Why Every Nonprofit Is Accountable For A Vision
Jun 29th, 2009 by David Svet
We’ve all been there before — sitting in a boardroom or offsite at a retreat. We put our heads together in problem solving exercises called visioning. We try to solve one of the world’s ills ultimately brainstorming compromises to lessen the problem. Practical realities limit our hope of what could be. Most of the time we leave disappointed or disillusioned with vague results that fall far short of fulfilling the community’s needs. It doesn’t have to be this way, and no, this isn’t yet another blog post dismissing brainstorming and vision statements. The problem isn’t defining a vision.
The problem is using problem solving to create the vision. Problem solving focuses on what shouldn’t be. What’s wrong with that you ask? Isn’t that why most community benefit organizations exist — to eliminate a problem? Yes and no. Hildy Gottleib in her book The Pollyanna Principles posits, and I agree, that problem solving is about defining what we DON’T want. Creating a vision is about defining what we DO want.
Splitting hairs? Not really. How many organizations exist to end poverty, eliminate hunger, or stop domestic violence? All of these organizations focus on changing an aspect of the current reality by defining what we don’t want. They are left vulnerable to a negative framework that is limited by notions of can’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t, and shouldn’t.
Vision is much larger, it’s about holding yourself accountable for creating a new reality — building a new system based on what we do want. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, a new reality, a vision of a new system that works for everyone. He didn’t just want to end discrimination against black America — that would have fallen short of his vision. It would have been much easier for him to focus on problem solving based on available resources. But where would that have left us? How sorry our world would be if that were the case.
Maybe it’s time for you, your board, or your organization to do some self-assessment. Do you really hold yourselves accountable for a vision or are you merely problem solving based on available resources?
“Creating a vision is about defining what we DO want”.
Such a simple statement, but what an eye opener. I talk with many nonprofits and not only is the mission about what we don’t want but moving the organization forward is very often a conversation about what’s wrong and how to fix it rather than what they want the organization to look like moving forward.
Excellent post!
Susan, Thank you so much for your contribution! Isn’t it amazing how simply turning the issue around makes such a difference?
David
I always enjoy reading Hildy Gottleib’s thoughts and your reflections to them are the perfect match.
Once that nonprofit has created the vision about defining what they “Do” want, it’s then time for them to go into action. Instead of looking at what they don’t have to make their vision reality, they should take this process one step further and ask, “What’s it going to take to make this happen?” That helps frame the next steps of what to do and moves the organization from focusing on the negative and why it won’t work, to the positives and what they need to make it work.
Thanks for sharing Dave.
Accountability! What a concept! Thanks for sharing these thoughts. Getting to the meat of the matter and feeling good about it, seeing and feeling a vision that everyone believes in and works toward is always bigger than self, organization and today.
Barbara
Why Every Nonprofit Is Accountable For A Vision | SPURspectives…
“Maybe it’s time for you, your board, or your organization to do some self-assessment. Do you really hold yourselves accountable for a vision or are you merely problem solving based on available resources?”…