This topic is near and dear to my heart. I've been a
practicing consultant in strategic planning for 22 years and now retired.
Mostly my market had been in the non-profit sector. This means dealing with
organizations with volunteer boards. For those of you unfamiliar with this form
of entity, it means the board is unpaid and works based on their commitment to
the mission and long term vision of the organization. Some do it for ego; but
they soon learn the other side of the board culture and drop the ego!
So, the near and dear topic is the future – imagining it,
making it happen and dreaming the big dream that benefits an organization or
issue. This may involve a major social issue or political objective, but normally
it involves a group working towards a public good in a community. Think home
owners association, or church board of trustees. Perhaps you belong to a local
charity and support its struggle to succeed and grow so it can do more good
work within the community.
Much of my experience has been focused on credit unions –
non-profit, member owned financial cooperatives. There is a long history of 85
years or so in America
associated with credit unions. When depressions struck credit unions formed to
help the down and out or the laborer class struggling to make ends meet. Often
they were the only financial institution who helped people of lesser means;
banks chose the safe route and left the down and outers to charities, churches
and credit unions.
Today credit unions are still small for the most part but
serve a much more sophisticated market. Technology has allowed them to compete
with banks in fees, interest rates paid and charged, as well as products and
services that previously credit unions simply could not provide. Today they do.
Behind it all, however, is a volunteer board working to
provide low cost financial services to all members. Access to these services will build a
stronger middle class with wealth to also support the well being of the American
economy. Policy and procedural operations are the task of the board, guiding
and nurturing staff for the long-term health of the entity. Those tasks provide
ample opportunity for disagreement and philosophy among the volunteers.
Planning and group decision making need healthy approaches if the organization
is to remain strong and effective.
Communication is a key component of planning and management
issues. Healthy communications are nearly impossible if group members have
built resentments and animosity among each other. The personal dimension has
probably killed more organizations than all other factors combined. Some people
become so entrenched in their frustration and anger that they simply cannot
understand the other group members and ascribe negative motivations to them.
An apt quotation found on the internet the other day is
this:
“Never waste your time trying to
explain who you are to people who are committed to misunderstanding you.”
-Author
Unknown
I don’t agree with the ‘never’ part but the quote has
validity. The group would do well to focus instead on their shared long-term
dream of the organization and what it hopes to accomplish. Reality will shape
those hopes and dreams. Resources of time, talent, people and money will always
figure into what actually gets accomplished over time.
But a group can do a lot of positive work toward mending
personal fences just by focusing on the tasks to be done.
Jane Goodall cautions us, however, with this admonition:
“The
greatest danger to our future is apathy.”
Although her concerns were on our shared environment and
ecology, apathy will damage a group’s ability to repair feelings and
disagreements. They will fester toward dissolution of the group itself.
More on this tomorrow as I struggle to cope with a festering
group problem. Wish me luck!
July 22, 2013
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