A Sustainability Focus Can Ease Transitions
Recently, when asking the Executive Director of a Standards for Excellence certified organization why she led the organization through the process, her answer was that it was the best way to prepare for her departure. This is a great example of a leader who saw the value of investments in organizational infrastructure as a way to support sustainability beyond her tenure. The organization’s efforts and focus today were not only on improving effectiveness, but also on supporting the long-term viability of the organization with the knowledge that transition was part of the organization’s future. Given the dynamic, fast paced environment facing our organizations and the demand for constant strategic decision-making, we all need to be actively thinking and talking about organizational sustainability on a regular basis. This includes our boards, our leadership, and our staff. So, what is a sustainability focus? In their book Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decision for Financial V