Why not-for-profit leaders aren’t panicking
I’ve been having conversations with leaders about how increasing uncertainty is impacting their leadership practices. One conversation with the head of development at a local social services agency stood out as markedly different from the responses I got from for-profit leaders.
I heard lots of for-profit leaders talk about shifting toward short-term planning practices: quarterly “rocks” or annual plans that are frequently revised. Rapid changes in technology and the economy affect what the market values and how customers buy. So the plans made in January feel out of date by Q3.
“I can’t get my footing,” said one leader. Another told me how she’s holding back from casting a “big vision,” fearing that the next news cycle will upend her plans. Further, as goals change and priorities shift, our teams start to feel they need to create their own frameworks and set their own priorities. Pretty soon the organization loses coherence and focus. “Everybody is ‘doing their own research’ these days.”
‘Mission’ does some heavy lifting
One not-for-profit leader had a very different response.
Yes, her planning had gotten a little more short-term; she had shifted to three-year plans instead of five-year plans. But the idea of planning quarter-to-quarter felt crazy-making. “I’m coordinating the efforts of donors, volunteers, and staff to deliver services so I can’t make willy-nilly changes. There’s a lot at stake. Every day I see the faces of the people we impact. I’m not about to let them down!”
In the face of shifts in government funding, donor trends, economic conditions, or culture, she kept coming back to the mission. People are counting on the agency to deliver, and donors and volunteers trust them to create a set of services for the constituency they served. The emphasis on mission called the whole enterprise back to a more cohesive focus than I saw amongst the for-profit leaders. It’s as impactful for the person delivering the services as it is for the leadership team.
What’s your mission?
Having a clearly articulated mission was critical to the long-term planning processes I participated in early in my career. The mission helped lift us out of the day-to-day; it helped our leadership team react less to daily changes and stay focused on our long-term goals. Our priorities were easier to discern with the mission in mind.
If your firm has a well-stated and relevant mission, renewing your team’s commitment to it could have a steadying effect.
In your next leadership meeting, review how your mission is (or isn’t) affecting the decisions you’re making, tell stories about where you see the mission impacting those decisions, and ask questions about where it might help shape the team’s priorities.
(If you’ve never created a Mission, Vision, and Values for your organization, Jim Collins’ and Jerry Porras’ landmark HBR article Building Your Company’s Vision is a great place to start.)
It can seem luxurious to take time away from the firefighting and day-to-day to consider mission and values. But these conversations with not-for-profit leaders reminded me of the value of having a whole organization grounded in mission, with an understanding of the larger purpose for what we’re here to do.
How could you bring your company’s mission back into focus this week? Is it alive for every member of your team?
