Focus Leads To Nonprofit Success: Is Your Organization Rowing or Drifting

Picture yourself standing on the bank of a river watching a rowing competition. Carefully watch the crews. Crewmembers dip the oars and bring them to the surface again and again in a carefully orchestrated rhythm. Crewmembers are working together to realize their common vision of a first place finish. Every team member is clear about the mission - complete the race in the fastest time.

Everyone is working hard to pull in the same direction at the same time. They are focused on the desired end results.

Now picture a nonprofit organization coping with increased competition. Funding is a constant struggle. Conversations with board members and staff paint a picture of people operating with different definitions of the purpose and future of the organization. The organization is adrift.

Is your organization rowing or drifting?

Organizations that are drifting suffer from three common problems. Staff and board members develop programs, services or products based on their own version of the organization's mission; it is hard to identify the underlying strategies and the core programs. In addition, staff and board members chase dollars to support activities. Finally, staff and board members have no standard upon which to base decisions. At times, one option seems as good as another.

These actions lead to disjointed programs, decreased funding and poor decision-making. If any of these problems sound familiar, you can take steps to solve them.

First, develop a clear vision statement that provides staff and board members with a sense of direction. Second, define the mission of your organization in terms of that future. A clearly defined mission allows each person in the organization to understand why the organization exists. Third, define your measures of success. Measures of success help everyone understand what you are trying to achieve.

Start pulling in the same direction and focus on the end results. Taking action now can put you on the path to becoming a more effective organization that creates greater impact in the community.

Judith Rothbaum's passion is helping nonprofits thrive. Through her monthly e-newsletter, she offers practical management, fundraising and communication solutions for bold nonprofits on the move. She gives seminars, workshops, presentations and coaching programs nationwide for nonprofit professionals and volunteers. Visit http://www.datafordecisionmaking.com to learn more.

---

3 Steps You Can Use Developing Leaders In Your Industry

With the economy bordering on a recession, every company is... Read More

A Tricky Supervision Challenge

Many managers believe that treating their team members as responsible... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Reduce the High Cost of Employee Absenteeism

Employers pay a high price for absenteeism, often more than... Read More

Christmas Carol Coaching - Help to Get Ahead at Holiday Time!

I've always been fascinated by situations where art imitates real... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management - Turning Ideas into Action

The phrase "turning ideas into action" is a Russian doll.Managing... Read More

Islam in the Workplace

Suggested practice for HR personnelMuslims now form one of the... Read More

Organisational Culture for Continuous Improvement

I have been working with leading Business Improvement guru, Tim... Read More

Leadership Skills

Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at... Read More

Transparency: A Key To Your Effectiveness

Last month I talked about the Skilled Facilitator principle of... Read More

Partnering for Performance

"The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss... Read More

10 Ways To Work Through A Business Slowdown

In running any kind of business, it's inevitable that sometimes... Read More

Making Change Work

Shaky FoundationsWhilst over 60% of businesses will be looking to... Read More

Use Noncompete Agreements To Protect Your Business

Q: One of my former employees has launched an online... Read More

Group Meeting Disrupters

MEETING DISRUPTERS: If two participants are carrying on a personal... Read More

Is ISO 9001 2000 Right For My Business?

Firstly you should decide your own reasoning behind considering ISO... Read More

Creative Writing - business principles produce more quality work, faster

Maximization methodologies have long been used in business to produce... Read More

The Leadership Imperative: Making Your Leadership Your Life

Nearly all leaders I've encountered are underachievers. They're getting a... Read More

Work Priorities: Where Can You Spend Your Time Most Effectively?

Understanding where you can spend time most effectively requires concentration... Read More

Innovation Management ? smart people dont necessarily produce great ideas

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

How to Keep a Good Employee: Look, Listen, Learn

Recently a client told me a wonderful story about how... Read More

How Your Business Can Pick A Software Developer

Eventually, your business is going to need to have some... Read More

Are You in Control of Your Practice or Does it Control You?

One of the most common complaints that business owners have... Read More

How Invisible Communication Barriers Kill Productivity

Many kinds of interferences or disturbances can confuse a message.... Read More

How to Coach Your Emplyees and Increase Motivation

It is easy to spot the difference between a work... Read More

Solving the Problem Solving Problem

The meeting started like a hundred others before. There were... Read More

Conquering the Number One Problem in Business--Poor Communication

The Number One problem in business is poor communication: between... Read More

How to Coach Your Employees - 5 Simple Steps Anyone Can Do!

Want to get more from your people, but you don't... Read More

Management - Mary Poppins Style!

Mary Poppins describes a style of management which has for... Read More

Organizational Capital in Politics, War, Sports and Business

Intangible Corporate Assets such as Organizational Capital, Blue Sky and... Read More

Paretos Law- Your Formula For Success

A 'dirt-world' retail business I used to manage had a... Read More

Offshore This! (Outsourcing Tech Support Overseas)

So I call my telephone company and someone picks up... Read More

Innovation Management: Radical Innovation

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Firing Someone Without Resentment

Firing, sacking, letting go or terminating people is unpleasant. There... Read More