Organizational Vitality: The Heart of Nonprofit Success

Mary Robinson & Sara Watkins

March 2, 2017

©Capacity Partners, Inc. capacitypartners.com partnering@capacitypartners.com 240-462-5151

1. Planning for Effectiveness 2. Defining Organizational Vitality 3. Assessing Your Nonprofit’s Vitality 4. Strengthening Organizational Vitality 5. Putting It Into Action

Session Overview

Planning for Effectiveness

A strategic plan determines where an organization wants to go and how it will get there. A departmental plan identifies objectives, strategies and tactics for one function, e.g. fundraising, finance, programs, board governance.

A Plan is a Roadmap

Your organizational lens matters

By Function

Culture adds a key perspective

“Culture eats strategy for lunch” -Peter Drucker

CP Model of Organizational Effectiveness

Defining Organizational Vitality:

The Heart of Nonprofit Success

Vitality: Heart of Organizational Effectiveness

Four Components of Organizational Vitality

1

Vision

The change you wish to see in the world

2

Leadership Inspiring passion, providing direction

3

Goals Specific results to be achieved

4

Engagement

Firing up staff and stakeholders

Assessing Your Nonprofit’s Vitality

Strengthening Organizational Vitality

Reporting Back

Putting It Into Action

• A lens for assessing an organization’s health • A planning tool in lieu of full strategic planning • A check-in for a strategic plan which feels stuck

• A prelude to targeted planning (e.g. marketing,

fundraising, etc.) • A way to bring board, staff, and key volunteers

together to create transformative impact

Organizational Vitality Can Be Used As

Vitality: Heart of Organizational Effectiveness

Thank you!

capacitypartners.com partnering@capacitypartners.com 240-462-5151

© Capacity Partners capacitypartners.com partnering@capacitypartners.com 240-462-5151

 

Organizational  Vitality  Assessment  

For  each  section,  give  each  of  the  five  items  a  score  from  1-­‐5.  1  is  low,  3  is  neutral,  and  5  is  high.    

If  you  are  not  sure  of  the  answer  to  an  item,  give  it  a  score  of  3.  Write  your  total  scores  for  each  section  in  the  section’s  orange  box.  

VISION    

Vision  Statement:  § Describes  the  impact  that  the  organization  seeks  to  achieve  § Addresses  a  compelling  need  § Can  be  aspirational  or  time-­‐bound                Vision  example:  Everybody  in  Washington,  DC  has  a  home  § Is  closely  aligned  with  “mission”  which  describes  why  an  organization  exists                            

and  what  it  does                Mission  example:  We  provide  homes  and  housing  support  for  families  in                      Washington,  DC  How  compelling  is  your  vision  statement?        How  well  is  your  vision  communicated  to  your  employees  and  stakeholders?    Does  your  vision  effectively  serve  to  guide  strategy?      How  well  does  your  mission  support  your  vision?    Is  your  mission  easily  understandable  to  people  inside  and  outside  your  organization?    

Vision  Total:      

LEADERSHIP    

Board  and  Organizational  Leaders:    § Are  passionate  about  achieving  the  vision  and  mission  § Provide  clear,  strong  direction  § Collaborate  effectively  with  staff  and  stakeholders  § Inspire  and  maintain  the  passion  of  others  § Advance  the  vision  internally  and  externally  § Set  strategy  and  goals    How  well  does  board  and  organizational  leadership  provide  clear,  strong  direction?    How  effectively  do  your  board  and  organizational  leaders  collaborate?      How  effective  are  your  leaders  in  setting  strategy  and  goals?      How  effectively  does  leadership  inspire  and  empower  others?    How  well  do  leaders  keep  a  focus  on  action/goals  that  will  achieve  the  mission?    

Leadership  Total:    

   

 2

Rate  1-­‐5    (1  low/  5  high)  

GOALS    

Organizational  Goals:  § Set  direction  for  next  3-­‐5  years  to  further  the  mission  § Define  top  4-­‐7  priorities  How  well  do  your  goals  and  strategies  support  your  vision?    How  aligned  are  individual  employee  goals  with  the  organizational  goals?    How  well  do  leaders  set  and  measure  expectations  for  organizational  performance?      How  clearly  has  your  leadership  set  your  top  priorities?      Do  you  have  dynamic  mechanisms  to  assess  possible  changes  in  priorities  and  strategies?      

Goals  Total:    

ENGAGEMENT    

Board,  Organizational  Leaders,  Staff  &  Volunteers:  § Understand  and  support  the  vision  and  mission  § Understand  their  and  others’  roles  –  how  all  contribute  to  the  shared  vision  § Are  empowered  to  take  action  § Implement  /  execute  the  goals    Supporters,  Volunteers  &  Community  Stakeholders:  § Are  excited  and  inspired  by  the  vision  § Take  action  to  support  the  shared  vision  How  well  are  employees  inspired  by  the  vision?    How  well  are  stakeholders  inspired  by  the  vision?      How  well  do  senior  leaders  effectively  create  an  environment  for  employee  engagement  and  high  performance?  

