You’ve been working in the nonprofit sector for several years now. You’re good at what you do. Now you’re eyeing the next logical step: a management position. We talked to Mary Bean, senior manager of human resources at the Canadian Cancer Society about the questions you should be asking yourself before you grab for that next rung on the career ladder and — if you decide it’s the right move for you — what it takes to make the transition a success.

Asking the right questions

Becoming a manager involves big changes, cautions Bean, so spend some time considering whether you’ll be happy in the new role. “As a manager, your most important job is managing your staff,” she says. “With that comes a change of control.”

Are you willing to take a step back and watch others take on the front-line work you used to handle so well? If you tend to be goal oriented, making the switch from doing to coaching can prove very challenging. And because managing people is a job that’s never finished, you no longer have the satisfaction of putting a checkmark next to a completed task.

Similarly, mastering the art of management is much harder to achieve than mastering hands-on skills such as crafting a funding proposal or handling accounts payable. “You’re always managing different people in different circumstances and different environments,” says Bean, pointing out that there’s no magic book that will give you the solutions to all the possible problems you may encounter.

Managing staff isn’t for everyone, she emphasizes, so if a lack of people skills is holding you back, consider aiming for a project management position that gives you more seniority and responsibilities without the headaches of supervising others.

Before you start polishing your CV and dusting off your interview suit, take a hard look at the workload that often goes hand in hand with a management title. Just how much time are you willing to dedicate to job?

Keep in mind that unlike the corporate sector, nonprofits typically compensate you for those added hours with time in lieu, rather than extra pay. For some people, time off means the freedom to pursue outside interests. For others, however, cash in the bank account is the top priority.

“What do you value?” asks Bean. “You can’t pay the mortgage in time off. So if the mortgage payment is your number one driver, or the big bonus is your number one driver, you’re in the wrong place. Each person has to consider what drives them and what they need or want.”

Equipping yourself for success

If you’ve decided that a management role is right for you, the next step is to acquire the skills to succeed. As well as being able to manage people, it’s also important to know how to communicate with stakeholders and colleagues, keep projects and budgets on track and work effectively as part of a management team.

From time to time, says Bean, you also need to respectfully challenge the status quo in order to move the organization forward — and have the judgment to know when influencing change is or isn’t possible.

While there are a host of professional development workshops and online courses to help you broaden your skill set, nothing beats hands-on experience. The more successes and failures you have to draw on, the better equipped you are to tackle the next challenge that lands on your desk.

“These aren’t just innate gifts people have,” Bean explains. “These are skills that are learned.”

So how do you go about gaining them? Especially in smaller organizations, there may be few opportunities for management training or advancement. For example, the 2007 U.S. Ready to Lead? survey found that only four per cent of respondents were explicitly being groomed for top leadership.

Bean suggests asking for additional responsibilities even if they aren’t tied to a change in title. Perhaps you could manage one aspect of a project or one budget line. Volunteer to sit on a hiring committee, provide informal mentoring or make a presentation at the next board meeting or public event.

There are also lots of opportunities outside the workplace. Team endeavours — whether it’s sports, choir or amateur theatre — are an excellent way to improve those all-important people skills, while volunteering on another organization’s board of directors or joining a local committee can provide valuable insights and experience.

Finally, don’t be afraid to look elsewhere for your next step up the career ladder. “You may need to exit the organization to come back to it later,” says Bean. “I do see that, even in larger organizations.” Indeed, it’s far more common for nonprofit organizations to hire senior leaders from outside rather than promote internally, according to the U.S.-based Bridgespan Group.

The good news is that opportunities should be plentiful. The Bridgespan Group predicts that by 2015, the nonprofit sector in the U.S. will need 80,000 new senior managers each year, a jump of 40 per cent over current levels.

Excelling in your new role

Once you’ve got the job, don’t be afraid to reach out for support as you navigate the challenges of your new role. Nothing beats having a group of peers willing to share their experiences, provide a broader perspective and keep you up-and-up on the latest sector developments.

While managers are often reluctant to admit when they’ve run into problems, talking to colleagues can be the best way to solve issues, says Bean.

In bigger organizations, your fellow managers and the human resources department are an obvious resource. No one to turn to internally? Connect with others in similar positions outside your organization, suggests Bean, whether that’s through a professional organization, a LinkedIn group, or by making personal contacts at events and conferences.

Mentors — formal or informal — can also be invaluable sources of wisdom, connections and advice. In British Columbia, you can take advantage of the Voluntary Sector Knowledge Network’s “Ask A Mentor” service.

Bypassing burnout

As you grapple with the workload of your new position, keep in mind that burnout is a real danger in the nonprofit sector, where the needs you’re trying to address rarely go away. While longer hours may be part of the job, you can minimize stress by choosing working arrangements that suit you best.

Are you happy staying late at the office if it means you can forget about work once you walk out the door? Or do you prefer to leave earlier but spend an hour or two with your Blackberry or laptop catching up after the kids are in bed?

Ultimately you’ll need to pace yourself for long-term success — and that means knowing where to draw the line. “Put realistic parameters around the work that could be done,” says Bean. “It’s important to know what your limitations are.”

Julie Stauffer is a Guelph-based freelance writer with extensive experience in the nonprofit sector.