Strategic focus: to chose and excel

Introduction

Based on my consultancy practice at Good Purpose, earlier work experience and a series of recent interviews with a number of CEOs I am happy to share my ideas on strategy, organization and management in civilsociety organizations. This first blog is about the need for strategic focus.

Endless amount of work

Civil society organizations have a social mission. That is their raison d’être, the reason why they exist. Whether it is emergency relief, development, fair trade, peace and security, human rights, health, nature and environment, animal welfare, culture and arts, social justice, social support, or any other purpose, there will always be an endless amount of work to be done. There is continuous pressure to do more, both from external parties (beneficiaries, stakeholders, partners, funders) as well as from within the organization (employees, volunteers). Especially when you are successful, others will ask to do more and then it’s difficult to say no. Staff members, managers and board members of civil society organizations have a lot of passion and ambition to improve the world and help others. This is a great asset, but it can also be a pitfall. In order to be effective civil society organizations need to make choices: what to do and – more importantly – what not to do. Human and financial resources are naturally limited. But even if there were a surplus of resources, the organization cannot give sufficient attention to all issues. For every organization it is impossible to be successful and effective in everything.

Therefore, civil society organizations have to make strategic choices. This may sound as an open door. Nevertheless, many organizations struggle to really make clear choices. Often a strategy describes more or less what the organization has already been doing, with some additional ambitions regarding the increase of fundraising and the expansion of activities. But more of the same is often not the best option to have maximum impact. Less is more. And even more difficult is to consistently implement the strategic choices. This needs clear substantiation and broad support in the organization and by the key stakeholders. A clear strategic vision and roadmap, that provides direction and clarity.

Added value

The strategic choices that have to be made may refer to target groups, themes, types of activity and/or geographic scope. Possibly also types of funding, e.g. whether to seek funding from governments or corporates.

The strategic choices should of course support the mission; what will enable you best to achieve your mission? Which brings you to the question: what will have most impact, and how can you tell and measure that. More on that in one of my next blogs.

Ask yourself: in what can you excel, where is the highest added value and in what do you aim to be the number one. Focus on that. Other criteria that can be applied: how to distinguish from other organizations, in what can you be agenda setting and with what are you most recognizable for your supporters (members, private donors, volunteers), partners and funders. Although the latter may hamper innovation, so be critical on that. Furthermore, it may be relevant for which activities are you able to get funding. But be careful that you will not become donor driven. So first establish your own priorities, and then seek funding for those. Therefore, it is important to have sufficient unearmarked funding to remain independent from donors in making choices based on your mission.

Once you have made strategic choices it is important to ensure the whole organization is aware, the choices are elaborated into plans, programmes and budgets, and most importantly that you apply them consistently, also under internal or external pressure.

Terminating

The most difficult thing is to decide to terminate certain things. Because they have not enough impact or to make room for other things that deserve more priority. Or even because it was very successful and the objective has been achieved. This may be difficult, especially regarding topics or target groups that made the organisation big and well known. The inclination of the organization will be to continue what it has done for many years or even during its whole existence. Some staff members or volunteers may have joined the organization specifically for that topic or target group. E.g. if you joined Greenpeace to save the whales it may be difficult to accept that other issues, like climate change, have become more important and need the full focus of the organization.

The very most difficult thing is to terminate the whole organization. Every organization inclines to continuity. A lot of courage is needed to acknowledge that the organization you work for has lost its purpose. Maybe new ways of organizing have become more effective or other purposes have become more relevant. Actually, every civil society organization should aim to become redundant. Because what is better than to be able to say: mission accomplished!

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