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Forbes
4 days ago
- General
- Forbes
Flexibility Is King: Why Rigid Education Models Shut Out Talent
Pablo Listingart is the founder of ComIT, a nonprofit providing free, tailored tech training to help people overcome employment barriers. In more than two decades of teaching (first in high school classrooms, then university lecture halls and now through the nonprofit tech‑training programs I run), I've met a lot of educators. Wonderful, passionate people. And yet, sprinkle in any discussion about how learning should happen, and the mood shifts. Suddenly, everyone's clutching their pedagogical pearls: 'Courses must be in‑person due to the social aspect of it!' 'Online is the only way to scale!' 'Eight a.m. classes build character!' Rigid certainty is oddly fashionable in education circles. It's comforting to declare one universal 'right way,' but it's also the way to keep smart, motivated people stuck on the outside looking in. The Privilege Of A Roof And The Myth Of 'Free' School I was lucky. My parents offered me a roof and food until I finished my studies at university. The deal was that everything else (weekend outings, vacation money, even some textbooks) was on me. And so that's why I started working when I was 17 years old, doing many different things. Plenty of people probably share my experience. Many others do not. Even in countries with 'free' tuition, the hidden price tag is real: transportation, food, childcare, lost wages, the cost of juggling night shifts with morning exams. Tell a single mom working one or more survival jobs that scholarships exist and see if that helps. Scholarships rarely cover diapers or bus fare, and they certainly don't solve a rigid lecture schedule. It's simple: When the choice is attending biology lab at 9 a.m. or paying the electric bill, the lab loses. Not because students lack discipline, but because Maslow organized that hierarchy for a reason. Are We Really Opening The Door? Many institutions tout diversity initiatives. Worthy efforts, but often focused on entry rather than completion. Once a student steps through the door, we stick to a fixed timetable, mandatory attendance, single‑attempt exams and 15‑week semesters. Take the single mom again. She obtains a scholarship, then misses class because her toddler spikes a fever. A zero for participation follows, and her grade slides. The scholarship renews only with a B average, and soon she's gone. We pat ourselves on the back for 'access,' never noticing the revolving door spinning behind us. What Students Actually Want Earlier this year, my nonprofit surveyed 500 learners. The results were unsurprising if you've been paying attention: • 45% prefer a hybrid format: part self‑paced, part live instruction. • 46% crave a balance of independent and collaborative work. • Only 40% believe formal degrees are the best path, though many say prestige still matters on a résumé. Translation: Students welcome structure, but not at the expense of sanity. They appreciate community, but not if it means forfeiting their paycheck. They respect credentials, but only when those credentials signal real-life skills. The Case For Flexibility (And How To Do It Without Lowering The Bar) Break courses into bite‑sized units that can be started at different moments in the year. Give evening, weekend and recorded options. Mastery, not seat time, should drive progression. Swap high‑stakes midterms for projects that mirror real work. If a student can demonstrate competency at midnight on a Tuesday, why force them into an exam hall at dawn? Pandemic Zoom fatigue taught us that slapping a webcam on a three‑hour lecture is torture. True hybrid learning mixes asynchronous micro‑lessons with short, purpose‑built live sessions for discussion, feedback or group work. Allow a limited number of 'life happens' passes per term—no doctor's note required. Missed a class because your bus broke down or your shift ran late? Use a pass, catch the recording, complete an assignment and move on. Offer micro‑certificates that build toward a larger credential. A student who finishes two modules earns something tangible even if life interrupts the third. Momentum can be a powerful antidote to dropout rates. Will The Ivory Tower Survive The Remodel? Critics worry that flexibility dilutes academic rigor. In my experience, it does the opposite. When you remove arbitrary barriers, you're left with the actual barrier: learning the material. Students no longer fail because the daycare closed; they succeed or fail on understanding algorithms, supply chain theory or Renaissance art. Exactly as it should be. And employers? They love it. Ask any CTO if she'd rather hire a graduate who perfected Java at 2 a.m. while caring for aging parents or someone who breezed through a lecture‑only course. Resilience, time management, grit. That's the hidden curriculum flexible programs teach. Flexibility: An Equity Issue (And A Talent Issue And A GDP Issue ... ) When education only fits the schedule of a 19‑year‑old with no dependents and plentiful cash, we waste oceans of talent. Single parents, newcomers, rural learners and neurodivergent students are not edge cases. They are the workforce we claim to need. By 2030, global shortages in tech alone could leave millions of roles unfilled. Meanwhile, capable adults shelve their potential because classes clash with paychecks. The math doesn't add up. Crowns, Thrones And The Future Which brings us back to the headline: Flexibility is king. In medieval times, the king's word was law; in modern education, flexibility should rule with similar authority. Not as a feel‑good add‑on, but as the organizing principle around which curricula, funding and policy revolve. If we fail, we'll keep graduating a narrow slice of the population and wondering why innovation stalls. If we succeed, we'll unleash minds previously sidelined by timetables and tuition receipts. Twenty years in, I've learned that teaching isn't about delivering content; it's about removing every nonessential barrier between a learner and the aha moment. Roof and food not included? Let's figure that out. Child with a fever at 10 p.m.? Record the session. Need to work the breakfast shift? Offer the lab in the afternoon or the evening. Because when our systems bend, talent doesn't break. And that, whether you're a university dean, a boot‑camp founder or a hiring manager, is the smartest investment you can make. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The One Big Mistake: Why Many Nonprofits Fail
