Do you know where you are going?

The pace of change in business and society in general has never been more rapid. This means for many organizations that there needs to be a revisiting of what is

being done and how it is being done. There needs to be a clearly defined purpose and direction for the organization, but also a nimbleness in how the organization’s Mission is being achieved.

Jim Collins, an organizational researcher and renowned author of several books that detail the findings of his research, has shown in the book Choosing to be Great, written by Collins and Morten T. Hansen, that the world we now work in, will be one of constant and unpredictable change. (I also highly recommend Collin’s book Good to Great to any organizational leader). The term “disruptive technologies” speaks to how the pace of new ways of doing things are and will be constantly changing. And, these changes put organizations who fail to adapt to the new reality “out of business.” Our latest collective experience with the Covid-19 pandemic has shown how external realities outside of our control can have a profound and long term impact on our organizations, to say nothing of our daily lives.

How can not-for-profits sustain their crucial place on the service landscape with these levels of shifts and impacts? Quite frankly, it's not easy or simple, but there are some key factors that will help an organization thrive and even expand its capacity to provide its critically needed services as they experience the inevitable changes.

The first important step is to have a clear direction. Many organizations have vision and mission statements that are at best abstract and vague and often not achievable by the organization. Turning a mission statement from “we exist so that everyone’s true potential can be achieved” to “we exist so that everyone we serve will have the educational materials and support to be successful in their goals” is a critical first step. What is the difference between these two purpose statements?

The first statement is abstract, impossible to measure and does not bring focus on the who and how. The second statement, while still at a high level, speaks to the kind of services and programs that will be provided and who will benefit. Obviously there still would need to be additional work and description that would define further the “who” and “how” that may be based on geography, priority of need and other demographics and focus. There will also be some inevitable changes in what is done and what percentage of resources are allocated to which programs and services. But, an organization that knows why it exists, and if they are achieving their Mission, is a key first step.

Another step that many organizations need to take is to have a structure, staff and Board that accepts the fact that many historic programs and approaches, no matter how beloved and important to individuals and groups, have a “shelf life.” Sometimes the changes come about when various levels of government either begin to do the work directly using tax dollars, or they shift what programs and services they will fund and with whom. I had this experience in my last executive role when the provincial government did a complete revamp (still ongoing) of how, how much and who would be funded for employment programs. These kinds of shifts are not rare and demand an organization who can decide, based on the external change, whether they have the capacity to shift to the new funding landscape and still achieve their Mission or whether adapting to this shift will actually move them out of scope of their organizational purpose.

Working on a clarifying purpose or Mission statement often demands some external guidance from someone who is skilled and objective, but who also shares a passion for the sector and understands the challenges and limitations that often come with working in a not-for-profit context. If this is where your organization finds itself, Fundy NfP Consulting would be happy to work with you so that everyone in your organization knows where they are going and is increasingly able to navigate the changes occurring in today’s reality.