Maintaining your pace in challenging times
‘It’s going to be a marathon, not a sprint’. This was the mantra most regularly shared by social leaders in our weekly sessions from the start of pandemic. Recent announcements of further restrictions mean that we are far from the home straight.
Charities and other organisations with a social purpose have already had to make so many hard choices and deep adaptations. Every social leader should be rightly proud of the responses of their organisations so far – and impressed by the speed, team spirit and energy that has emerged. Services have had to undergo rapid transformation, and the scale of digital adaptation has happened at speed previously unimaginable. In other areas radical delegation in the new mode, with staff stepping up and grasping new roles.
But many people are exhausted. And whilst this next phase may be less extreme, it will be no less challenging. It is not an exaggeration to say that many organisations will be made - or broken - in the next six months.
To help you, we’re sharing the five things that organisations are doing right now to maintain their sense of purpose and pace through these difficult times.
1. Candour
Strong organisations encourage people to name the problems ahead. There are hard choices to be made everywhere you look. Being honest about the current challenges helps organisations look difficulties straight in the eye. People may not like the choices you make, but at least they will understand why you have made them.
2. Purpose
Threat naturally means attention turns inwards and internal, organisational concerns dominate. Getting through intact is not the aim (and unlikely to be successful). Strength comes from continually making a connection to the purpose the organisation was created for. Keeping an eye on this as your ‘North Star’ - and understanding how your beneficiaries needs are changing brings great energy and focus into organisations.
3. Values
Organisations that are in strongest shape are those that are living their values. As a leader, asking yourself ‘What am I doing today to bring our values to life?’ (with an emphasis on doing, not saying) sets the tone for your organisation and will create cohesion across your team even in tough times.
4. Renewal
Clinging on to what you know is natural, especially given the constant cycle of change we are in right now. But if ever there was a time for renewal it is now. Whether that is quitting your London HQ, engaging in merger talks or redesigning your services; strength comes from knowing that there is opportunity in all change . You can find a tool to help you further here.
5. Perspective
With so much noise about change and our attention constantly being dragged away by rolling news, it can be hard to stay focused. Make time to share insight with colleagues and make sense of what really matters right now for your beneficiaries and serving your core mission. Strength also comes from external perspective – it is often only through hearing others’ stories that we gain perspective on what is going on for our own organisations. Our networks are at risk of becoming stale - make the effort to reach out outside your organisation to reignite old connections and forge new ones.
For more ideas and inspiration, download our Strategy Ship - a framework to help you steer your organisation through stormy seas.