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 people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Reading management books like The First 90 Days and The Packer Way
- 2Independently auditing finances and inventory instead of relying on the inherited team
- 3Connecting with peer support groups like ED Happy Hour or trade associations
- 4Taking extra time to study accounting and operational terms
- 5Asking online communities for book recommendations and starting frameworks
- 6Using simple workforce segmentation worksheets for skill needs and build-buy-automate options
- 7Relying on professional association resources like SHRM workforce planning guides
- 8Looking for local monthly lunches or in-person peer cohorts
- 9Checking state nonprofit associations or local community foundations
- 10Joining paid organizations like the Nonprofit Leadership Lab
- 11Searching Facebook groups such as Nonprofit Happy Hour
- 12checking backups, hardware, and documentation first
- 13learning office politics before attempting to change anything
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“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 ↗
“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 ↗
“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 ↗
“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 ↗
“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
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