Maggie Klonsky, Board President, We Stories
At first, it seemed it was just differences in opinion, a little office politics here, a little power
positioning there. But after a while, it was clear what they had on their hands was a failure to
communicate. There was a deep chasm in work styles and philosophies between the two founders
— and it left unresolved it would leave the organization vulnerable to collapse.
“We were close to shutting our doors. It was such spaghetti. Messy and chaotic, says Maggie
Klonsky, board president of We Stories.
“Everyone was so drained. We were actually having that conversation about whether it was best to close,” she adds.
When one of the co-founders suggested leadership coaching, though skeptical at first, Maggie
agreed and hired Marissa Q. Paine to help them sort things out.
As a fairly new nonprofit, six years into its mission, the organization didn’t yet have a firm identity nor solid board direction. Up until this point, the board worked under the direction of the founders rather than as a governing entity.
Marissa came in as a mediator and provided guidance throughout the whole process. As Maggie recalls, the messier things got, the more adaptable Marissa was. She empowered the board to reconnect to the mission and to make decisions from that place and not the interpersonal dynamic of the founders. Marissa gained the team’s trust and established her expertise by coaching and leading the board through firm yet compassionate communication.
“I don’t know if we would have survived without her. It was emotionally high stakes. Her
ability to be direct and lay things out yet provide space for the board to be emergent was
something that can easily be taken for granted,” Maggie says.
In the end, a forewarned conclusion came to pass when one founder voluntarily left the organization. This led to greater cohesion among the remaining board members and staff. After working with Marissa, the organization expanded nationally, deepened its impact in the community and now is much more sustainable.
The Shift: You have to be open to give up one’s identity and to question what you know in order to called higher and to not lose everything you have worked for. You can’t be afraid to give structure to a mess and make hard decisions not rooted in emotion but in the best interest of the organization.