I took my dog out for a walk yesterday. He met a new dog that had just arrived in the neighborhood. After the initial sniffing and greeting, the new dog proceeded to follow my dog around to carefully and strategically place his scent on every place my dog had placed his.
It is what dogs do.
It’s also what humans do. And it’s fascinating to watch. And humorous and entertaining.
We had one situation where we had been working with a non-profit, and the “new dog” came in and immediately set about to “scent up” the environment. It was amazing. Rather that stick with the tried and true basics (as a strong and confident leader would do), this person had to make a very public statement about what was wrong with the current approach and strategy and suggest “new and exciting ways” to do major gifts.
To this day I cannot figure out what could be wrong with:

• Qualifying donors.
• Having a personalized plan for every caseload donor, driven by the donor’s passions and interests.
• Not allowing prospecting for donors, so the MGO can stay focused on donors who have come up the pipeline.

But this “new dog” felt it was the wrong way to go.
And there were other petty objections this person had, that were more about making his mark than actually adding substance and value.
Really, it’s pretty sad. And it was even sadder that this person’s manager supported and encouraged his positions. I think he was making his mark as well.
And then there’s another situation where the “new dog” came in and decided to save $600,000 by removing a layer of management from the 38+ MGOs that were in the major gift program. $600,000 is a lot of money, I know. But because of the lack of management and focus, the caseload values of those 38 MGOs dropped by an amount substantially higher than the $600,000 “saved.”
Not good.
But the “new dog” sure felt good about making the decision.
This happens over and over again. And we shouldn’t be surprised when it does. But why does it happen, and what should you do if you find yourself in this situation?
First, the why.
The primary reason this happens, in our opinion, has two faces to it:

The need of the individual to gain standing. This is tricky. When a person is new in a job, there’s a strong need to assure the hiring managers and authority figures that they’ve made the right decision. The new person has two routes to go here. One is to build on what exists, be constructive and add value. The other is to climb on the backs of those who have preceded the new person, tear them down, criticize them and propose new and exciting directions. The situations I’ve described above are of the climbing on the backs and tearing down type.

This is so interesting to me. I’ve watched this happen so many times. When the new person arrives on the scene, what is proposed appears to be a good strategy, and it may have the desired short-term result.

But because the main focus of the person is on building standing rather than doing the right thing, the good of what was in place is cast aside, and results begin to suffer.

And, in the long run, the true character of the leader is on full display and the employees working for this person soon learn that this leader will do anything to preserve and raise themselves – even at their expense. They are not to be trusted or followed. Soon, the good talent leaves. All of this may take a couple of years. But it will happen.

All of this results in a negative environment which, eventually, creates worse economic performance.

The need of the individual to self-express. We’ve all been around these kinds of people. It’s all about them, their thoughts, their conversations, their way. It’s very hard for a self-expressive person to take counsel, seek input and welcome constructive criticism.

What should you do if you find yourself in this situation? Here’s what we suggest:

• Be compassionate with the leaders and managers exhibiting this behavior. When anyone has to tear someone down in order to get ahead, it’s clear proof of their own insecurity and desire for power and standing at any cost. We’ve all had these kinds of thoughts and actions. Try (as best as you can) to be compassionate, looking at the real cause of the behavior.
• Look for the good in what they’re suggesting. Find what is good in what’s being suggested, and use it. Don’t just throw everything out because you disagree with their style and approach. Change and new ways are good IF they really do work.
• Find a way to constructively express concern about their narrative. If you feel it’s politically safe to do so, find a way to give the manager and leader feedback on what has worked about the “old” system and why it’s good. This is a safe way to express value about what was.
• As best as you can, stick to what you know is true and works. Jeff and I have repeatedly taken the position (supported by thousands of enlightened development leaders) that there is no shiny object that you will suddenly discover to turn your major gift world around. So stick with what you know gets results.
• If your productivity and results begin to suffer, consider moving on. You will know when this happens, as the numbers will show it – as will the quality of your work. When it does, dust off that resume and find a better place.

Sadly, there are places where good people turn bad and engage in behavior that is destructive. This behavior is easy to see. Even more subtle is the leader or manager who introduces “new, shiny objects” that seem to be right and full of promise – but they’re just as deadly on performance as the destructive behavior.
Look for both of them. Then do the right thing.
Richard