2017 Annual Report impact leadershiproundtable.org From the CEO At the publication of this make them function. They need money, which requires careful annual report, I have had stewardship. If any places in our society deserve to be guided by the privilege of serving as best management and leadership practices, it is our churches, so the new CEO of Leadership that their life-essential mission can be magnified. Roundtable for eight months. Why did I embark on this As I’ve traveled across the US and to Rome to meet with service? When I think about supporters, members of the dioceses we serve, and the Church what gives me joy and leaders whom we humbly aim to support, I’ve listened intently consolation in life, two things to what Leadership Roundtable means to people. What have we come to mind: belonging and given them, and what do they seek from us? serving others, “the least I HAVE HEARD: among us”. And then I think • Leadership Roundtable to be a responsive, of the Church and what it We can trust powerful partner – one that maintains and leverages a is. For most of us, parish life network of networks to strengthen the Church. is central: and a parish is a community where we belong, • We are delighted that Leadership Roundtable is equipping give and receive, and are lay people to offer their expertise within the Church. sustained to go forth and serve God and one another. • We are confident that Leadership Roundtable knows the Healthy, vibrant parishes are no different from other institutions Church and can guide dioceses, orders and organizations to or organizations in that they need care. They need leaders integrate best management and leadership practices in who are equipped and supported, and many hands and feet to service of the Church’s mission. We are currently working on our next 3-year strategic plan. As we build upon a decade of service, we are responding to the call: 1. 2. 3. to deepen our impact by focusing our to widen our impact by extending to further commit to measuring programs and services on “deep and our reach across the United States, and sharing the “game-changing” lasting change” in dioceses and orders. supporting best Church management impact of implementing management Our engagements are becoming more practices in Rome, and responding and leadership best practices — an comprehensive in nature, so that best to international requests to learn impact that is felt at the diocesan and practices will be deeply rooted in a from Leadership Roundtable’s model parish levels, by Church leaders and Catholic organization’s culture after and programs; parishioners, and in the communities we are gone; they serve. IN THIS REPORT, we describe some of the steps we have taken over the past year in view of these goals. We thank you warmly for your prayers and your support. May we all use our gifts to help the Church live out the fullness of its calling! Kim Smolik Ed.D., CEO LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE promotes best practices and accountability in the management, finances, communications, and human resources development of the Catholic Church in the U.S., including greater incorporation of the expertise of the laity. From the Board Chair 2016 was another Growth has also involved updating how we communicate great year for our identity, developing new marketing strategies, and hiring Leadership additional staff to meet demand. All of these steps have required Roundtable. I have us to expand our financial footing, a challenge that our new CEO been gratified to Dr. Kim Smolik is attacking aggressively. An important part of see our organization this expansion is in earned revenue, which we have increased grow by deepening by over 225% compared to 2015. Additionally, growth means and widening its carefully nurturing the transition of our board membership to a engagements – new generation. Lastly, the board approved exploration in view of exactly what the global outreach. Church leaders from several nations have invited board called for several years ago during a thorough strategic us to help set up Leadership Roundtable-like organizations in and organizational review. At the time, the board anticipated the their countries, and we’ve asked Kerry Robinson to explore global current increased demand for our services and identified ways opportunities for growth. Kim Smolik is leading us toward the for us to adapt from the organization launched in 2006 to what future in all these dimensions. Leadership Roundtable is called to be today. We believe now, as we did from our start, that good managerial Deepening our engagements has meant helping dioceses, practices are a lampstand from which the Light of Christ can parishes, and other Catholic organizations map out long-term shine. Thanks to each of you for helping us help those who lead strategies to implement lasting, deep-rooted best managerial our Church. practices. Over 20 dioceses are now on this path. Widening our engagements has meant responding to more requests for our help, in conjunction with a number of partners. We have now