Pablo Listingart is the founder of ComIT, a nonprofit providing free, tailored tech training to help people overcome employment barriers. As the great Aretha Franklin once sang, leaders have to 'think.' But for some reason, many nonprofits reduce themselves to just asking for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T, expecting support without critically assessing their own sustainability. In the for-profit world, it's widely accepted that startups face an uphill battle, with high failure rates defining the landscape. Entrepreneurs understand this reality and often pivot, adapt or overhaul their business models to survive. However, in the nonprofit sector, there's an underlying assumption that if the cause is noble, support should naturally follow. Many organizations operate under the belief that 'the world needs the help we are providing,' and therefore, they are entitled to funding, volunteers and sustained operations. Unfortunately, this mindset can be a fatal mistake. Over the past 15 years, I've seen countless nonprofit projects emerge with great enthusiasm, fall in love with their mission and then collapse when circumstances changed—whether due to a global pandemic, shifts in government policy or evolving donor priorities. In many cases, these organizations pointed fingers at external forces rather than examining their own adaptability and resilience. The blame was placed on decreased funding, lack of awareness or insufficient government backing. Rarely did leaders ask: Are we structured to withstand change? The Nonprofit Sector's Resistance To Change When we look at for-profit corporations, we see a long history of reinvention. Companies like IBM, Sony and Microsoft are unrecognizable from their origins. These businesses have survived by continuously adapting to shifting consumer habits, new technologies and market demands. It's almost a given that survival depends on evolution. Yet in the nonprofit world, many organizations operate as though social needs, donor behaviors and funding models are static. They build a single strategy and cling to it, even when clear signals indicate the need for transformation. Many nonprofits rely on the same fundraising methods, outreach techniques and service models they used decades ago, assuming that because their cause is important, their approach must still be relevant. But when one pillar of their organization collapses—whether it's government funding, corporate sponsorship or donor engagement—the entire structure often crumbles. The result? Communities that relied on these services are left abandoned, and the people running these initiatives, despite their good intentions, are left questioning why things fell apart. Are We Asking The Right Questions? Survival in the nonprofit world demands the same level of critical thinking and adaptation as it does in the corporate world. Nonprofits should be constantly asking themselves: • Who is our audience, and how is it changing? • Are we offering services in a way that makes sense for today's world? • Are we too attached to our own ideas, rather than focusing on what actually works? • How can we evolve our funding models to ensure long-term sustainability? When I founded the organizations I lead, I committed to running them as long as they made sense. That means staying open to change, embracing new perspectives and ensuring our work remains relevant not just for the beneficiaries but also for the donors, the volunteers and the broader society that sustains us. Falling In Love With The Mission Versus The Execution One of the most common traps nonprofits fall into is becoming infatuated with their mission statement rather than the actual impact they deliver. In the business world, there is extensive literature warning against this—companies that refuse to adapt to market needs go extinct. Yet in the nonprofit space, we sometimes act as though we are exempt from these same realities. Nonprofits exist to solve problems, not just to perpetuate their own existence. If the world around us is changing, our organizations must change with it. That means listening to our communities, our funders and even our critics. It means being flexible, reevaluating our strategies and sometimes making difficult decisions about whether to pivot or even shut down in favor of a more effective approach. A Call For Evolution Sustainability in the nonprofit sector isn't just about securing funding. It's about creating a model that can weather storms, adjust to new realities and remain relevant. This requires: • Embracing Innovation: Whether through technology, new outreach methods or creative funding approaches, nonprofits must be willing to evolve. • Building Diverse Revenue Streams: Relying on a single source of funding is a recipe for disaster. A healthy mix of grants, corporate partnerships, earned income and individual donations increases resilience. • Evaluating Impact Regularly: Just because a program worked five years ago doesn't mean it's still effective today. Nonprofits need to measure and adjust their strategies continuously. • Being Willing To Reinvent: If the landscape shifts, so should the organization. Whether that means modifying services, restructuring leadership or changing focus areas, adaptability is key. The fundamental truth is this: Passion alone won't keep a nonprofit alive. Just like in business, adaptability, strategic thinking and a willingness to evolve are what determine long-term success. So, perhaps it's time we take a lesson from the classics. Aretha Franklin warned us long ago: 'You better think.' It's advice we should take to heart if we want to build nonprofits that don't just start strong but stand the test of time. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
