Increase Your Organizational Impact

In 20+ years, what has made the biggest difference in my work? What was the biggest lesson I’ve learned?

I would honestly say there isn’t one magical piece if wisdom I can share. What I can share is a 5 Step Framework for making your nonprofit leadership role more engaging and effective.

Step 1: Meet with everyone single board member for 20-40 minutes. Have three questions to ask each person. Then LISTEN.

My questions included some variation of “what do you think the organization is doing really well? What do you think we could be doing better? What would you most like to see us accomplish in your time on the board?”

This gives you insight into the priorities and pain points for each board member. Then you identify the common themes to get a better sense of where to focus your attention in your first 90 days on the job.

Step 2: Make strategic planning a priority. Do you have a plan already (that you inherited or helped create)? Where is it? How often do you look at it? How old is it??! Do the answers to your questions in Step 1 align with it?

Strategic planning is the most effective way I have found to get everyone from board, to staff, to volunteers excited about a vision for the future and all working to achieve a common goal. We also know in modern times, your organization has to be adaptable. You have to be nimble. The world is changing faster than it has in the past. You need a plan that can meet the needs of our world today.

Step 3: You have a plan, now what? Now you review your job description as Director, CEO, whatever leadership title you use. Does it reflect the strategic planning priorities? If not, FIX IT. Make everything in your job description further the new strategic plan in some way. Once you are satisfied with that, do the same thing for all other staff. Everyone needs to see how their job fits into that larger vision.

Once you have job descriptions that align, you need performance evaluation systems that reflect the new job descriptions and strategic plan. Employees should only be evaluated on their stated job description and goals. And those need to follow from the strategic plan for the entire organization.

Step 4: Everyone loves policies and procedures, right? No?? Only me? Hmmm.

Yes, reviewing your policies and procedures is the next step. This isn’t a full-blown redrafting of every policy and process. You want to review to ensure that they are up to date, reflect best governance practices, align with the strategic plan or at a minimum, are not at odds with the plan.

Are there policies missing? Are there policies that are no longer needed?

While you are in a “policy review” mindset, read your bylaws and article sof incorporation too. Are you following everything outlined in both places? If not, why? Do you need to update either of these?

Step 5: Make meetings count. Every staff meeting, every board meeting should be an update on the strategic plan. Hopefully your strategic plan creates that high level view for the organization in a minimum number of bullet points. Every meeting agenda can follow that structure, those bullet points. Because after all this work, everything you do should fall into one or more of the strategic planning priority areas.

With everyone rowing the same direction, you will increase engagement and impact. You’ll know when something isn’t a good fit for the organization. You’ll focus your efforts on the things that truly matter.