{"id":1830,"date":"2020-11-07T22:46:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-08T03:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/panl\/?post_type=cu-stories&#038;p=1830"},"modified":"2021-04-06T14:04:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T18:04:19","slug":"surviving-founders-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"cu-stories","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/panl\/story\/surviving-founders-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Survive Founder&#8217;s Syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Prof PANL,<\/p>\n<p>I work for an organization in which the founder is still very involved.\u00a0It\u2019s clear that this person\u00a0has a strong influence over decisions and actions &#8212; and makes it almost impossible for anything creative and new to happen. How can we move forward as an organization without denying the founder\u2019s vital contributions?\u00a0What can we do?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;Feeling Stifled<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Dear Feeling Stifled,<\/p>\n<p>While I\u2019m not a real doctor, I can offer you a diagnosis: Founder\u2019s Syndrome. It seems to me that your founder doesn\u2019t know how and when to let go. The main problem is that there\u2019s no succession plan. Some founders can become micromanagers, politicize relationships with staff members (particularly with long-time staff), and can avoid adapting to changing times. The core problem with Founder\u2019s Syndrome is the stifling of innovation and creativity within the organization. Don\u2019t feel too special, though, non-founder-led organizations can exhibit the same pathology with long-term staff and board members. Don\u2019t be too quick to push out founders! <a href=\"https:\/\/nonprofitquarterly.org\/rediagnosing-founder-s-syndrome-moving-beyond-stereotypes-to-improve-nonprofit-performance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Research shows<\/a> they\u2019re more likely to review their missions and maintain a high level of board engagement, compared to than non-founder-led organizations.<\/p>\n<p>What to do? Clarify the roles and responsibilities of board members and staff. This will draw a clear chain of command. In other words, good fences make good neighbours. Need inspiration? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.muttart.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Developing-Job-Descriptions-2008.pdf\">Here&#8217;s one of my favourite workbooks<\/a> on writing board job descriptions.<\/p>\n<p>You could also strategically involve the founder in a meaningful project where their skills and passion can be harnessed positively. We younglings tend to forget that people were here before us and that we\u2019re directly benefiting from their hard labour. Recognize your founder\u2019s contributions. This will allow you to jumpstart the delicate conversation on succession and transition. Ultimately, remember that the founder wants the organization to succeed beyond them.<\/p>\n<p>Best,<\/p>\n<p>Prof P.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Photo is courtesy of Clay Banks and Unsplash.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-bttn u-text-transform-u u-text-align-c\"><a class=\"c-bttn__link\" href=\"http:\/\/eepurl.com\/hdJ0J5\">Sign up for PANL Perspectives&#039; free, monthly newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It seems to me that your founder doesn\u2019t know how and when to let go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"story-topics":[16,14],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Survive Founder&#039;s Syndrome | PANL Perspectives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" 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