A major complaint about strategic planning is that it is not worthwhile because no one can predict the future – so why try to set a five year strategy? People who think this way don’t understand strategy correctly. A strategy should not attempt to tell you specifically what you will “do” during the second week of the tenth month of the third year of the strategy time … [Read more...] about The 6th Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: “No Annual Review”
The 5th Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: “Lots of Plans, No Strategy” aka “What is Strategy Anyway?”
When I ask for a copy of a strategy or a strategic plan, I usually get a lot of paper with plans and lists and budgets and – sometimes – a few vague goals. But rarely do I see a “strategy.” So what is a strategy anyway? Keeping it simple, a strategy is a general explanation of how you are going to guide your organization’s performance into the future – from here to … [Read more...] about The 5th Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: “Lots of Plans, No Strategy” aka “What is Strategy Anyway?”
The 4th Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: “Too Rushed”
I appreciate getting the calls, but I don’t feel like I can be helpful by the time they call. “We have our strategic planning session scheduled for Friday afternoon, four weeks from now. Are you available to facilitate?” I ask a couple of questions to make sure that I am not assuming too much. But almost always, my suspicion is confirmed – the organization has rushed … [Read more...] about The 4th Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: “Too Rushed”
The 3rd Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: Over-Emphasis on Fundraising
Like so many sins, this one starts out innocently enough. An organization has financial challenges and decides it needs a big new fundraising campaign – maybe even a capital campaign. Then someone remembers that a big fundraising effort will need to be explained as being part of a strategic plan. So they hasten to throw together a strategic plan that justifies the … [Read more...] about The 3rd Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: Over-Emphasis on Fundraising
The 2nd Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: “Insular Mountaintop Planning”
It can be good for a strategy planning group to go to the “mountains” to get away from distractions to do work together. But, before you go, gather input regarding the organization’s future from stakeholders – and check in with them when you get back for more input before you publish the plan. I get push-back on this, because it can take some time. When a CEO asks me why … [Read more...] about The 2nd Deadly Sin of Nonprofit Strategy: “Insular Mountaintop Planning”