One of the Most Overlooked (and Costly) Pain Points in Nonprofit Life
Want to know one of the most overlooked—and costly—pain points in nonprofit life?
It’s how decisions are made, delegated, and communicated.
Whether you’re an established nonprofit with hundreds of employees or a growing organization just bringing on new team members, decision-making touches every area of your work. And it’s eating up more time and energy than you may realize.
The Hidden Cost of Decisions
According to a 2019 McKinsey survey of executives, senior leaders, and middle managers:
Respondents reported spending an average of 37% of their time making decisions (with executives and senior leaders reporting even higher), and
More than 50% of that time was thought to be spent ineffectively.
Oof. That’s a lot of time and energy being lost.
But here’s the good news: it can be easier to make smart, effective, and consistent decisions in your organization.
In a recent podcast conversation, I shared practical tools for gaining clarity around decision-making and helping leaders and teams make better decisions, faster.
Here are five key takeaways.
5 Key Takeaways on Decision-Making for Nonprofit Leaders
1. Decision-Making Is an Invisible Problem—Until It’s Not
Unlike fundraising or program delivery, decision-making doesn’t have its own budget line. But when it’s broken, it shows up everywhere: delays, confusion, and burnout.
2. Know Your Decision-Making Style
Leaders need to articulate how they make decisions. What kind of data do you need? Who do you need to hear from? Do you want solutions or options? Clarity here helps your team help you.
3. Repeatable Decisions Need Repeatable Systems
Recurring decisions should have simple processes: who owns them, what criteria are used, and how often they happen. This takes unnecessary urgency off the table and empowers staff.
4. Delegation Requires Letting Go (and Being Okay with Imperfection)
One of my biggest shifts as a department leader was stepping out of a critical, time-sensitive process while keeping overall accountability. Things moved faster, quality stayed high, and the team grew stronger.
5. Change Starts with You, Not Your Team
If you want your organization to shift how it works, you have to model it. From mindset to systems to communication, effective change management always begins at the top.
Join the Conversation
Decision-making may not get the spotlight, but it’s one of the most powerful levers you have to improve clarity, speed, and team health.
👉 To see more resources I recommend on decision-making—and to share what’s worked for you—you can join the conversation on LinkedIn here.
I’m Veronica LaFemina, and I advise CEOs and Department Heads at established nonprofits on creating strategic clarity and learning to lead change well.
Photo by Marcus Urbenz on Unsplash