In case you missed my last post on 5 Simple Steps to Achieve Your Nonprofit Goals, it may be worth your while to go back and read it first. Today’s post gives you some tips that will make goal achievement much easier and more enjoyable. Below are 4 simple, yet very important tips to keep in mind as you create and work toward your goals.
Don’t be a lone wolf – Enlist help from the right people
Stress and overwhelm often lead to burnout when nonprofit leaders fail to properly enlist their team to help plan for and create success. Identify who should be at the table. Your team includes key members of your current and maybe even past staff and board members – those who have the knowledge and experience necessary to analyze ideas and strategies, provided ideas and make decisions to overcome obstacles and move forward (instead of trying the same things that haven’t worked in the past). Volunteers, program partners and funders may even have a valuable role to play in this process.
Communicate effectively – never assume people understand your intentions
Realize that what you intend to communicate and how others perceive your communications are not always in alignment. Every single one of us perceives any situation based on our own values and experience. This is why two (or even ten) people can see the exact same situation, event or story from completely different.
Then, when you add gender differences into the mix, that can bring in a whole new set of challenges – or opportunities. Whether we acknowledge them or not, there are some very distinct differences in the way that (most) men and women see things, process information and prioritize. This can cause conflict because we think the other understands us, but in fact, they’re NOT and expectations are not fulfilled as a result of this shared miscommunication. On the other hand, these differences when understood and respected give us the opportunity to identify the right people for the right job – who has the knowledge, skills, experience and interest level necessary to lead a project or do a certain task.
Strive for leadership excellence – Release the illusion of control
The only person we truly have any control over is ourselves. Leadership excellence is about finding the balance between engaging, supporting and inspiring our people to action. Attempting to control or micromanage is ALWAYS a recipe for disaster because it gives people the message (whether intended or not) that you don’t trust them to do a good job.
Outstanding leaders lead by example. They have high expectations that are clearly articulated, give their people the security of communicating that they’ve got their back if and when needed, but they also honor and trust that their people have the intelligence and fortitude to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
Allow for Flexibility
We all know that things don’t always – or even often – go according to our plan or expectations. When we acknowledge this reality and have the shared understanding that we learn as we go and can make necessary adjustments along the way, we won’t get rattled or completely derailed when things don’t go our way. The important thing is to plan if possible for contingencies and don’t give up too easily. When you have a team to process and trouble-shoot with, you’ll often come up with other (sometimes more effective) routes to the same goal or outcome. Give up only when it is clear to the team that a plan is unworkable and should be completely scrapped. We learn from our mistakes and failures and this is what creates success.
