Over the last 10 years, Our House has experienced 500% growth in the number of clients served daily, with programs for children and families the biggest driver of this growth. The changes that our organization has undergone have required many different skills from our managers. I’ve had to adjust my recruitment and people development strategies accordingly. However, I generally look for leaders who are positive, optimistic and entrepreneurial as Our House continues to grow at a rapid pace.
My most successful supervisors see the strengths in their team members and are able to pull out the best qualities in those around them. I have high expectations of my managers and in turn, they have high expectations of their teams. We are constantly asking ourselves, “How can we make more of an impact on more people more efficiently?” There is urgency to the work of getting homeless people into jobs and homes, so we are always pushing each other for a very good reason. Being pushed can either be crushing or motivating for an employee. I look for managers who can make the push feel positive.
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