Advocates of ‘continuous improvement‘ often present the associated change process as one involving a linear series of positive steps between current and desired future states. This characterisation of the change process is unfortunately not the way many experience it, especially during the period immediately after a change is introduced. One prominent example of the ‘positive… Continue reading Traversing the Valley of Change: States, Stages, and Lenses
Tag: performance
Counting What Matters: using non-financial accounting
Einstein’s observation that “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted” rings true for most nonprofit leaders. This is not to dismiss the importance of responsible financial management, but rather to acknowledge that there is more to governing a nonprofit than staying ‘in the black’. Key non-financial metrics… Continue reading Counting What Matters: using non-financial accounting
Making the seconds count – rather than counting the seconds
We sometimes speak of our need for split-second timing, where a decision or action must be taken very rapidly, and at precisely the right moment. We also occasionally refer to something happening in an instant, usually unexpectedly. Few nonprofit organisations, however, would see themselves depending on super-fast timing such as might be required for emergency… Continue reading Making the seconds count – rather than counting the seconds
‘Time is of the essence’: temporal factors in NFP productivity & efficiency
The phrase ‘time is of the essence‘ is usually employed to indicate that timely performance is an essential obligation under a contract. In the context of our thinking about temporal factors in nonprofit governance and management though, we can apply the phrase more broadly to productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness concerns. Temporal language pervades our discourse.… Continue reading ‘Time is of the essence’: temporal factors in NFP productivity & efficiency
Aspirational Governance – Inspiring Great Outcomes
We sometimes refer to aspirational goals as ones we might hope to achieve, while suspecting that they are beyond our reach. Yet, without aspiring to achieve great things, no great things can actually happen. So it is with nonprofit governance aspirations. Aspiring to be compliant doesn’t offer much inspiration to your stakeholders, or your team.… Continue reading Aspirational Governance – Inspiring Great Outcomes
Board evaluation done? Now what?
The risk with some board effectiveness evaluations is that they can be mere box-ticking exercises. Everyone is time-poor, and reflecting on your structures, roles, processes, and performance may feel like navel-gazing to some. If your annual board evaluation simply puts some ratings against a checklist of questions, it won’t lead to identifying opportunities for improvement.… Continue reading Board evaluation done? Now what?
Touchpoints and Touchstones for quality engagement
The importance of user experience (UX) has been a major theme of marketing, project management and design (affecting products and services of all kinds) over recent years. This has been expressed in numerous ways, but the customer (member, donor, client) journey and the employee journey are notable examples. Touchpoints on the journey Journey maps or… Continue reading Touchpoints and Touchstones for quality engagement
Double-edged swords and paradoxical choices
‘Either/or’ choices Most board deliberations and policy analyses are conducted using an ‘either/or’ approach. A set of (usually three or four) options is devised, from which one is to be favoured over others. You can have the answer in one of the red, blue, or green boxes – but you can’t have two or more… Continue reading Double-edged swords and paradoxical choices
Clarifying expectations – when specifics matter
Misaligned expectations are often an underlying cause of error, tension, and conflict. This is true for nonprofit organisations as much as for any business entity (and family and friendship groups for that matter). When we expect one thing, and something else happens instead, many of us experience emotional responses ranging from delight and surprise, through… Continue reading Clarifying expectations – when specifics matter
Validity and Validation in your non-profit
We all seek validation Most of us are very familiar with the kind of validation offered when others like or share our social media posts. This emotional validation involves processes of uncovering, accepting, approving, and hopefully understanding, the emotional experience of another person. Organisations also seek a similar form of validation when they monitor engagement… Continue reading Validity and Validation in your non-profit