Mission Control

How Nonprofits and Governments Can Focus, Achieve More, and Change the World

Liana Downey

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9781351861175
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

In the last ten years the number of nonprofits and social sector organizations has grown by almost 25 percent, while charitable giving declined 30 percent over the same period. As a result, many organizations are chasing grants, tweaking and adding to their core activities to match what they think funders are looking for. Almost half of nonprofits surveyed nationally in 2014 said they added additional programs in the last year. The result is colloquially known as "mission creep"-- organizations trying to be everything to everyone. Yet research suggests that the more goals individuals or organizations pursue, the less likely they are to achieve them, leaving these organizations often overwhelmed, underfunded, and unfulfilled.  Mission Control: How Nonprofits and Governments Can Focus, Achieve More, and Change the World is designed to restore focus and gain "mission control" to identify the things they should and should not do to drive impact. Drawing from the author's experience of working with thousands of clients at nonprofits and government agencies around the world, both large and small, the book represents the stories of countless mission-driven organizations. Downey helps leaders, teams, executive directors, and boards with the critical task of clarifying an organization's sweet spot at the intersection of what it is good at, what its clients need, and the activities that get measurable and sustainable results.

1
Prepare for Success

Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.¹

— Henry Ford

The Mission Control approach is a step-by-step process to finding your focus and developing an action plan to increase your impact. You will learn how to gather and analyze critical facts about those you are serving, your organization, your sector, and the broader environment. You will find steps on how to set a spine-tingling goal, identify the full range of available options for achieving that goal, and prioritize your activities based on what works and what you’re good at. You will craft a compelling story and develop an action plan to get you up and running. However, before you begin the Mission Control process, pause a moment and ask yourself these questions:

• ■ Do we need more focus?
• ■ Is now the right time?
• ■ Whom should we involve?
• ■ When should we involve people?
• ■ How much time should we spend?
• ■ Do we need a facilitator?

Do we Need More Focus?

Let’s start with you. In your role as a leader or board member of a nonprofit or public organization:

• ■ Do you ever feel overwhelmed or stressed, or have a sense of dread?
• ■ Do you worry that you may not be able to deliver on many of the things people expect from you?
• ■ Do you wish you could say no to some things, but are not sure how?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to get your mission under control. If not, then think now about your organization as a whole. Does your staff, team, or board ever:

• ■ Find it difficult to describe the goal or goals of your organization clearly?
• ■ Struggle to convincingly explain how your activities are going to achieve those goals?
• ■ Lack confidence that you are reaching your goal or goals?
• ■ Find it difficult to explain why you are pursuing some activities but not others?
• ■ Find it challenging to choose among competing priorities like grant proposals?

If you answered yes to any of these— then you, too, could benefit from increasing your clarity and focus. You need Mission Control.

Is Now the Right Time?

I can be a world- class procrastinator. When faced with a tough task, I have been known to clean out the fridge, start learning a language, or convince myself that watching an episode of the Real Housewives of Orange County is really a learning opportunity. So if you are coming up with a list of reasons for why not to start, I can relate. However, there are really only two circumstances that should cause you to delay: when you are about to hire a new executive director or CEO, and when you are facing a major uncertainty. If your organization could benefit from more focus, then begin right away. The sooner you start, the sooner you will increase your impact and get some balance back in your life.

Unacceptable Excuses for Waiting

The following common excuses people give for delaying are not good reasons to wait.

I’m too busy. Typically, being busy is not a good excuse. Feeling busy and overwhelmed are often symptoms of a lack of focus. Thus, the sooner you complete the work described in Mission Control, the sooner you will feel more in control.

I don’t have the money. This process is designed for those operating within tight budget constraints and does not require extra investment. Furthermore, having clarity about where you are headed and how you will get there will make you more compelling to funders.

We don’t have a facilitator. You do not need one—this process is designed to be undertaken without an external consultant or facilitator.

We just did our planning! If you still lack focus, more work remains. You can certainly build on any planning work you have already done, but will stand to benefit from working through the chapters ahead.

Good Reasons to Wait

While the reasons just discussed are no justification for delay, there are, however, two circumstances under which you should wait.

You are about to hire a CEO or executive director. If you are part of a board of directors considering this process and are about to employ a new CEO or executive director, wait. The most attractive candidates—the people with real get-up-and-go—typically want to help shape the future of the organization. If you spend huge amounts of energy putting together a plan and then recruit a new leader, you will almost certainly have wasted time and energy. A new CEO wants to make her mark, and as a result often pushes back on key ideas overtly or (even worse) by stalling or subtly blocking suggestions. This is not a flaw—it is just human nature, and I have witnessed it plenty of times. Most leaders have a harder time getting excited about a direction or goal that they did not help shape. Therefore, hire first and get “Mission Control” second.

You are facing a major uncertainty. If you are waiting for a major uncertainty to resolve, it may be worth delaying—but only if there is a defined period after which you will get resolution. Examples include a big piece of legislation that might impact your work, a major funding decision, or a legal proceeding. The real world is complex and changing, so this process is flexible, but if waiting a short while (no longer than three months) will give you some clarity, then wait.

If now is not the right time to get started, there is still plenty you can do. Read and follow the steps laid out in the next chapter, “Get the Facts.” Doing so will help improve your day-to-day management and position you very well for success once your CEO has been hired and/or your uncertainties have resolved.

Strategy First, then Structure

In terms of sequencing with other activities, complete the Mission Control process before you do any restructuring or organizational design. It is a common mistake to put the cart before the horse and try to rearrange the organization before you know where you are going or what you will be working on. But how can you structure a team well if you do not know what you want them to do? Get a leader in place, and work out where you are headed and how you want to get there. Then, and only then, think about how your team should be structured to get you there.

