Staying on Course: What to Do If You Are in the Middle of a Multi-Year Transformation Plan
Good for you if you started a major transformation plan before the pandemic hit. While the pandemic forced many nonprofits to quickly pivot to change mode, your organization is in the relatively good position of having already embraced and started this process. Now the challenge is how to stay on course while recognizing that the world around you has changed.
Transformation is always difficult, as you are aware by having gotten to this point. The upfront work required to build a case, gain momentum and traction, and get started is comprehensive, time-consuming and exhausting.
Next up, you have implementation and navigating the path through completion, which often takes two to three years, and sometimes even more. From conception and planning through completion, the timeline for a major transformation can easily span five years.
Somewhere in the middle of your game-changing organizational effort, the pandemic arrived. It was natural to temporarily hit the pause button as we all absorbed the hyper-change conditions impacting nonprofit operations, funding, and culture, as well as the overall contraction of the economy.
Now is the time to release the pause button and get back on course, as we all know only one thing for certain: the pandemic and its ripple effects will be with us for a long time.
There are five separate steps in a transformation plan:
Understanding how the external climate has changed
Understanding your organization’s old landscape and legacy culture
Paving the way for transformation
Implementation
Navigating the path ahead
Step four (implementation) is the initial roadmap documenting and outlining key action steps sequentially (timeline) and financially (budget) for the transformation period. Step five (navigating the path ahead) requires recognition that unexpected circumstances will appear that will impact step four timing and implementation.
How you steer the organization through steps four and five during this crisis period is particularly critical for the success of your transformation plan. There are several factors that should be kept in mind when adapting these steps to the current circumstances.
First, communicate to your Board and staff that strong commitment and support for transformation has not changed. Second, recognize that adapting to new information as the transformation plays out was built into the process. This is accomplished by revising your multi-year implementation plans and corresponding budgets on a quarterly basis.
The pandemic has equally impacted both the timing and delivery methods of mission-based programs. These factors are continuing to evolve as the pandemic plays out. Demonstrate your commitment to proactive management by providing regular progress updates and revised financial forecasts. This will help maintain a high level of trust and confidence from your Board and staff during a time of general unease.
Planning Tip – Get your finance committee actively involved with reporting progress on the transformation plan. The financial picture around the transformation plan will be your most visible and outward-facing way to report on progress and evolving changes that are being implemented. The buy-in and participation of your finance committee is crucial for communicating the financial picture in a way that maintains trust and confidence.
Going forward, transparency will be the key to maintaining trust and confidence. Avoid long periods of silence, as this is not a time to go quiet. Encourage feedback from all parties and be appreciative of this interaction. Final outcomes will greatly benefit from these efforts.
