Gabriela Rodriguez

South Texas College

Management Theory ORGL 4351-Dr. Romeo Benavidez
Final Paper Artifact

Many small and non-profit organizations deal with trying to keep employees and teams
motivated with a minimal budget. The leaders in such organizations then have to think of ways
to keep the productivity and motivation going without monetary rewards. It is such situations in
organizations like head start programs that survive on federal monies. These programs must
demonstrate quality of services to continue receiving the grants they survive on, without creating
strain for their employees. They find unique ways to become excellent providers while
remaining small.
A leaders focus is to lead and inspire employees that will carry out the organizations
goals. Leaders emphasize making work meaningful by connecting employees individual needs,
goals and experiences. Effective leaders execute strategies, for example they might choose to
offer praise and freedom to expand employees ideas and bring their own collaboration in to
work. The leaders of the head start program in our area have been able to motivate the
employees regardless of the organizations wealth and have continued to serve children for many
years. For example, teachers have the freedom to utilize curriculums that best fit the needs of the
children to their advantage. The program counts with different curriculums including a music
curriculum that teachers enjoy using with their students. Since organizations that barely survive
take a toll on employees morale, leaders must try to shift behaviors that will have better
outcomes. It can become a risk when the employees do not earn enough and work for agencies
that can barely survive on federal funds provided. (Meuris, 2015) Therefore management must
make sure that the morale of the staff does not fall so deep that the organization might lose staff.
At the head start center I worked, when the leaders provided positive attitudes and mentoring, the
staff reacted well to the basic needs that were always available but were taken for granted. The
employees in return feel safety and security knowing that while the rewards budget may be low,

their jobs are stable as they are high performing and producing. It is equally important as many
people look forward to receiving bonuses and commission, but when these do not exist, the win
is autonomy. The organization is always ready to offer additional motivators like recognition
and attention, and is able to recognize individual differences and to be flexible to their desires.
Another aspect that small organizations must deal with aside from inspiring the team, is
funding. The agency has a certain level of responsibility to the federal government to prove that
the head start centers are functioning well and are needed in the community. This is when real
teamwork, responsibility and accountability come in. The leaders and the staff come together
and evaluate all aspects of the program according to standards and policies and procedures.
They conduct checks and fix any discrepancies. Leaders many times connect with other
organizations to build interagency collaborations to build the organization up. (Wrobel, 2012) In
our community, the head start program built a relationship with the school district to utilize
unused buildings for their centers at a low cost. In return, the ISD in helping the community by
fostering the centers these children, future ISD students, so desperately need. While the ISD
provides them with a building, the agency responds to the gesture by maintaining the buildings
and additional costs. Since the program and the school district have this connection, the leaders
of both must also have a relationship based on respect and accountability. Between these
inspiring leaders in our community, they have been very effective in leading both their teams.
These type of organizations that rely heavily on federal monies to survive, come up with
strategies to make it the best it can be. For instance, they train well the employees in areas such
as customer service. Although it may not be selling a particular item, it does need to keep
families content for enrollment and consequently funding. Therefore, staff is always ready and
willing to serve the customers, children and families. In addition to the training, the program has

a clear mission statement that provides the basis to follow. Staff have a clear view of what the
agencys goal are and can be confident when they are following these. The program also strives
to make a positive impact in the community by advertising and campaigning thus creating a
permanent niche. They also create fostering relationships with their clients. There is nothing
better that free advertisement like mouth to mouth promotion about the program especially when
little or no budget is available for advertising. By creating good relationships with the parents
and the children, they are always willing to come back in the future or to recommend the
program. For the leaders that work within these programs, it is especially important for them to
keep clear records of funds to avoid running into financial troubles that jeopardize the program.
They are held to the highest standard when it comes to ethics since these special programs must
utilize their funding wisely. When these leaders maintain authentic characteristic, the staff will
be more trusting of them and will trust the program is secure. (Wang, 2011)
It is necessary for small organizations to be inspirational, to be up to standards, and to be
transparent for the possibility of survival. Leaders that know how to motivate the staff, get the
results they need. Thanks to the head start system, in return the community also gets benefits
from having these programs that enrich childrens lives. With transparent leaders, programs
continue to work effectively without the risk of losing out on necessary funds.

References

Wrobel, S. L. (2012). FROM THREAT TO OPPORTUNITY: A HEAD START PROGRAM'S

RESPONSE TO STATE-FUNDED PRE-K. Journal Of Health & Human Services
Administration, 35(1), 74-105
Meuris, J., & Leana, C. R. (2015). The high cost of low wages: Economic scarcity effects in
organizations. Research In Organizational Behavior, 35143-158. doi:10.1016/j.riob.2015.07.001
Bird, J. J., & Chuang, W. (2011). AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP AND BUDGET-BUILDING:
SUPERINTENDENTS REVEAL ORIGINS, STRATEGIES, AND CONNECTIONS. Academy
Of Educational Leadership Journal, 15(3), 143-159