{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"168: Oh, You Dreamers | Can a Flat Organizational Structure Work for a Nonprofit? with Dr. Pablo Otaola","description":"A nonprofit was built to run like a co-op. Everyone's equal. There's no HR. Is that your dream, or a nightmare that feel suspiciously like high school? I'm joined by Dr. Pablo Otaola, CEO of Thriving Culture LLC, to tackle a listener question about this exact scenario. An executive director walked into an organization built on flat structure ideals, but instead of a utopia they found bullying, cliques, and power plays.. Real Listener Question: \u201cI'm an ED for a nonprofit with a flat structure. We supposed to run like a co-op, where everyone but the board and ED shares the same title. The goal was to create a fair and equitable environment, but in practice it's like high school. Bullying, power plays, cliques trying to control the group with zero accountability. How do I change the organization?\u201d Pablo and I break down the problems we\u2019ve seen with flat organizational structures, what actually creates a thriving culture, and how a nonprofit leader can start changing the DNA of an org that's been stuck for years. What You'll Learn:  The building blocks of a healthy organizational culture Why flat structures look SO good on paper but may fall flat (pun intended!) in real life Why &quot;no HR&quot; is a legal red flag no matter how good your intentions are How a leader's personality can get embedded into org culture What it really takes to change a culture that\u2019s been encoded for years When to stop reading blogs and get outside help from someone who's done this before  Bottom line: You don't hire the surgeon not to cut you. If your culture is broken, it's okay to ask for help. Change is uncomfortable, but it\u2019s the only way forward! Resources from this Episode  Learn more about Pablo\u2019s work at Thriving Culture LLC: https:\/\/www.thrivingculturellc.com\/ Previous Episode:  https:\/\/birkenlaw.com\/charity-therapy-podcast\/ct167-directors-officers-insurance-cody-wiswasser\/ Episode Transcript:  https:\/\/birkenlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CT168_Transcript.pdf  Connect with Us  Jess Birken: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jessbirken\/ Dr. Pablo Otaola: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/pablootaola\/  Listen &amp;amp; Engage  Listen on  Apple Podcasts |  Spotify |  YouTube |  Amazon Music Rate &amp;amp; Review on  Apple Podcasts: Click &quot;Ratings and Reviews&quot; then &quot;Write a Review&quot; Send us your nonprofit questions: https:\/\/birkenlaw.com\/podcast\/#podcast-story &amp;nbsp;  Stay Connected  Sign up for the Birken Law Email list: https:\/\/birkenlaw.com\/signup\/ &amp;nbsp; Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter  ","author_name":"Charity Therapy","author_url":"https:\/\/charitytherapy.show\/beon","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/42017115\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/203930035"}