Search the blog for insights about nonprofit strategy, leadership, culture, and operations.
The Best Laid Plans
Planning can be incredibly valuable, but even the best-laid plans are subject to factors beyond our control.
When you find your plans disrupted or thrown off course, here are some questions that can help you reset and make the most of a challenging situation.
![Modern Strategy for Meaningful Results [PODCAST]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60ba29412635cf7edb559199/1644503840462-10VVWYXPG3XHV4DLT7H2/We+Are+For+Good+-+1.png)
Modern Strategy for Meaningful Results [PODCAST]
I recently had the chance to visit with the We Are For Good podcast team about the benefits of modern strategy for social good, involving your community in your strategic planning, and what it looks like to get your strategic plan so clear you can fit it on one page.
While we focus on strategic planning for nonprofit organizations and leaders in this episode, the practical advice and approaches here work for social good businesses and anyone else who's looking for a better way to articulate and activate their strategy.
The Art of Being Ready
Chances are you’ve been inspired at one point or another by a motivational quote having to do with preparation and planning. Intellectually, these quotes make sense. The better prepared you are for a variety of situations, the more capable you’ll be when the time comes.
But practically speaking, our days are full of challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed right now. Knowing how to prepare ourselves for a future we can’t foretell and making time to do that preparation are both big roadblocks for so many leaders I know.
Getting out of this pattern requires us to get better at being ready for what’s next.
This is an intentional choice leaders need to make – to create the habit of being ready. And as with any new habit, the path starts with small, manageable steps.
Incorporating Rests Into the Rhythm of Work
At some point in the process of learning to read music, every student learns the importance of rests.
Rests – the pauses between notes – are active, intentional moments of silence designed to create specific patterns, rhythms, and feelings throughout a musical piece, and they are critically important for the musician and the audience alike.
Rests are also critical for successful strategic planning and implementation.
If you’re so busy working that you’re not taking intentional, active moments to pause, reflect, and renew your effort based on those reflections or redirect to a new path, then you’re increasing the chance that your efforts will be less strategic, less effective, and less successful.