Whether your ministry or nonprofit is actively working because it has been determined to be “essential” or it is sidelined because of the global pandemic, there are things that you should be doing right now to be prepared for the future. Now is not the time to relax, stop working or get discouraged. Well, maybe there is some time to relax, but not for long.
Now is the time to pivot to make your organization stronger than ever.
While others are sitting and wondering what to do, you have an opportunity to emerge as a strong, thriving organization that is flexible and innovative. Below are the top three strategies you can implement today to help your organization pivot—-
- Get comfortable working on-line
Now, like never before, the world is working on-line and that is not going to change. While we may go back to our offices and places of work, the “world” has now had a taste of what it is like to work virtually. And, many people are discovering they like it and are pretty good at it.
So, for your organization, you might begin asking some questions:
Could we allow our staff to regularly work at home on a rotating basis to allow them an improved quality of life? (Many are finding that staying at home provides a greater quality of life as they have slowed the manic pace of life they were keeping—and for some, that is worth its weight in gold).
Could we eliminate a face-to-face meeting or two and use a virtual meeting platform to reduce time and costs associated with traveling?
Is our technology adequate for increased virtual working? Perhaps we need to look at adding money to our budget for technology resources.
2. Remain flexible
Most communities are seeing new needs emerge, or at least “old” needs be heightened. And, perhaps, those needs are not needs your organization usually addresses. They may be peripheral to the mission of your organization or serve the same target population. But, in this time, your organization has the ability to emerge as a leader in the community when it steps forward to think outside the box and work to address those needs. Now is not the time to become territorial, remember, we are all in this together.
If your organization has the capability to be flexible and innovative, to serve the needs of the community, it will reap the benefits when the pandemic is long over.
Think about who you can serve and what you can do —it may look a little different than what you are used to.
3. Get Stronger
In those spare moments, now is the time to get stronger, both as an organization and as a leader. The world of self-education and digital training is going to become a mighty force in our society. The challenge is knowing who to listen to and who to turn off. Spend some time discerning the messages you hear to determine if they align with your values — believe me, not all of them will. Ask God for the discernment you need to sift through what you are hearing. Here’s what I suggest —
- Read, read and read. Identify some personal development books you would like to read and plan to read some everyday. The authors you select will become your personal mentors, so select carefully.
- Listen to podcasts that are relevant to your field.
- Engage in learning activities for both you and your organization. For instance, develop a path for learning for your board of directors. Our BoardFlics board training is a great way to get started. Determine what knowledge you need to learn to become a better nonprofit or ministry leader. Would it help you to develop grant writing skills? Check out our Grant Writing Intensive.
- Need someone to coach you and guide you? Contact us to learn more about our nonprofit leader coaching services.
Changes will always come and go. That’s one of the reasons we get so frustrated with change—because its always changing. So, focus now on how you will rise up—it’s time!
