Printable Version
The National Women’s
Law Center (The Center) was committed to
building a successful
development team before they hired Kris
Robinson as Vice President of Development in
1996. Robinson recalls, “The Center’s
leadership was committed to do whatever was
needed to ensure that I had the tools and
latitude I needed to build a strong
relationship with them and with a new
team. The Center’s leaders hired MAG to
help us both create a positive, successful and
lasting relationship.”
“I always talk about [the MAG consultant] as being tough and tender – able to hold a firm line when needed and really hear things when other people normally don’t,” says Robinson. “She took everything in confidence and translated it into a mature discussion while taking the emotion out of things.”
Robinson remembers how, with quiet authority, MAG guided her and the Center’s leadership during the early months of their relationship to ensure that a level of mutual trust was developing based on understanding and meeting each other’s expectations. By watching and learning how the MAG consultant talked with her supervisors, Robinson gained the confidence to begin to have these conversations herself. “MAG ended up giving me the strength to stand up for myself – building up my confidence so that I could handle tough conversations successfully by receiving coaching, and practicing with the consultant,” remembers Robinson.
“After about a year and half of working closely with the MAG consultant, a strong relationship took hold. I felt confident that I had earned my colleagues’ trust, and for the last 13 years, I have felt like they’re my surrogate family.”
At the same time, when differences in strategic approaches arose between the Center’s leaders and the development team, the MAG consultant would both directly and indirectly help navigate a successful outcome. “For example, while MAG didn’t help me write direct mail letters, if the leadership didn’t like the letter I had written, the MAG consultant would go to them and explain the rationale for certain direct mail techniques and she helped mediate until we came up with a strong and mutually acceptable appeal.”
MAG also was able to draw on its breadth of client experiences to help resolve some of these issues. “When something was uncomfortable and taking us off track, [the MAG consultant] would share her experiences with other clients and give concrete examples of how other organizations had dealt with such issues” said Robinson. “This helped ground us in realistic expectations and work past our problems to develop a successful relationship and try new ways of doing things that turned out to be very successful.”
Robinson feels that the longevity of her tenure here is probably rare for a senior development staff. She attributes the Center’s budget growth in part to her continuity with Board members, staff, and donors. “This is so much more than a job for me now. The strong relationships that have been built over time make it a joy to come to work. The job is so much more meaningful when you have a history with the donors.” Reflecting on MAG’s impact on this, Robinson says “I don’t think I would have ever believed I could enjoy my job as much as I do without MAG’s help in making sure those early years were successful.”
“I always talk about [the MAG consultant] as being tough and tender – able to hold a firm line when needed and really hear things when other people normally don’t,” says Robinson. “She took everything in confidence and translated it into a mature discussion while taking the emotion out of things.”
Robinson remembers how, with quiet authority, MAG guided her and the Center’s leadership during the early months of their relationship to ensure that a level of mutual trust was developing based on understanding and meeting each other’s expectations. By watching and learning how the MAG consultant talked with her supervisors, Robinson gained the confidence to begin to have these conversations herself. “MAG ended up giving me the strength to stand up for myself – building up my confidence so that I could handle tough conversations successfully by receiving coaching, and practicing with the consultant,” remembers Robinson.
“After about a year and half of working closely with the MAG consultant, a strong relationship took hold. I felt confident that I had earned my colleagues’ trust, and for the last 13 years, I have felt like they’re my surrogate family.”
At the same time, when differences in strategic approaches arose between the Center’s leaders and the development team, the MAG consultant would both directly and indirectly help navigate a successful outcome. “For example, while MAG didn’t help me write direct mail letters, if the leadership didn’t like the letter I had written, the MAG consultant would go to them and explain the rationale for certain direct mail techniques and she helped mediate until we came up with a strong and mutually acceptable appeal.”
MAG also was able to draw on its breadth of client experiences to help resolve some of these issues. “When something was uncomfortable and taking us off track, [the MAG consultant] would share her experiences with other clients and give concrete examples of how other organizations had dealt with such issues” said Robinson. “This helped ground us in realistic expectations and work past our problems to develop a successful relationship and try new ways of doing things that turned out to be very successful.”
Robinson feels that the longevity of her tenure here is probably rare for a senior development staff. She attributes the Center’s budget growth in part to her continuity with Board members, staff, and donors. “This is so much more than a job for me now. The strong relationships that have been built over time make it a joy to come to work. The job is so much more meaningful when you have a history with the donors.” Reflecting on MAG’s impact on this, Robinson says “I don’t think I would have ever believed I could enjoy my job as much as I do without MAG’s help in making sure those early years were successful.”