How to handle HR and finance without any specialist support
Moving from a large organization into a lean executive role strips away departments like HR, finance, and marketing, forcing leaders to handle operational tasks entirely on their own. Without in-house experts, leaders struggle with unfamiliar responsibilities like accounting, which makes the transition overwhelming if they lack prior preparation in those areas.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 83.8× more often in r/nonprofit than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Reading management books like The First 90 Days and The Packer WayDid this help you?
- 2Independently auditing finances and inventory instead of relying on the inherited teamDid this help you?
- 3Connecting with peer support groups like ED Happy Hour or trade associationsDid this help you?
- 4Taking extra time to study accounting and operational termsDid this help you?
- 5Asking online communities for book recommendations and starting frameworksDid this help you?
- 6Using simple workforce segmentation worksheets for skill needs and build-buy-automate optionsDid this help you?
- 7Relying on professional association resources like SHRM workforce planning guidesDid this help you?
- 8Looking for local monthly lunches or in-person peer cohortsDid this help you?
- 9Checking state nonprofit associations or local community foundationsDid this help you?
- 10Joining paid organizations like the Nonprofit Leadership LabDid this help you?
- 11Searching Facebook groups such as Nonprofit Happy HourDid this help you?
- 12checking backups, hardware, and documentation firstDid this help you?
- 13learning office politics before attempting to change anythingDid this help you?
- 14Taking on additional responsibility outside the scope of the position to further the organizationDid this help you?
- 15Recommending candidates directly to board officersDid this help you?
- 16Implementing a lightweight change request habit via email to document scope changes and their impact on timelines.Did this help you?
- 17Delaying immediate agreement by telling stakeholders you need to check the timeline impact first.Did this help you?
- 18Sitting down with team members to explicitly set expectations and transfer accountability.Did this help you?
- 19Having a direct conversation with management to offload technical work to focus on leading.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Im gonna be taking over as an first time IT-Manager with a team of 4, potentially growing to 6. Nobody above me. Last guy did go by himself about 2 months ago. Any advice?”source ↗
“Now I'm leading three people while still being a full-time technical contributor.”source ↗
“I'm overwhelmed because I'm learning technical skills, leadership, stakeholder management, and project delivery simultaneously, mostly through trial and error. I don't have a mentor or someone experienced I can regularly turn to for guidance.”source ↗
“learn the politics before you change anything, 3 years in and nobody above you means you're gonna be the shield for your team whether you like it or not”source ↗
“One of my biggest struggles is establishing accountability within my team. I assign tasks, but often have to repeatedly follow up for updates, remind them of basic responsibilities, and sometimes redo their work because the quality isn't there.”source ↗
“Following. In similar boat. Was senior in team, unofficially team lead but no management responsibilities. Now lumped with Manager/Director as they got rid of the middle management, with direct reports, while supposedly having to manage customer relationships, new business and also technical delivery.”source ↗
“I used to plan my day around my technical deadlines, but now, even when I plan everything out, the additional responsibilities keep pushing my own work back.”source ↗
“Are there any online support groups for EDs/CEOs? I’m new to this role and would love some kind of online group to join.”source ↗
“I’m still in my first year and loving this job but I don’t know how sustainable this level of intensity is.”source ↗
“We've been without an ED for 3 months now. The board never installed an interim and has essentially just let the place operate on its own without leadership (which has caused many, many issues).”source ↗
“I was alerted by someone close to the process that a pure AI screen was utilized to pick the finalists, and my contact was not selected.”source ↗
“the environment here has taken its toll, and I find myself more emotional than at any point in the last 20 years of working in nonprofits”source ↗
“Especially if you’ve moved from a role with a lot of specialist support, like HR and Finance, to a role without that expertise in-house.”source ↗
“Always interested in connecting with peers, in spaces where no one is selling anything.”source ↗
“I don’t need coaching, lol. I want to meet and discus shared experiences with my peers.”source ↗
“Wow following. Support group is exactly what we need lol.”source ↗
“I did this same thing.. going from a large Community Action Agency with HR, Finance, Marketing, etc. Left the industry for a few years to be a stay at home dad and then took an ED position at a 3-person org with none of that support.”source ↗
“Accounting is not my thing. If I had to do it over again, I would have spent a little more time studying accounting terms and whatnot.”source ↗
“I'm a relatively new ED who would love something similar.”source ↗
“This. I am so sick of “experts” offering to coach me.”source ↗
“I’m in a new workforce role within my org/department. The role straddles between strategy and “architect”, where I’ll need to partner with the org leaders on what the right workforce mix is... I’m rather new to this so I’m wondering if there are helpful books or courses that can help inspire me with frameworks to get things started.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to transition to HR roles without direct experience
- 3How to advance a technical career without going into management
- 8How do you transition out of a generalist IT management role?
- 2What skills do you need to move into HR leadership?
- 2How do I keep my technical skills sharp while in management?
- 27How to handle too much work without project engineers or coordinators