Is Your Strategy Missing This Critical Tool?

Does your organization need a compass - or a mirror?

Lots of nonprofit strategic planning incorporates compass imagery, with the aim of keeping an organization pointed toward its "true north" with respect to mission, values, and impact. Compasses can be useful tools to aid you in your journey.

But a compass can't tell you who you are. It can't define the unique talents, perspectives, skills, experiences, and assets you bring to the journey. It also can't tell you the best way to get to your destination - just where you are in comparison to it.

Often, what you need first is a mirror - a way to self-reflect and get a clear look at yourself.

Your organization's role in the community or industry, its character, focus areas, and capabilities are all critical in informing your strategic choices and your journey.

If you and I are both headed to Los Angeles from Raleigh, NC, a compass will point us both in the same direction.

But a mirror would show that one of us is a commercial pilot with access to a plane leaving tomorrow, and the other is a truck driver who can leave today, but needs to refuel more frequently.

Our destinations are the same, but our strategies for getting there will - necessarily - be different.

Nonprofit strategy often fails when organizations don't have a clear picture of who they are, how they want to be in the world, and what they are best positioned to do.

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Don't sink a ton of money into your next strategic planning effort without first holding up a mirror to your organization.

At LaFemina & Co., we guide nonprofit leaders through this critical self-reflection so they can clearly articulate the organization's identity and character in a way that drives strategy, improves planning, and supports strong understanding among staff and close supporters. If you’re ready to get clear and maximize your strategic planning investment, book a call with us today.