Grant Writing & Program Development

Creative Edge Consulting

www.CreativeEdgeConsulting.org

Back in my earlier career span, I was frequently referred to as a professional cheerleader, a dynamo, and, even, sometimes, Superwoman. I was a mover of people and mountains, accomplishing many tasks that were unrealistic from the get-go in terms of staffing limitations, funding, and time. But, somehow, I made things happen.

Of course, doing so required 90-100 hours of work a week, intense levels of daily stress, and unfairly placing that same pressure on my staff. For that, I offer this public apology to each and every one of them.

An earlier personally-penned article discussed management styles and creating an effective and enthusiastic workforce. Today, I want to talk about the non-profit leader’s need for balance and breathing.

I think it is pretty common for a project to take on a life of its own, somewhat ruling our lives for a time, pushing other aspects of human existence to the back-burner. Behaving this way, however, can jeopardize personal relationships, health, and general well-being if it is a constant way of life. For many non-profit leaders, it becomes so.

Recently, I took on a new customer that is starting up a residential program in Maryland for persons with disabilities. It just so happens that this type of programming is what I used to do prior to becoming a consultant, which made me a good choice for these folks. I absolutely function and serve at “expert” level in this area of non-profit operations.

Meanwhile, from the beginning, these individuals kept pushing for deadlines that verged on fantasy, wanting a complete package of policies and procedures developed in 3 to 5 days. “Not gonna happen,” I kept telling them, as early as my bid letter to the project posting on Guru.com.

For clarification purposes, this project is a cumbersome one, requiring intensive investigation of both state and federal regulations and statutes that are even more complex than when I did this as a program administrator. In fact, with new federal funding involvement, the “system” is quite different from when I departed from the disabilities field, a change-over that was starting at the time I left that type of work. It doesn’t help that the requirements for each policy are scattered all over the web, not provided in a user-friendly regulation base. So, let’s just say that while this project is fully within my expertise, it is one of the most challenging projects I have accepted in the last three years.

Further, to emphasize the importance of “getting it right,” this group will not be accepted as a new provider without satisfactory policies on about 40 different topics, to start. And, for even greater clarity in this article, this project was not due by a specific date on the part of the State of Maryland. The deadlines established were and are solely that of this new provider agency that started this process two years ago and is now ready to bring it to fruition.

I tried to explain to this particular CEO that writing his policies and procedures was not a quick process and that one does not just sit down and whip out the materials. Yes, a substantial part of this involves my personal background, expertise, and deep understanding of the philosophical frameworks required. But, it additionally takes research, substantial thought, and a real heightened concentration level. Policies are also interconnected, so a first draft of one may look different once you develop other topic areas, especially as new statues and regulations are detected along the way that require modification or additions to drafts previously considered finals.

I think you get my point.

Still, this fellow kept calling each day asking when he would get the next section, and reminding me, over and over, what a financial burden this project was to him and his family. Each time he said, “We’ll be done with this by Friday, right?” I would gently remind him that we would not.

Struggling with recovery from my own co-dependent tendencies, (and doing much better these days, thank you very much!), I discovered that the intense pushing and stress involved in trying to make these people happy was affecting my even keel. This becomes a boundaries issue, and whenever possible, needs to be addressed and reframed. (It has been.)

About a month ago, I started acupuncture to better deal with my stress levels and the physical pain I live with that is a direct result of the tension I carry with me every day. It surely is an outcome of years and years of this go-go-go attitude without making the time for release, rejuvenation, and deeper spiritual thought.

I was explaining to my acupuncture practitioner, Diane, about my particular emotional and physical state that morning, and how this new customer’s expectations and behavior had throw me a little off center. As always, she quickly helped me reach my place of greater inner calm, and she also told me a great story.

She started by reminding me that I use certain tools for my trade and that I, myself, am an asset that needs to be protected. While I am well aware of the need for personally-forced time off from work, watching the grass grow and squirrels play, and periodic shutting out of the world, I suppose we all need someone to point it out when we are allowing others to define our life flow. I, for one, have always busted my butt to meet the deadlines others established, usually to find, after the fact, that the deadlines were actually not real deadlines at all. They were self-imposed ones that placed a truly harsh burden on someone whose work is quite depleting of personal energy reserves, dependent on task.

The point is that it never serves an organization well to write anything when concentration levels are shot for the day. Just as we need food to nourish our bodies, we also need stillness, peace, and rest to function at our best. Creativity and analytical thinking are also compromised with fatigue and undue pressure to produce products that are not an easy or quick fix. Forcing this process with time constraints in mind rather than realistic attitudes about how such content is truly developed will only result in lesser quality of final outcomes. Indeed, especially when one charges clients by the hour, the only ethically responsible thing to do when you reach your personal limit for the day is to walk away from the computer. Staring at the screen without clarity is hardly productive or cost-effective.

Meanwhile, I see non-profit leaders work constantly, like I sometimes do and certainly used to do back in the day. It reminds me of something someone once said to me about the number of hours worked not equating, necessarily, with productivity or efficacy. I embrace that concept more than ever before.

So, as I close this article, I will share with you the story told to me by my acupuncturist, Diane. She referred to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey, but, as usual, put her own spin on it all. The story, which is about a woodcutter, goes something like this:

There were two woodcutters, each building a house. Every day, they would see each other performing their craft, but one of the woodcutters would leave at various parts of the day while the other continued diligently building his home.

The hardworking woodcutter, who seemed to work around the clock, was perplexed when the other announced one day that he had just finished building his house.

He said, “How is it possible that you finished before me? I saw how many breaks you took each day.”

The other replied, “Work goes quicker when you take the time to sharpen your saw.”

In relationship to protecting our greatest asset and making work most productive, you and I both need to make time for the other parts of our lives that sustain us. For me, individually, that is a combination of spiritual journey, cultivating and nurturing interpersonal relationships, and taking better care of my physical vessel.

I also honor my creativity and Muse, or absence thereof on any given day, allowing this, as much as is possible, to dictate the hours I work. Sometimes that may mean I have the energy and focus to put in 16 hours in a day. Others, it might be only 4. Some days, I may decide I need to watch the birds instead since my head is simply not in the game. I’ve also started to require myself to take weekends off…though… hmm…it is Saturday that I am writing this article. Like you, I am a work in progress! J Still, the Muse called and I answered.

Now, not everyone has the ability within their particular work structure to establish the deadlines they will accept, the hours or days they work, or the amount of time they can take off when their being is crying out for it. If you can, you must. Being at your best requires deliberate attention to self-care. And, the better care you take, the better your human services contribution.

In my case, my life is more abundant than ever, even in the midst of this surrender to my other needs. Final products for my customers, I’ll add, are the best materials I have ever written and program development is highly creative, innovative, and funding worthy.

Have you sharpened your saw lately?

About the Author: Mary E. Costello holds a BA degree in Social Work from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She is a former Social Work Administrator who specialized in the management of complex human services programs and leading new projects creation. Forming Creative Edge Consulting in February of 2005, she now is the “resident expert” on grant writing and non-profit program development issues on the Boys Project website, a sponsored project of the University of Alaska/Fairbanks. She serves clients throughout the United States, including both community based programs and those of national scope. Programmatic and grant related questions or inquiries regarding her professional line of services may be directed to MaryCostello@CreativeEdgeConsulting.org. Mary will attempt to answer all general questions from the public but cannot guarantee a personal response, dependent on volume of requests at any given time.

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