Thought Bite: Why change?
 There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince |
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Machiavelli's words, written in the 15th century, have a resonance for us today. They tell us that if we are trying to run a change process in our organisation it will be among the most difficult processes we can attempt. So if it's so hard why would you want to do it?
Our consulting work with a range of value-driven organisations over 15 years suggests that there are many ‘presenting’ reasons for change but a smaller number of underlying key drivers. The five drivers that seem to recur regularly are: Failure, Success, Innovation, Stakeholders and Finance. Let’s explore each of these to see if you’re clear on why you want or need to change.
Failure
Many organisations need to change because the way they have tried to tackle their issue or mission has not delivered the results they or their beneficiaries need. This change may involve a review of mission or method. So for environmental charities this is a key moment in history, especially after the failure of Copenhagen. If the planet is being ruined and they have so far failed to deliver a result, should they change their goal and/or their approach?
Success
Success, interestingly, is as worrying – what do you do when you’ve succeeded? LEPRA was set up to tackle a very specific disease – something it has effectively done with a very significant impact. The good news is that Leprosy has, by and large, been conquered. LEPRA decided some years ago to change – expanding their mandate to tackle other, similar, infectious diseases such as TB. They built on their success and core competence in dealing with leprosy.
If you’re succeeding what new challenge could you tackle? What are your core competencies?
Innovation
Many organisations are innovating in a more systematic way – looking for new programmes to deliver services and raise money. UNICEF International, for example, now have a global innovation programme designed to generate a constant flow of new ideas. Many charities are making innovation a fundamental part of their business approach.
Stakeholders
Many organisations change to more directly address the needs and interests of stakeholders. NSPCC, for example, famously pioneered a donor-centric stewardship approach, now adopted by many charities, as part of its Full Stop campaign.
Beneficiary engagement too, is becoming increasingly important for charities. One of the most progressive INGOs, Sightsavers International, has recently re-focused its mission to ensure it addresses more of the interests of its beneficiaries – people with sight impairment. This has driven significant change in their structure and processes as well as their strategic plan. (To find out more about Sightsavers' strategy visit our Strategy seminar).
Finance
The recent global wealth growth and the even more recent credit crunch has meant extraordinary volatility for charities. Many – including Amnesty International – are now re-examining their fundamental business model to see how they can re-engineer their global funding operation. Where should they focus their attention to secure best RoIs?
If you’re keen to explore these and other change issues we’d love you to join us at our Change Seminar on Tuesday 23 March.
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