From Survive to Thrive

This very important process, organizational design and strategic planning, is not about simply growing an organization. It is about making your organization one of high performance and high impact. Even if you do not currently see a need to grow your organization, it is necessary to have a solid organizational design and strategic plan so that you can maintain or increase productivity and effectiveness while remaining mission and vision-centric. You will find more about strategic planning in Challenge Eight.

Stay on Target: What is the best decision for the good of the organization?

When structuring or restructuring your organization for growth and efficiency or repositioning the organization's purpose, it is always best to look at every function related to the organization's strategy as outlined in Challenge Three: Staff.

At all times ask the question, What is the best decision for the good of the organization? With every decision, ask this question, not only of you, but of everyone affiliated with the organization as they make essential decisions related to the current and forecasted transformational matters of the organization. This practice is truly just as easily done as it is said. The consistent asking of this question keeps everything in perspective. It takes the focus off of any individual's self-serving intentions and places it on the direction of the organization.

At this point in the strategic planning process you will have already determined your mission and your vision. As your organization grows and changes, you will need to continue to decide the functions that your organization will need to have in play. These functions provide the tangible solutions for the shift that your nonprofit needs to make as you move in the direction you have strategically mapped out as your organization's vision. Functions follow the strategy going forward.

As your nonprofit becomes more of a high performing and high impact organization, the many functions related to your vision will need to change to make certain that your organization is poised for this shift. If you are in need of expanding your services, what are the functions that are necessary to carry out that expansion? Your programs may need to be more current or more topical. What are the functions that are necessary to make that happen? Perhaps you've recognized that your nonprofit has underserved a certain audience segment or area of the market. What are the functions necessary to resolve that dilemma?

Carefully look at your current organizational structure. Your structure, not your organizational chart. Your structure is the map or plan of function areas throughout your organization. Your organizational chart maps out the actual job titles of those who perform the functions of the organizational structure. For now, just focus on drawing up your current organizational structure. Then look carefully at your strategic plan. Now draw up an organizational structure of the functions needed to shift the organization toward your vision. You may find that there are many of your current functions that can remain in the new design or you may find that there are only a few that will fit. As challenging as it may be, remove all thought of titles and who is positioned in current roles. You simply want to sketch out what functions are needed to move the organization in the direction of the strategy. Once this is completed, you may now match roles to the various functions needed for your nonprofit and assess current human resources filling the roles. Professional development of current administration and staff and/or recruitment of new administration and staff will most likely be necessary.