Bringing about
change in an organization is a challenging undertaking, and there are many
obstacles that may prevent necessary change from occurring. Stakeholders may
not think that change is needed, and may want to cling to what the organization
has always done. There can be disagreement about the appropriate next steps for
the organization, and some members of the organization may feel as if their
ideas are overlooked and that they are not valued. Once a new direction is
decided upon, the next steps may not be adequately planned, or there may not be
an organizational structure in place to help with implementation. There may be
a lack of communication or training for staff members or volunteer to execute
the plan, resulting in frustration. Organizations may diversifies services too
greatly or deviates too far away from the organization’s roots, or may be
disconnected from how the organization can best serve its intended clients.
In order for
change to successfully take root, there must be consensus among stakeholders, a
well-constructed strategic plan, and systems created for an effective implementation
of the plan; changes must fit within the organization’s culture and must be
adapted to the external world.
The first step toward
changing an organization is building a consensus about the organization’s next
steps. Consensus building requires a discussion that includes the various
stakeholders of the organization (e.g., leadership, staff, volunteer
representatives, recipient representatives, etc.); the discussion about the
next steps are enriched by multiple perspectives. Because many stakeholders may
be attached to what the organization has always done, the discussion should
start with convincing them that change is necessary. One method for
accomplishing this is constructing a “burning platform,” in which stakeholders
are convinced that they cannot stay where they are, and doing nothing will
result in the failure of the organization. Leadership must identify the most
fundamental issues and threats facing the organization, but then must point to
solutions, offering a place for stakeholders to jump (Bryson, 240).
Once the
stakeholders agree that there are problems and change must happen, the next
step is to engage in a collaborative discussion to decide upon the changes that
need to be made. Intentionally collaborative discussions allow for the
organization to benefit from the creativity of all of the members present, and
it helps all stakeholders feel involved in the changes being decided upon. Some
techniques include nominal group thinking, implication wheels, and
brainstorming. The discussion should include identifying the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the organization (Bryson, 242). The
conversation should incorporate the origin and that mission of the organization,
as well as external trends and forces; this will ensure that any changes align
with the organization’s identity, and that the organization is being responsive
to changes in the external world (Bryson, 247-248). This will help prevent
mission creep into unrelated areas of service, while also helping the organization
to adapt to new the new needs of their clients (Brown, 226).
Once the vision
for change is agreed upon, it is important to develop an effective
implementation process. Leaders that are constructing the new systems must
institutionalize the adapted vision, and create systems and processes to have
it be realized (Cameron, 16). A human resources management systems is indispensable
in hiring or recruiting volunteers to join the organization, offering
benchmarks for workers, rewarding successful performance by workers, and
developing a training system to help workers succeed (Cameron, 16-17). As
changes are being implemented, it is necessary to clearly communicate
expectations to the workers of the organization, and to equip them with
trainings and resources to help them carry out the change that was decided upon.
Brown, W. “Strategic Management.”
The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management. John Wiley
& Sons, 2016. Pg. 217-239.
Bryson, J. “Strategic Planning
and the Strategy Cycle.” The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and
management. John Wiley & Sons, 2016. Pg. 240-273.
Cameron, K. “Transformational
Leadership.” Developing Management Skills. New York: Harper Collins,
1991. Pg. 1-26.