Whom Should we Involve?

When it comes to involving others in the Mission Control process, the more the merrier—processes typically fail because they exclude some individuals, not because they include too many, or they falter because they wait too long in the process to engage people.

Not involving enough people is a mistake because almost everyone has some valuable input to share. Even those people you may not consider important stakeholders may possess information that could be critical to shaping a successful strategy. For example, they may know about upcoming policy shifts, the specifics of an issue facing the people you serve, or about innovations in your field. It is also a mistake because people who are not engaged tend to be much quicker to reject proposals. People use the degree to which they are consulted as an implicit measure of how important they are to the organization. If they feel that their opinions are not being sought they may start to disengage. I know of instances where funders have reduced or withdrawn their funding from an organization because they were not consulted on key decisions. A good strategy only has value if it can be implemented, so you should seek broad consensus, particularly amongst those responsible for doing the work. If you have found your focus and created a really smart, practical strategy to achieve your goals, but no one else is on board, you have wasted your time.

A Word on the Difficult Types

Inevitably, on any project, there are one or two individuals who have been identified as “difficult.” You may even be explicitly advised to not talk to a particular person. Whenever I hear that, I politely dissent and then pick up the phone and invite that person to be part of the process. Why? Good question—I always cop an earful!

The “dissenters” inevitably have a bone to pick; they may have been passed over before, and it is likely that emotions are running high. They usually talk for a long time. But, there are three reasons you should reach out to them. One, I guarantee that they have thought long and hard about how things could be better. Once you get beyond the grousing, they are almost always a great source of insight. Two, if you find a way to work with them, they often become allies and advocates for change. Three, you’ll regret it if you don’t, because they will actively derail the process, vote no on principle, and generally find ways to make life difficult.

To ensure that their input moves from grousing to productive, you may need to help such people shift their mind-sets, rather than just involving them. Often, people who have been labeled difficult are really good at identifying problems, but they may not be as practiced at helping generate solutions. Or they may have a reputation as difficult because they are fierce advocates for a very small patch of the organization but are not in the habit of thinking about the whole organization. The best way to change this is to help them shift their vantage point and take on a different role. Ask them to solve for the whole, not their piece; ask them to start generating solutions rather than finding problems with solutions that others generate.

I find this is best handled candidly. For example, you might say, “You have thought about these issues so deeply, I am worried that without your input, we are not going to get the right answer. I don’t want to be coming up with ideas without your help. Can you please help me develop a solution?” You can say (with a smile), “You have a reputation for being tough to convince. I am assuming that’s because you think long and hard about things. The organization needs your brain, but we need it at work developing a better way forward, not just in picking apart any ideas other people come up with! Can you help us out and be part of the Mission Control team?”

Where there are multiple “difficult” people, so much the better— they become your working team. They can report to the board or the steering committee. The trick here is never to sideline people. Instead, make sure you put their frustrations, musings, and pent-up energy to work solving for the whole group.

Who Cares?

Involving a wide range of people in the strategic planning process does not mean that you have to have every single person in the room for every step of the process. There are all kinds of manageable ways to solicit input, ensure that people feel engaged, and make sure everyone’s voice is heard. Start by identifying the people with a stake in your organization (your stakeholders). For nonprofit organizations, these typically include:

• ■ Board members (including national, local, and fundraising boards)
• ■ Executives (CEO, head office, and program and regional leaders)
• ■ Clients and supporters (e.g., children and their parents, animals and their owners, those with Alzheimer’s and their carers, etc.)
• ■ Funders (foundations, large donors) and relevant government agencies
• ■ Other staff—including frontline staff (social workers, etc.)

You may also want to consider including:

• ■ Academics with a specialization in your field
• ■ Partner organizations and/or “competitors” (those you might see as fishing in the same funding pool you do)
• ■ Client advocacy or umbrella groups

For government agencies, the list is similar, but with the addition of relevant political leadership (depending on your country and level of government: governor, mayor, ministers, etc.), other relevant political groups and nonprofits that fund you, and/or those that you fund to provide services.

Ask a few of the stakeholders you have identified above to also review the list and see who is missing. Inevitably, someone will think of a critical person or group that was somehow left off in the first round. As you start to engage people, make sure you keep asking the question: “Who else should we talk to?”

Who Decides What?

FIGURE 1.1 Stakeholder Checklist—Sample

Once you have a list of your stakeholders, think about the capacities in which you might like to involve them. The first, and most useful, differentiation to make is whether you want people to have decision-making authority or to simply provide input. Note that some stakeholders—like the executive and board of directors—may have a legal responsibility to be involved in big strategic decisions. As long as you are very clear with people about their role from the beginning, they will usually understand that not everyone can or should be involved in making the final decision and they will appreciate your honesty. For example, you could convey the message to a local advisory board by saying, “We need and value your input and advice, but the national board will have the final say on our strategy.” Figure 1-1shows an example of a stakeholder checklist, showing who you will involve and how you will engage them.

It is important to note that the intent here is not just to placate people. You will have a better strategy if you listen to others (especially your clients) ab...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Prepare for Success
• 2. Get the Facts
• 3. Set Your Goal
• 4. Identify Your Options
• 5. Identify What Works
• 6. Identify Your Strengths
• 7. Choose Your Approach
• 8. Tell Your Story
• 9. Plan for Action
• Appendix 1: Suggested Agenda for First Workshop
• Appendix 2: Suggested Agenda for Second Workshop
• Appendix 3: List of Values
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• References
• Index
• About the Author