The new year is approaching and Hope for hearts is working on ways to make life after COVID club management much easier in a virtual world. After feedback from my executive staff on how we did in our startup year as a new club a theme arised:
having difficulty with group think "need for a devil's advocate"
lack of accountability on some members of the group
group roles were unclear for some
heavy burden placed on the Presidents and Vice presidents
As a result, after taking a course named Leadership and Management I decided to fix these issues, as the president, for next year by introducing a new role that will help hope for hearts be a more organized, structured group with exemplary teamwork so our events can be even more successful than before.
That's where I opened the management consultancy role as I knew companies often hire consultants to fix some of the issues addressed above. Why is a management consultant role important in a non-profit club leading 300 members, shouldn't it simply be for big businesses? After speaking with Abdullah I learned the hidden truth about managing any club and he addressed that one role could solve all my above stated issues leading to improved outcomes.
Meet Abdullah Tariq, a masters in engineering design alumni from McMaster University. His previous experiences in leadership, and lack of ties to anyone in the executive team, as well as qualifications with his educational background made him a perfect candidate to hire. Now you may be thinking, what does an engineer want to do with a heart related club? So let's dive into the short interview conducted with him which he has agreed to let me share.
Homayra (founder): Hi Abdullah, Thank you for applying to be part of hope for hearts executive team 2020-2021. In light of COVID and your engineering background, what made you interested in this role?
Abdullah: Hi Homayra. Something that I learned in Engineering is to keep an open mind when considering jobs. Engineering is a broad field and for me even though I did my undergrad in mechanical engineering, I have a passion for working in healthcare and even worked in St. Joseph's Hospital. I specialize in design and project management. However, something that I have always done well in is communication with others which is how I landed the job in St. Joseph's Hospital; talking to nurses and building rapport and connections with those in the healthcare industry.
Even now, I am looking to get my foot into the door to combine my interest in healthcare and my passion for management engineering which is why I decided to apply to Hope for Hearts.
Homayra (Founder): That is so nice to hear Abdullah. I feel like our roles should be switched! What skills can you bring into hope for hearts and how do you plan on using them to help us create a better group dynamic?
Abdullah: After hearing about the experiences Hope for Hearts had in its executive team, I knew a management consultant is something that would be highly beneficial. Since I have developed conflict resolution skills from my previous job, I also have teamwork leadership skills and problem solving skills which I have acquired through previous leadership experience as a general secretary for Peforming Arts Society. Actually, I have an idea already after reviewing the structure of your executives how I can help you manage your team to encourage less group think and explore creativity. Creativity is another skillset I have acquired through my design engineering background which is transferable to your club as your aim is to fundraise for congenital heart defects.
In light of COVID, most appointments and meetings will probably be online and this can cause exhaustion for a president when multiple execs are reporting to one person. I believe I can consult you on matters to help expand your leadership as well as improve my knowledge of the healthcare field.
Homayra: Thank you so much Abdullah. I have learned so much from our conversation. Non profit clubs are difficult to start and manage and I definitely felt exhausted. Most of my team members had similar leadership experience as me so we did not have much advice on where to go or how to resolve group conflict. I think having diversity in an executive team is so important and listening to others opinions is something I learned the value of after taking 4LB3 Leadership & Management.
Abdullah: Yes, and one thing I would like to add is Its okay if the leader is still developing in their role, that's where a management consultant can help. We are shifting away from the 'grandfather approach' and moving more towards a hierarchy that is flexible. where presidents can seek help from their VP's and VP's can advise the president without feeling an authoritarian approach. This is essential in healthcare as we know it is patient centered and this approach is also already successful in the engineering field so I'd love to bridge the gap.
Homayra: Abdullah we from Hope for Hearts are grateful to have you. I hope the MSU sees the value in management consultant positions like these and I hope other clubs will gain some insight as well!
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