Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast

Episode: O is for Overfunctioning: Doing Everyone’s Job = Not Doing Yours
Host: Brooke Richie-Babbage
Date: August 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the pervasive challenge of overfunctioning among nonprofit leaders—specifically, the tendency to “do everyone’s job” rather than focusing on the unique work only leaders can do. Brooke Richie-Babbage explores the hidden costs of swooping in and “fixing” your team’s work, how this undermines both team growth and organizational impact, and introduces practical frameworks—“guardrails and gate”—for handing off tasks effectively and building real ownership.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Overfunctioning Defined and Its Cost

• Brooke opens with a relatable self-inquiry:
  “How much of your week is spent quietly thinking, I'll just fix this a little so it goes out right?” ([01:08])

• The Hidden Cost:
  Whereas taking back or tweaking “feels efficient in the moment,” it actually trains your team to rely on you to finish or polish work—resulting in a team with lower ownership and stunted growth.

• Quote:
  “Every time you swoop in, even a little baby swoop, you train your team to rely on you. People learn somewhere in their minds, if I hand this in, 70% done, she'll fix it.” ([01:38])

• Key Point:
  Overfunctioning is not a positive sign of high standards, but often a side effect of them. The real organizational damage happens when leaders repeatedly cross the line into doing others’ work.

The Impact on Leadership and Team

• Brooke addresses the leadership trap:
  “That's not leadership. That's over functioning.” ([01:58])

• Quotable Moment:
  “Training wheels never come off if you never let them wobble and sometimes fall.” ([02:20])

• Leadership Cost:
  Every minute spent “rewriting someone else’s work” is a minute not being spent on the big-picture tasks only the leader can accomplish: vision, strategy, resource development, and cultivating partnerships.

The Alternative: Ownership With Structure

• Solution Framework: “Guardrails and Gate” ([03:20])

  • Guardrails:

    • Clearly define “done right” in simple terms—three bullets that cover:
      • The purpose
      • A quality bar
      • Any constraints
    • Enables team members to understand expectations, direction, and success criteria.

  • Gate:

    • Set a scheduled midpoint check-in (a short, time-limited meeting, not a last-minute rescue).
    • Ask key questions:
      • What’s complete?
      • What’s stuck?
      • What decision do you need from me?
      • Are we still aiming at the same definition of success?

  • Memorable Advice:
    “After that midpoint check in, you step back, you coach once, but you don't take it back.” ([04:30])

  • SOP Creation:
    “Capture the steps while you do it. That way you end up with a quick SOP… that makes the next handoff even smoother.” ([04:50])

Micro-Action and Resources

• Actionable Task:
  “Pick one recurring task that keeps boomeranging back to you and use the guardrails and gate framework to practice transferring it.” ([05:04])

• Tools and Prompts:

  • A “role release tracker” (worksheet for the process)
  • The “delegation ladder” (tool for staged ownership transfer)
  • Additional resources and emails available at brookeritchiebabbage.com/abcstrategies

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “Over functioning robs your team of growth. And it robs your organization of your best version of leadership.” ([02:45])

• "Work doesn’t need your rescue, it needs guardrails and a gate." ([03:18])

• “Coach once, but don’t take it back.” ([04:31])

• “Training wheels never come off if you never let them wobble and sometimes fall.” ([02:20])

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 — Introduction and episode context
• 01:08 — Identifying personal overfunctioning moments
• 01:38 — The consequences of “baby swoops”
• 02:20 — Letting your team learn (training wheels quote)
• 02:45 — Leadership cost of overfunctioning
• 03:18 — Introduction of “guardrails and gate” framework
• 04:31 — Coaching moments and the importance of letting go
• 05:04 — Action step for listeners and resource offer

Summary

Brooke Richie-Babbage’s episode on overfunctioning is a concise and practical guide for nonprofit leaders struggling to delegate. She illustrates the real cost of doing others’ jobs, reframes high standards, and offers straightforward tools for building ownership and effective delegation. Leaders are encouraged to move away from the “rescuer” role and step fully into visionary leadership, armed with simple but powerful systems to build stronger, more independent teams.