What A Managing Director At Street Soccer USA Wishes They Knew Before Non-Profit Work
Lisa wishes someone had told them that the role of Managing Director is "never ending" and involves significantly more administrative and maintenance tasks than direct engagement with the organization's mission, such as coaching or event hosting; while less "fun" than doing, these responsibilities like budgeting and grant writing are essential for leadership and supporting the team.
Leadership, Management, Administrative Tasks, Career Progression, Work-Life Balance
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Lisa Wrightsman
Managing Director
Street Soccer USA
Sacramento State
Communications
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. The role involves a significant amount of administrative and maintenance work, including tasks like budgeting, receipts, and planning, which may be less enjoyable than direct involvement in activities like coaching or event hosting.
2. Advancement to higher leadership positions often entails taking on more responsibilities that are detail-oriented and administrative in nature, such as grant writing and paperwork, which may not be as initially appealing.
3. While direct engagement in fun and exciting activities is possible at lower levels, higher-level roles require prioritizing the support and setup of others, necessitating a shift in focus towards enabling the team's success through planning and resource allocation.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
What I wish I knew before is that it's never ending. The difference as a manager or director is that today I have more tasks that are less fun. These tasks are administrative and maintenance.
It's about making sure everyone else has what they need to do the things we're doing. This could be coaching or playing, or hosting an event. In the early days of this chapter, when it was just me, I got to do all of those things. I was also doing everything I planned, and I thought that was really fun.
Today, I think it's more important that I do things to set up other people. That isn't always fun. It's budget stuff, receipts, and planning. I don't enjoy planning; I like doing.
So, it's a lot of planning and more paperwork than I would prefer. Grant writing is an important thing to do and to learn, though I don't love it. There's a lot of admin work to this role.
I have to build up my tolerance for it because there are more fun and exciting aspects that I could do if I wanted to stay at that level. But to go up to a higher level, do more leadership, and get paid a little more, those are generally the responsibilities that come with it. They are the ones that are a little less fun and a little more detail-oriented, but important.
Advizer Personal Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-wrightsman-b8253b38/, @lisa.wrightsman, @streetsoccersac, @up_ssusa_park