Jani’s Journal Issue 23: Father's Day Wisdom for Nonprofits
6/11/2024
Happy Father's Day to all the incredible dads out there who provide love, guidance, and laughter, often with a well-timed "Dad joke." Today, we celebrate the strength and wisdom you bring into our lives. For those who find this day challenging, know that your feelings are valid, and it's okay to seek comfort in cherished memories or supportive friends and family. Whether you're honoring a dad, remembering one, or being one, today is about the impact of fatherhood in all its forms.
Nonprofits Can Learn a Thing or Two from Dads
What’s your favorite Dad-ism? Betting.us compiled a list of the most common ones from every state! And while many of these brought back some childhood laughs, some can also be tied to valuable business lessons for nonprofits. This edition of Jani’s Journal celebrates Fathers and Father Figures with all their infinite wisdom!
Top Ten Most annoying Dad-isms (according to Moms):
10. Do I look like a bank?
We’re not lost; we’re taking the scenic route.
Hi Hungry; I’m Dad.
If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?
Do as I say, not as I do.
Money doesn’t grow on trees.
Back in my day…
Does that mean it’s free (when item doesn’t ring up at the checkout)?
Ask your mother.
I’m not sleeping, I’m just resting my eyes.
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Dad-ism: “What’s the Plan, Stan?”
🔗 Business Planning for Nonprofits: What It Is and Why It Matters 🔗
Dads in Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah are trying to tell us that “knowing the plan, Stan” helps us avoid taking the scenic route (a.k.a. being lost). This article by The Bridgespan Group explains why Dad was right about knowing the plan and actually implementing the plan.
Developing a business plan offers nonprofits more than just a document; it encourages strategic thinking and provides a chance to align mission and programs. This process helps decision-makers link mission with actionable programs and resources as well as set metrics to evaluate success and make informed decisions. Rigorous business planning leads to better decision-making and clearer focus, enabling effective expansion and enhanced program delivery. Nonprofits can significantly enhance their impact by investing in a thorough business-planning process that provides:
Strategic Clarity: Defines intended impact and theory of change.
Strategic Priorities: Assesses current programs, modify, add, or discontinue based on effectiveness.
Resource Implications: Aligns staff, infrastructure, and finances with strategic goals.
Performance Measures: Tracks progress with clear milestones.
Dad-ism: “Go ask your mother.”
🔗 Why Employees Who Work Across Silos Get Burned Out 🔗
Wise Dads know collaborating with a trusted partner is the key to success! In today's fast-paced nonprofit sector, fostering cross-silo collaboration is essential for innovation and performance. However, employees who bridge these gaps, known as "boundary spanners" or "network brokers," often face burnout from the cognitive and emotional demands of their roles. Research involving over 2,000 working adults reveals that these employees suffer higher stress levels, leading to potential burnout and negative workplace behaviors. This doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who remembers how exasperating it was to go to one parent only to be told to go to the other! To mitigate network brokers’ stress, nonprofits should help break down silos by:
Strategically Integrating Cross-Silo Collaboration: Recognize and formalize boundary-spanning roles in job descriptions and evaluations.
Providing Adequate Resources: Offer technological tools, training, and incentives to support these critical roles.
Developing Check-In Mechanisms and Opportunities to Disengage: Regularly monitor employee well-being and promote a culture that values breaks and recovery time.
Dad-ism: “Do I look like a bank?”
a.k.a. “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
🔗 The Actionable 2024 Operational Efficiency Playbook 🔗
Financial stewardship often involves fiscal responsibility, reporting, and maximizing mission impact to ensure trust among donors and funders. Savvy Dads were trying to tell us about another critical but often overlooked aspect of financial stewardship for nonprofits: operational efficiency.
Teramind, Inc. developed a great primer to help businesses, including nonprofits focus on operational efficiency. Key plays from their 2024 playbook include:
Assess Current Efficiency: Gather productivity (however your organization defines productivity), financial, and customer or donor metrics to establish a baseline.
Set Clear Goals: Use frameworks like SMART goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to define measurable objectives, such as increasing employee productivity by 15% within six months.
Develop Efficiency Initiatives: Conduct regular audits, invest in technology and automation, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Check out Teramind’s guide on increasing productivity to learn more!
Monitor and Adjust: Schedule regular progress reviews, leverage advanced analytics, and refine the playbook based on insights.
By implementing these strategies, nonprofits can optimize resources, enhance employee engagement, and improve service delivery, ultimately leading to greater impact and sustainability without repeat trips to the “Bank of Dad.”
Dad-isms: “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?”
🔗 Six Ways to Be an Original 🔗
Dad wanted us to avoid taking risks just because others were doing it and understood that sometimes required a willingness to stand up for ourselves even if it meant being the only one. Like many businesses, nonprofits must effectively navigate the balance between creative innovation and risk in order to adapt to ever-changing landscapes, solve problems, and remain relevant. Adam Grant’s video linked below offers 6 ways organizations can drive innovation while mitigating risk:
Take risks on novel ideas.
Harness anxiety.
Make the unfamiliar familiar.
Honestly assess flaws or risks and ask for feedback on solving them.
Hire differently (culture fit for startup, then culture contribution).
Fight groupthink.
Dad-ism: “I’m not sleeping; I’m just resting my eyes”
🔗 In Search of Self & Something Bigger: A Spiritual Health Exploration 🔗
Dads understand the need for rest as a key component of well-being. As workplace well-being is increasingly at the forefront of employees’ minds, organizations must attend to all aspects of well-being, including spiritual health. This McKinsey & Company article highlights this growing focus that nonprofits are well-positioned to navigate. McKinsey Health Institute's global survey reveals that spiritual health, encompassing a sense of purpose and connection, is vital for overall well-being across all ages and cultures. This insight is particularly relevant for the nonprofit sector, where aligning mission with meaningful engagement can enhance organizational impact and employee satisfaction. Key takeaways include:
Assess Spiritual Health: Nonprofits should evaluate how their mission and activities contribute to spiritual well-being among staff and beneficiaries.
Promote Purpose: Encouraging a sense of purpose in daily work can boost morale and commitment, essential for tackling social challenges.
Foster Connections: Building strong community ties and providing opportunities for reflection can enhance spiritual health, ultimately supporting physical, mental, and social health.
Integrating these practices can help nonprofits achieve a holistic approach to health, fostering workforce resilience, employee satisfaction, and sustained impact.
Dad-ism: “Hi Hungry, I’m Dad.”
🔗 The 5 Whys Approach to Finding Root Causes 🔗
For generations, Dads from Nevada to New York have humorously encouraged us to look beyond the immediate complaint of hunger and understand the deeper need for sustenance. Little did we know, this dad-ism was our first exposure to root cause analysis (RCA)—a process for identifying the underlying cause of problems rather than merely addressing the symptoms. This approach involves gathering data, analyzing the issue, identifying root causes, and implementing corrective actions. In the nonprofit sector, applying RCA can help address persistent challenges like funding shortfalls or volunteer retention by uncovering the deeper issues, such as inadequate outreach strategies or lack of volunteer support systems. One RCA process highlighted in this World of Work Project article is the 5 Whys Approach. The steps are easy:
Define the problem.
Ask Why? Repeat four times to keep drilling into things rather than taking the first more obvious solution you see.
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