The US election has created turmoil in the many parts of the nonprofit world. Environmental and other organizations with national scope or substantial government engagement are facing the twin challenges of uncertainty and urgency.
Here’s a chance to take (another) deep breath and think through a strategic approach going forward. Five questions to ask yourself and your team:
1. What are the top risks to our work and goals?
The question behind this question is (as always in strategy) “How do we prioritize?” Identifying the top risks and priorities helps the organization stay focused, communicate with stakeholders, and begin clarifying what may need to be de-prioritized to focus on these areas.
2. What’s our approach to handling the unexpected?
Times of high volatility can raise the risk of racing to put out fires in every direction. How will we balance the need to address surprises, new risks, or unexpected opportunities with staying on track overall? What has helped us do this successfully in the past?
3. What important “no-regrets” actions will be helpful no matter what happens?
The election provided a broad sense of what the new administration’s priorities will be, but left many unknowns. Things may change in any direction at any time. What actions will support our work in most or all scenarios? What will help keep us steady?
4. What should we do now?
What are the immediate steps that will lay the groundwork for our direction? There may be actions that could be valuable to take while still under the current administration, or building blocks to put in place to be ready for action early next year. Again, prioritize those actions that are most important to address top risks and goals.
5. What internal structures and supports do we need?
It may be tempting to leap into action. At the same time, it’s critical to maintain the organization’s internal strength. What’s working? What’s not? What do team members need, both personally and professionally? What processes or communications may need to change? How do we stay connected to the organization’s big vision?
Making effective choices is especially critical in these times. Being realistic about the potential risks, maintaining clear priorities, and choosing what steps to take now will lay groundwork that will serve the organization no matter what comes.
For more about how Entrellis can support scenario-based strategic work as well as maintaining and building out effective structures to support teams, see our website or contact us for a free 30-minute consultation.