizations? Staff meetings? Not my responsibility.

My, how things change. Today, as executive director of the college foundation, I am responsible for all of that, and more. To be honest, I relish the opportunity, and actively sought it. I think I know enough about development to lead an office and manage other fund raisers. And I think I've learned enough good habits from bosses I've admired. Time, I suppose, will tell, but I'm pretty confident.

The last time I tried this, however, things didn't work out. Notice I'm not admitting failure. Although my department fell apart, I can't take full blame. Conceptually, the design was a stinker. To make matters worse, I wasn't the new guy. Let me explain.

A few years ago I worked at a major research university in New England. Our fund-raising apparatus was growing rapidly, and we were forever reshuffling the organizational deck to find that perfect array of positions and talents.

As a result of one of those reorganizations, I was put in charge of a newly formed department. It was one part donor relations, one part publications, two parts campaign marketing and three parts personality conflicts.

I became director. A former director of another department became associate director. A former administrative assistant became assistant director, and the woman she beat out for the job became our administrative assistant. In time, other unfortunate souls joined us. We were the island of misfit toys -- castoffs and rejects from other areas cobbled together into one dysfunctional conglomerate. And I was the Charlie-in-the-Box charged with orchestrating this circus.

Perhaps my job would have been easier had I been new to the institution. But I wasn't. I had been there for about four years prior to my "promotion." Everyone knew what I did and how I acted, and vice versa. Our relationships were firmly established. I was "Mark the foundations guy" or "Mark the writer dude," not "Mark the department head."

Did that mean I lacked people's respect? I don't know, but it did mean making decisions -- tough decisions -- was that much more difficult.

But wait, say the many management gurus eager to slap me upside the head. It was up to me to earn respect, especially from those who reported to me. I simply had to act decisively and fairly and my new persona would grow organically. I would eventually become "Mark the boss."

Yes, well, human nature tends to supersede management theory. I found it tough to transcend existing relationships and start bossing around people I formerly knew as equals -- or even superiors. Perhaps they shared a similar discomfort.

Remember that episode of M*A*S*H in which Radar O'Reilly is surreptitiously promoted from corporal to second lieutenant? He becomes an officer overnight and his friends, fellow enlisted men, become his subordinates. Radar feels guilty asking his friends to work, and they, in turn, resent his new status. He eventually begs for a demotion and a return to life as it had been. After a while I became Radar, but I didn't request a demotion. I just left.

At the New Hampshire college where I worked most recently, the opportunity to rise to the leadership level almost presented itself a couple of times. (Long story.) But it never did, and I'm glad. I probably would have taken the position, and such a move would have been a mistake. My relationships with colleagues were too informal, and I hadn't acted managerial in any way. They never saw me as anyone's boss, and I would have seemed oddly out of character in that role.

Now I'm ensconced in Fitchburg, home to defunct paper mills desperately trying to recast themselves as upscale, waterfront condos. And I'm in charge of a growing development operation trying to reshape the college's future. Everything suddenly is different. I'm the newbie. I'm expected to make changes. In fact, that's my mandate. Things are already running smoothly, but the institution could streamline operations, redeploy resources more wisely, and raise more money. What place can't? I just have to figure out how to accomplish that.

Being new makes my job easier. I'm not burdened by existing relationships. I don't have to recalibrate how I view staff members and wonder if they are successfully rethinking their relationships with me. We're all making first impressions.

Does that mean institutions should always seek outsiders for leadership roles? Not necessarily.

I imagine some people can successfully lead former peers, and perhaps don't care if others resent their new status. Insiders also have the advantage of knowing how things run and understanding the institutional culture. Such knowledge may be so ingrained, however, that the proverbial "thinking outside the box" could prove more difficult. The rigidity of "we've always done things that way" is hard to escape, and easier to dismantle if you're new. So other folks may, like me, need to move out in order to move up.

Here at my current institution, I do look forward to the challenges associated with leadership and management. Every day will present learning opportunities.

This time, thankfully, I'm not stuck on misfit island refereeing roller-derby donnybrooks. Civility reigns, and I captain a steady ship -- one destined for rougher seas as changes unfold, but I'm not terribly worried. I'll make the tough decisions when necessary, and feel comfortable doing so. After all, I'm the new guy.