touched over three-quarters of the dioceses in the United Jim Dubik Ph.D., Board Chair States, and a good number of other Catholic organizations, Retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army including seminaries. LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE 415 Michigan Ave. NE, Suite 275 | Washington, DC 20017 | [email protected] | 202-635-5820 | leadershiproundtable.org 1 “ Three-fourths of all of our pastors and parish life coordinators have said that they lack financial and leadership training. We also have over 300 lay ecclesial ministers serving in our parishes. As a result, most of our pastors and parish life coordinators are finding out that they are now supervisors.Many of them feel very unprepared for this change of role.” This was 2014. With these words, diocesan administrator Msgr. William Stumpf explained some of the reasons why the Archdiocese of Indianapolis chose to partner with Leadership Roundtable. We worked closely with the archdiocesan leadership team to assess needs and create a three-year roadmap, entitled Empowering Pastoral Leaders for Excellence in Parish Leadership and Management. 2 EMPOWERING PASTORAL LEADERS: Our Partnership with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis What did the With the plan fully underway by 2016, Archdiocese want last year was a transformative one! to achieve? • 109 priests who are moderators 33 lay pastoral leaders and deacons Its goals included having, of culture and practice in the completed a mini-Toolbox program. Archdiocese attended a Convocation A Toolbox for a third cohort is within three years’ time: of Priests. Leadership Roundtable’s scheduled for 2017, with archdiocesan 1. financially literate pastoral clergy leadership adviser, Fr. Paul staff participating in delivery of the servant-leaders with solid Holmes, gave the keynote addresses. program - again, evidence that best managerial, fundraising, and practices are taking hold at a deep • Archbishop Tobin and 41 of his key stewardship skills; level in Indianapolis! ordained and lay leaders participated in the Catholic Leadership 360 • 17 archdiocesan and parish staff 2. a diocesan office equipped to program. 60 more participants are were trained in the Catholic Stan- build the capacity of parishes to scheduled to attend in 2017 and dards for Excellence. They are fulfill the Church’s mission; 2018. Leadership Roundtable trained now committed to implementing best 18 leaders in the Archdiocese to practices in business administration. 3. collaborative ordained-lay participate in delivering the program • Leadership Roundtable arranged a leadership, with lay leaders - so they now have the capacity for partnership between the Lake Institute whose managerial competencies ongoing leadership development. complement those of the ordained. and the Archdiocese’s stewardship and • 19 priests completed the Toolbox development office. Parish leaders are for Pastoral Management learning how to create “Cultures of program and gained essential skills. Generosity.” How did the Archdiocese launch such a powerful, multifaceted, far-reaching program? > It didn’t happen overnight. We’ll tell the story in stages. 3 A 6-STAGE MODEL for Fully Implementing Best Management Practices How do we know we are making a difference, diocese or Catholic organization’s step-by-step journey and that our programs and services are towards full implementation of best practices. achieving lasting impact? This model and the metrics that accompany it can be used to assess any Catholic community’s progress. Interested In 2016, as we worked with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, in how a diocese might move through the six stages? On we expanded the metrics we use to assess outcomes. the next page, we use the model to tell the story of the We developed the following model, which summarizes a Archdiocese of Indianapolis’ journey. 6 STAGES RAISING AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR CHANGE – We know we can do better. – The journey begins when members of a Catholic community start to talk about making changes. They encounter inertia, which limits effective action. There 1 is inconsistency between how members want to MAKING A START handle management and administrative issues - such – Let’s do something! – as accounting practices, parish fundraising, HR, and The Catholic organization begins to overcome its communications - and how they actually do it. 2 inertia and address the dissonance between its current situation and its desired state of being. This may involve false starts and a variety of uncoordinated attempts at solutions. There is action, but without coherence, good communications, or a clear plan. ESTABLISHING A PLAN – We have a way forward. – The organization takes a significant leap forward: senior leaders clearly state the organization’s goals and develop 3 a comprehensive plan for achieving them. The plan includes benchmarks for progress, specific strategies, IMPLEMENTING A PLAN action steps, timelines, and accountability. – Let’s make this happen.