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Plugging the Mission Gap Smith Faculty Develops New Paradigm for Nonprofit Strategic Planning
“I've always been preoccupied with the question of how we can take the best ideas of business and apply them in the nonprofit sector,” Sheehan said. Sheehan is currently the academic director of the Smith School's Executive MBA Program, and has devoted his entire career thus far to working in and researching the nonprofit sector. “Nonprofits are mission-driven, but also have the edge of business,” he said. “You can actually fail, so you need to figure out how to make money. This is why all things - marketing, finance, operations - are important.” As a PhD student at The Ohio State University, his dissertation focused on organizational performance and how the concept relates to the nonprofit sector. If you don't understand how to measure performance, he said, then there's no way to do strategic or any other planning. Sheehan's 2010 book, Mission Impact: Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, aims to provide a new paradigm for strategic planning in nonprofits. In it, he summarizes 30 years of learning--which have included eighteen years as a CEO of two national nonprofits, scholarly research, and consulting experience. “I see myself as an interpreter,” he said. “I dive in to the research, but translate and help nonprofit executives answer the 'so what' question.” As a researcher and consultant, he has helped many organizations and executives clarify their sometimes 'fuzzy' ideas about performance. He currently has an article under review that aims to be to academics what the book is to practitioners-an explanation of the new paradigm for figuring out what an organization's mission gap is, and designing a strategy to fulfill that gap. A terrific example of 'getting it right' is the North Texas Food Bank, Sheehan said. The organization has a solid handle on measuring what it calls the 'meal gap' - which really allows it to tailor its performance and have a transformative impact on the community. Another long time interest of Sheehan's, as evident in his work with the EMBA program, is in leadership development. As CEO of both LeaderShape, Inc., and the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity & Educational Foundation, Sheehan implemented leadership development programs-not as common in the nonprofit sector, but very obviously related to performance. “Ideas of leadership development really cross all sectors, and that is the aspect of the Executive MBA program that particularly inspires me,” Sheehan said. Sheehan, who joined the Smith School in 2003, has spent the past six years as the academic director of the EMBA program. The program has flourished under his leadership and currently ranks 15th in the U.S. and 22nd in the world, according to recently published rankings in the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, respectively. He is proud of the accomplishments, he said, but is looking to continue to improve with the support of a faculty and staff that isn't content to rest on their laurels. “I've always believed my purpose in life is to make a difference,” he said. “The question is where do I place myself to make the most difference.” Sheehan, who lives in College Park, is an avid sports fan and cheers for his hometown and college teams of Pittsburgh and Ohio State. Related Links: Dr. Sheehan's book reviewed on Chronicle of Philanthropy blog.
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To many people, the nonprofit and private sectors are
entirely separate entities with their own challenges. But to Rob
Sheehan, there are many lessons that can be applied across
sectors, many
strategies that can be effective when properly implemented. 
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WINTER 2011 |