Lessons for Non-Profit Organizations and Communications Consultants

The book: The Five Life Stages of Nonprofit Organizations, by Judith Sharken-Smith, illustrates an incremental, developmental approach to communications improvement:

 Stage 1- Imagine and Inspire  -The 'Big Idea'
 The work of an organization in this phase may be
to define the problem they wish to solve in terms that
they can be understood and identified with.

Stage 2 -Found and Frame  - Organizational structure begins to formalize in this stage. The leader is working to attract resources such as start up funding, volunteers or staff to help them work toward their dream.

Stage 3 Ground and Grow - The Executive Director often takes a more visible role in the community,
speaking out at city council meetings or other high profile events. Increased public awareness creates
demand for the work.

Stage 4 Produce and Sustain - In this phase,  leadership is often spread through several levels of the organization.Campaigns are working in full swing . Communications efforts often become more driven by the group’s goals.

Stage 5 Review and Renew - initiated by the conclusion of a campaign, and whether  win or a loss, the organization begins this stage by evaluating and planning for next steps. The next question for the organization becomes,  “What is the NEXT BIG IDEA?... and the Loop continues...

 Communications Counsellors need to love what they do-  The cycle is: one hectic, life-changing project into another!

Interdependence - A higher state of being than Independence

In interdependent relationships, members are mutually reliant on and responsible to each other. 
Sociologist James D. Thompson defined three types of interdependence to describe the intensity of interactions and behaviors within an organizational structure. They are Pooled, Sequential and Reciprocal Interdependencies.


 Thompson believes that the correct way to get departments within an organization working together effectively is to structure tasks by intensity of interdependence, and then manage each of those interdependencies with different coordination methods.

•  Pooled interdependency -  Example:  individuals from an office team sharing the same fax machine to perform their individual tasks. This interdependency requires standardization in rules and operating procedures:
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• Sequential interdependency - managed through mildly adaptive planning and scheduling.  Assembly Line - example of sequential interdepenency

• Reciprocally interdependent departments -

   output is produced through the collaboration of all entities, and  all entities are dependent on each other  to produce the optimal output.

   This interdependency is managed through constant information sharing and mutual adjustments. 

Organizational Culture

The organization is a microcosm of society. As a corporate communicator, you are responsible for giving counsel to everyone. You are about relationships in the organization to create best outcomes.
For example,with an understanding of the hierarchy of an organization, the communicator will choose to counsel the heads of the organization personally to maintain status quo.
As corporate communicators, we have an even greater responsibility than the average man to understand the culture of the organization in which we operate, and to individualize our communication to be relevant to individuals within the organization. The same thing communicated and found offensive by the receiver, may be met with acceptance if communicated in a way considered acceptable by the same receiver. Always remember that people's norms, values and attitudes are governed by experiences including the psychological and cultural.

Ethics and Technology

Technology is Amoral but you have to be responsible with it use. The core issue is personal responsibility.
Take this computer and internet,without them you wouldn't be able to view my blog at the very least, yet they can be used in such harmful ways: exposing the young to inappropriate material, identity-theft, etcetera.
Look at the drinking straw ... it's innocent enough when used to slurp a delicious cold Ting, but may be used as a sharp implement to inflict wounding and even death.
People use technology in harmful and unethical ways such as digital piracy, where intellectual property is illegally downloaded/stolen. wrong-doings and injustice. With source anonymity, one has no way of checking source credibility, yet numerous person's reputations have been marred by this site.
Social networks like Facebook and Twitter allow for reputations to be smeared with some persons being oblivious to the fact that they were 'dissed' on twitter, or had their revealing  pix posted on Facebook.
Your iPhone/ smartphone makes you and yours trackable, as even with the harmless act of posting pix online, you leave a digital footprint.

Exude confidence and assurance at Presentation of Audits

As the day of reckoning draws nigh, I am apprehensive about nothing as long as we are prepared, we will deliver well. Presentation techniques will assist all presenters with  skills to be convincing in communicating our message to our audience. We should observe delivery techniques like communicating bad news in the most readily digested form. For our group's audit, we will be revealing Findings and making recommendations for the improvement of the organization. This may result in discomfort for our audited Managers, so we as auditors
must ensure our delivery puts them at ease and keeps them receptive to considering our recommendations.
Presenters need to be aware of their body language which give telling signs about one's state of mind. Actions such as ringing of hands,  shifting from one leg to the other, are non-verbally communicating, and  may be understood as lack of knowledge about what you' re presenting,  or nervousness; but it will not fill your customer with a sense of confidence in your abilities. So be self -assured, knowing that you have worked hard at understanding the organization you are auditing, and you will make an improvement in that organization by your careful, customized, recommendations.


 

Reciprocity

When team-players in an organization feel appreciated and valued for their contribution and not slighted by the 'big man', there we can experience reciprocity. What management at the top says is understood and effectively communicated to line staff and line staff's messages are effectively communicated to top management - here, there is Reciprocity.
So, make me as line staff feel valued and I will value you, and add value to you by translating that value to our customers. The customers will feel valued and keep coming back for more of that invaluable experience. 

The Group Auditing Experience

The organizational which JSS is auditing is relatively happy and healthy. My personal goal for this  organization is to create a distinctly healthy and harmonious environment out of  this somewhat dysfunctional  one. 

The organization is blessed with staff who are kind, caring and largely fun-loving and I will feel  fulfilled if as an outcome of our council, line staff feels valued and critical to the success of the organization, not only for their helpfulness in serving the customers, but also for their contribution as stakeholders in the organization.

Currently, staff feel expendable and excluded from problem solving and visioning and they look to their “superiors” for directives. There is no formal outlet for their creativity and it has been stated many times, that recommendations are not welcomed from non-members of the uppermost hierarchy in the organization.

I feel empathy  for my organization, after primary interviews; there is evidently underlying hurt, and as such, there will not be fulfillment of the organization’s full potential until this problem is attended to and the organization is cared to good health.

My first order of business then, is to request a  copy of the company's mission statement, goals and objectives. With this in hand, JSS can formulate strategies which the organization can employ to achieve their goals and objectives.