PhillyInc

PhillyInc: We’ve heard you’re a tough manager, you're quick to fire people who don’t perform. Is that true?
Scullion: (Laughing). “It’s not quite that way,. At Project H.O.M.E., it’s really a community of people that are really dedicated and committed to the mission, and in order to affect what needs to be done, you need all different kinds of skills and talents and perspectives. You just need a very diverse team of people to accomplish what needs to be done. And actually, what I feel incredibly lucky about is the people I’ve been able to work with, in particular Joan McConnon. ... When we started we didn’t have anything, only some people who were homeless and Joan and myself. We have very different skills. But that is what has helped our organizational development and growth because we have been able to attract people with different skills -- quality people who have excellent talents and skills."

Q: How do you get people to perform, and what do you do when they don’t?
A: "There are certain goals and projects we have. In my experience, the overwhelming experience is that people really do want to do things well. It’s trying to provide the kind of support and knowledge and team to really accomplish what really needs to be done. There are sometimes hard decisions that have to be made, and that happens."

Q: Do you think nonprofits should operate like for-profit providers?
A: "To be honest, I’ve seen others like PHMC and the Bethesda Project, and others like Legal Services and United Way, that I certainly learned a great deal from over the years on how to manage. There are several well-performing businesses in every sector, and some nonprofits perform brilliantly, and some for-profits do the same. But I think there might be a stereotype that for-profits attract a higher skilled team. (Not) in my experience. Again, the most brilliant person I’ve worked with, and only grown in my admiration for, is Joan McConnon -- I cannot imagine a person any more brilliant and analytical, with a deep passion for what needs to be done. Many, many people here, you could put them up against any person in the for-profit sector."

Q: Actually, we didn’t expect the survey results with you on top. What was your reaction?
A: (Laughing) "I was shocked, too. We were very touched, as well."

Q: What are your top three pieces of advice for any manager, for-profit or nonprofit?
A: "Be true to your mission. Work in a highly collaborative environment with talented people. And don’t take no for an answer."

Q: What are the top three mistakes to avoid?
A: "When you grow and change as an organization, it requires a lot of thought and management and I think I could have done that better. As we grew and changed, there were growing pains and they need to be attended to. And I think it's important to get assistance and help when you run into obstacles and challenges, when you’re not sure what needs to be done, to get some help in figuring that out. You have to pay attention to your gut. You have to pay attention when things aren’t going the way they should.

"It’s also so important to pay attention to and value things like financial management, H.R., some of the support components of an organization. They don’t get as much attention or recognition. But these technical components in any organization are so incredibly important to making everything else work. You have to recognize their importance.

"I’m the external face of Project H.O.M.E.. But Joan, the co-founder, is equally responsible for any success, and she has incredible vision. Her area of expertise is the financing and administration. She is the best kept secret at Project H.O.M.E.. That is symbolic of us. No matter what, I know what Project H.O.M.E. does, what is really true here. What is really true is it’s not about me. It’s about people who have taken exceptional leadership roles, and Joan as much as many of us is right up there. She is the person I most admire and have learned the most from."