 

How  well  does  leadership  empower  employees  to  take  action?    How  well  does  the  organization  create  a  supportive  environment  for  employees  and  stakeholders?  

 

Engagement  Total:    

   

TOTAL  ORGANIZATIONAL  VITALITY  SCORE    

Use  the  columns  below  to  add  up  your  scores  from  each  of  the  four  categories  above:  Vision      Leadership    Goals      Engagement      

TOTAL  ORGANIZATIONAL  VITALITY  SCORE:    

 

 3

Interpreting  Your  Vitality  Scores  

 

   

             1.  Individual  Vitality  Components    Check  your  scores  in  each  of  the  assessment’s  four  components  (Vision,  Leadership,  Goals,  and  Engagement):    21-­‐25  points:     Your  organization’s  performance  in  this  component  is  excellent.  Keep  up  the           good  work!    16-­‐20  points:     Your  organization’s  performance  in  this  component  is  good  but  could  be           improved.  See  which  questions  deserve  further  attention  and  make  sure  to  keep         these  questions  in  mind  when  conducting  organizational  planning.        10-­‐15  points:     Your  organization’s  performance  in  this  component  needs  work.  Certainly           examine  which    questions  brought  down  your  organization’s  score,  but  also           consider  devising  a  plan  that  strengthens  this  component.    Below  10  points:   You  need  to  strengthen  your  vitality  in  this  area.  You  must  absolutely  examine           which  questions  brought  down  your  organization’s  score  for  this  component,           and  a  comprehensive  plan  will  be  essential.    2.  Total  Organizational  Vitality  Score    Check  your  total  organizational  vitality  score:    81-­‐100  points:     Your  organization’s  vitality  is  excellent.  Still,  take  note  of  the  individual  focus           areas  that  may  need  more  work  than  others.    61-­‐80  points:     Your  organization’s  vitality  is  in  relatively  good  shape.  Of  course,  there  is  always           room  for  improvement.  Devise  plans  for  addressing  any  problem  areas.    25-­‐60  points:       Your  organization  needs  work  to  achieve  vitality    and  will  likely  need  a  targeted           plan  for  improvement.    Below  25  points:     You  need  to  strengthen  your  organizational  vitality  significantly.  Understand           that  every  focus  area  will  need  considerable  attention  via  a  comprehensive  plan.  

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Organizational+Vitality+Discussion+Questions+

+

++++

1. VISION+++

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• Do!know!what!your!organization’s!vision!is?!!Do!you!find!it!compelling?!Why!or!why!not?!!!!!

• How!can!you!make!a!vision!easily!understandable?!!!!!!

• How!can!a!vision!be!communicated!to!employees!and!external!stakeholders?!!!!!

• What!can!you!do!if!your!organization!doesn’t!have!a!vision!statement?!!!!!!

• Other!thoughts!regarding!vision?!!

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!!

Organizational+Vitality+Discussion+Questions+

+

++++

2. LEADERSHIP+

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• Are!your!leaders!passionate!about!achieving!your!organization’s!vision!and!mission?!!!!!

• How!do!leaders!provide!clear,!strong!direction!without!micromanaging?!!!!!

• How!do!leaders!inspire!and!maintain!the!passion!of!others?!!!!!

• How!can!an!organization!build!leadership!where!it!is!lacking!(board,!ED,!senior!managers!etc.)?!!!!!

• Other!thoughts!regarding!leadership?!

!

!

!!

Organizational+Vitality+Discussion+Questions+

+

++++

3. GOALS+

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• Does!your!organization!have!goals!that!support!your!vision?!!!!!

• How!can!your!leaders!best!set!your!organization’s!top!priorities?!!!!!

• How!can!your!department’s!goals!better!align!with!your!organization’s!goals?!!!!!

• How!can!you!ensure!that!goals!are!measurable!and!achievable?!!!!!

• Other!thoughts!regarding!goals?!

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!

!

!!

Organizational+Vitality+Discussion+Questions+

+

++

!+4. ENGAGEMENT+

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• Do!you!consider!your!board,!staff,!employees!and!stakeholders!to!be!highly!engaged!in!your!organization’s!work?!

!!!!

• How!do!leaders!create!an!effective!environment!for!engagement?!!!!!!

• How!do!leaders!empower!and!encourage!employees!to!take!action?!!!!!!

• How!can!an!organization!create!a!supportive!environment!for!employees!and!stakeholders?!!!!!!

• Other!thoughts!regarding!engagement?!

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