Strategy is Not a Goal it is a Direction
Peter Drucker once said “Strategy is not a goal, it is a direction, a blueprint for putting the pieces together and building. It must have continuous feedback to translate real-time results into refinements and changes as appropriate.”
The problem with most strategic plans is that there is no follow-through. Organizations often check “do strategic planning” off their to-do list, but then return to being back in the weeds. And we can’t blame you, there’s so much of it! The number of hats EDs wear is rather astounding. The pressure and the weight of the board, the staff, the volunteers, the donors, and those served, often result in burnout.
A well-designed strategic plan can actually help you to cope with all of this. Our preferred approach is to create strategic plans that delineate goals and action items specific to the board and staff. These goals are tied to a performance dashboard to monitor (provide “continuous feedback,” to use Drucker's terminology) real-time progress. This creates accountability and keeps the goals and action items front of mind. Setting goals in this way creates alignment throughout the organization, alleviates ambiguity, and creates meaning in the day-to-day work. Sometimes (often) completing those expense reports feels like a waste of time, but when you frame such activities in the context of a bigger picture, their value becomes self-evident.
I vividly recall moments as an Executive Director when I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the computer, feeling paralyzed and overwhelmed. I had so many things going on that I didn’t even know where to start. I'm not saying that having a strategic plan will solve everything, but it does help set priorities and prevent this sense of overwhelm.
What are some things you can do now to create strategic alignment for yourself, your board, and your staff? Sometimes it helps to ground yourself and your team in the PURPOSE of the organization. Not the mission, which is how you achieve your purpose, but the purpose. The why. This often gets lost in the day-to-day routine, which is why hearing from others about the importance of your organization during events can reignite your motivation and renew your sense of determination.
Purpose alone isn’t enough though. In Daniel Pink’s book Drive, he outlines a formula for what drives us. The three components are:
Autonomy - in control of what we do and how we do it
Mastery - improving our skills and ourselves
Purpose - working toward something worthwhile
Here’s a summary of the concept from Daniel Pink’s book:
https://medium.com/@HaveYouRead_/summary-of-drive-by-daniel-h-pink-cf5277b3558a
This is a useful formula for helping yourself and your team create alignment starting with purpose. Coming back and reminding yourself of your purpose and that of your organization is the first step toward establishing that direction.
Speaking of strategic planning, The Nonprofit Strategy Group thrives at facilitating planning processes! Look out for our new services page on the website that provides an overview of our framework, philosophy, and some options for engaging in our strengths-based process. Stay tuned!!!