#47: People over problems
A Q&A with non-profit executive director, coach, and writer William Lutz
Hello!
Having just returned from a short but busy vacation, I'm passing the mic to another Pass It On reader this week.
Meet William (Bill) Lutz, non-profit coach and executive director, and President of City Council in Troy, Ohio. Bill is also the creator of the Pinnacle Strategies newsletter, a twice-weekly Substack sharing tools and ideas for non-profit and public sector leaders.
Without our newsletters, Bill and I would have never crossed paths. We lead very different lives almost 7000km apart, but we share a common goal: to empower and elevate the non-profit world. I'm grateful for Bill's warmth, kindness, and support—and the contribution he makes to the non-profit community.
You run one of the few other Substacks for non-profit readers. What inspired you to start yours? What’s the long-term goal?
I started a coaching and consulting business last year to guide and encourage those in the non-profit world. So many people in our sector lack confidence. Impostor syndrome is rife, and the skills needed to succeed aren't expressly taught. We aren't taught how to manage a board of directors or how to create and evaluate our services. I wanted to teach, guide, and inspire professionals like myself.
The newsletter is one outcome of that mission. There are two formats: a deep dive into a non-profit or philanthropy-related topic on Tuesdays; and a non-profit news summary on Fridays. I'm not so interested in the statistics. I want the subscribers to trust what they read and share it with others in the field. I'm surprised by the international reach it has gained—there are readers in Europe, Australia, Africa, and other parts of North America. To become a global leader in non-profit and philanthropic ideas might seem like an audacious goal, but it certainly seems viable.
As a President of Council, you're particularly passionate about citizen participation. What does citizen participation mean to you, and why is it important?
Well, our residents have a stake in the outcomes of our city. The individuals who have called our town home deserve to have their voices heard and thoughts understood. I have tried to increase citizen participation by working with our council members to hold more informal events. I have also used online surveys to get direct feedback from citizens. I truly wish that receiving and acting upon citizen participation was more widely embraced by our community.
How did an experienced non-profit executive director and coach end up taking a qualification in Lean Six Sigma? What impact did it have on you?
Before entering the non-profit world, I worked in local government. When an opportunity arose to participate in a pilot program for government employees to learn and implement Lean Six Sigma principles, I took it. I was struck by how applicable they were to all the social sectors, particularly the "voice of the customer" principle. It makes sense that we should design processes and solutions with our customers' needs and abilities in mind, but our sector still does this too rarely. In all my non-profit work, I aim to make that customer voice a standard data source and use it to inform my decisions.
“People who come to non-profits aren't simply problems to fix. You don't start helping a family experiencing homelessness or hunger by handing over a ten-point plan or a smartphone app telling them how to get out of their problem. You start by having a difficult conversation about their lives and their issues.”
What do you wish the tech industry understood from or about non-profits?
Firstly, the tech industry should understand that non-profits operate under constant pressure. Our organisations are always understaffed and underfunded; our clients are inevitably dealing with difficult problems. On top of that, rarely are our boards of directors as informed or engaged as we'd hope, so getting the direction we need from them takes enormous energy and time. No wonder non-profit burnout is at an all-time high.
Secondly, the people who come to non-profits, and even non-profits themselves, aren't simply problems to fix. They are beings who are often stuck, caught in transitory situations, and can't easily see a way out. You don't start helping a family experiencing homelessness or hunger by handing over a ten-point plan or a smartphone app telling them how to get out of their problem. You start by having an often difficult conversation about their lives, their issues, and where they are. In the non-profit world, we are trying to change attitudes that will help change behaviour. We change those attitudes by engaging in discussions.
How can the tech and non-profit sectors come closer together?
We need to start speaking the same simple language. The tech world is vast; it has a specialised lingo that isn't always widely understood. That means we can easily get our wires crossed.
One of the greatest virtues I've seen in Tech is the sincere desire to give back and to be philanthropic with money, time, and talent. And many tech professionals want to make a positive change in the world. The non-profit sector would benefit from that desire immensely if it better understood what the tech sector is and how it could help their work. For that to happen, the tech world needs to communicate more inclusively.
What book has impacted you most as a leader and why?
The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker is a classic but a must-read for the leader of any organisation, public or private. It's so easy for leaders to feel the pressure to drown themselves in an ocean of busyness. Drucker quietly and insistently reminds us that it doesn't have to be that way. And that the best-run organisations are the ones that are consistent—creating positive outcomes for themselves while serving the public.
More questions for Bill? Message him on LinkedIn or subscribe to his newsletter.
Thanks so much for reading!
Lauren
Thank you Lauren for sharing your newsletter with me! It was great fun collaborating with you on this edition of Pass It On!