Embedding Strategy to Realize Your Vision

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Embedding strategy to realize your VISION can get the strategic plan off the shelf and into practice.

(Sorry to miss February! But I am happy to report my personal COVID-19 experience was mild, and I’m back with a new tool to share! Hopefully you mapped your calendar with intention in January. Or you can find the Calendar Mapping Board Checklist here if you would still like to explore.)

Pausing to define a strategic plan is not effective. In reality opportunities and challenges arise at a nonprofit each week. Community resources and needs shift on their own rhythm. To address this practical reality, I have developed a unique approach: Embedded Strategy Organizations. You can learn more here, but briefly these organizations maintain focus on strategic priorities within ongoing operations and activities. Each choice is a step toward the vision of the organization.

I encourage you to reflect on your own organization. I offer this worksheet to explore the ten elements I have identified as part of the Embedded Strategy Model. This is a great tool to guide board conversation to monitor your strategic plan, to help identify clear priorities, and confirm your vision for the future. I hope this worksheet might spark a useful conversation at your next meeting. Need help? Please just drop a note or schedule a free 15 minute phone chat here.

Next up: how to make meetings meaningful. Here’s a hint and a sneak peek, ask yourself if you could have achieved the work of the meeting with three or less emails… the answer might surprise you!

Here’s to embedding strategy, realizing your VISION and focus on progress.

Best, Kate

Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash

Self-Care & Strategic Thinking

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Hope this finds you safe and healthy as we all navigate this separate shared experience. First off – please stop reading now and reach out if you need support or just to hear a friendly voice. Please email me or click below to schedule time to chat by phone. 

These last 47 days (not that I am counting) home with my family have been a blessing, a challenge, and everything in between. I am sure many of you are in similar spots, and I am keenly aware my challenges are minor in the grand scheme: working from home with children (would have picked a different spot for the home office if I saw this one coming), learning just how much food a family of four consumes daily, expediting life lessons for the littles (like laundry, cooking and all those other home economics staples), all the while navigating the emotional reality of this global health and economic crisis.

I wanted to reach out and offer three things:

  1. I’m available to chat by phone or email. Do you have a question focused on strategic nonprofit leadership? Need a thought partner in these uncertain times? Or just need a mental health break to share your feelings with a listening and supportive ear? Please reach out.
  2. I’ve created a collection of self-care and work from home resources including a few useful links to COVID related updates/information. Hope you find something useful and feel free to share with others.
  3. I’ve also curated a selection of activity and learning resources for families. Just in case you also need something new to explore with your little ones or for yourself!

As we find ourselves thinking strategically in many ways (how can provide a service that typically relies on face to face experience via technology tools or how can I use these four random ingredients in a coherent meal), please know I am here and would be happy to talk through either scenario. Together we can navigate our new reality and support one another. Here’s to finding the silver linings and remaining connected.
Kate

The Nonprofit Governance Guidebook is Here!!

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Organizations want to support board development but aren’t sure where to begin. I often have conversations where groups need support to bridge the gap between nonprofit best practice and daily reality. Too often time, budget or another constraints limit our ability to partner to address the need. So I’ve been working over the last few months, to develop a new offering: The Nonprofit Governance Guidebook!!

Chapter 1: Strategic Board Recruitment is available now including more than 20 minutes video instruction (designed to pause for strategic discussion) to provide training and support. The Reference Workbook includes critical elements in board recruiting as well as practical steps to implement your own Strategic Recruiting Plan (with 8 pages of worksheets for guided discussion and decision making).

More chapters coming soon, please check out my introduction here and be sure to sign up for my email newsletter. The newsletter will share my latest updates and offers.

And of course please email me if you have any questions or comments to share.