It’s Time To Stop Resisting Systems In Your Business: NGOs, I’m talking to you!

Recently I’ve been working with more non-profit organizations which I’ve been LOVING. 

However, there is a bit of a pattern I’ve noticed when it comes to the struggles within these organizations. 

There are 3 main struggles and today I want to talk about one of the biggest ones! 

So brace yourself as I don’t like to beat around the bush. I’m here to tell it to you straight and get you results…because why waste time? We all know as business leaders we don’t ever have enough time as it is! 

The first big struggle I see is that many of these organizations don’t have processes in place to support their team’s functioning and overall mission. 

Worse yet…a lot can be resistant to implementing them!

Since MBS’s mission is to change the world through operations, you can see how this makes me sad. 

The problem

However, although I will always be a process person, there is a valid reason why a lot of NGO’s don’t have processes in place.

This is typically because these organizations are all about fighting systemic oppression and are always pushing for systemic change. 

So why would they implement systems that could result in something similar in their own organisation? 

They don’t want to be grouped with the others and have the same systems/operations applied as everyone else because they are not everyone else!

Real-life examples

So what has led me to believe this is one of the bigger struggles within these types of organizations? 

I’m currently working with a few amazing NGOs and I’ve seen the same resistance to systems in all of them! The reason this is a problem is because of the ripple effects I’m seeing. 

Allow me to explain using two of the organizations I work with as an example. 

Organisation 1 brought me on as a consultant to specifically work on their process…or lack of processes should I say.

This organisation is rather big. They have over 20 contractors and get millions of dollars in funding but they are only just starting to implement systems. 

And I want to be honest. It’s overwhelming to come into this.

Even if you’re someone like me who has years of experience and really knows what they’re doing/is process minded. To come into an organisation of this size and stature and see nothing in place to support…it’s a challenge, to say the least (but I’m not one to back down from a challenge!).

However, it’s not just me who finds this overwhelming and a lot to take on. Their team experienced this too (Hint: this is when it starts to become a problem!). 

In fact, when looking at the feedback team members gave when they left, they all said the same thing; That there weren’t any processes or systems that helped keep them steady. 

It felt overwhelming and they didn’t know what they were supposed to be doing, or if they were doing things right. Basically, they didn’t know what was going on! 

People can’t grow in this environment. 

Another example is organisation 2. This client of mine is a Political activist group and they experienced the same thing, but on a more drastic level!

Last year, their whole staff quit because management didn’t communicate welland there were no processes or checks in place to make sure everything ran well and everyone was happy. 

So now they’re rebuilding their team and the new director asked me to come in and look at their tech. 

But the real issue wasn’t the tech, it was the fact there was no process to build the tech around, leaving their staff feeling confused, overwhelmed and undersupported and consequently…their organisation was drowning.  

So if you only take away one thing from this article, let it be this: 

“Systems can be designed to oppress or empower.”

Our mission is to find the ones that empower and put your organisation in a better position to do what you do best; change the world. 

Why I was able to help 

So why was I able to help these two amazing organizations? How did I help them start opening up to processes? 

Well, the answer to both of these questions lies in the results of the Cliftons Strength Finders Assessment. In other words, it all comes down to who I am as a person and how I run my business. 

And I’m not saying that in a massively big-headed way, it’s just part of my DNA and why I’m naturally a good fit with NGO’s!

When I took the Cliftons Strength Finders Assessment my number one strength was individualization. 

This means that I am completely resistant to seeing everyone as the same. I actively look for what makes a person/company/organisation individual and will always treat them as such. 

This is also the reason that my approach to business will never be a cookie-cutter one and is why I get so frustrated seeing others take this approach. Because I can’t stand to see people grouped and generalised in this way. 

This is why I made the perfect consultant for the two organizations I mentioned above as I wasn’t ever going to come in and apply the same systems and processes to their visions that I have to others. 

Because their organisation isn’t the same as the one before. Their visions aren’t the same. The people within the organisation aren’t the same. 

So why would the processes and systems I helped implement be the same? It wouldn’t make sense!

It’s time for some homework 

If you don’t have any processes in place (and you’ve been against them for a while) it can feel really overwhelming to start. 

But I’m here to help! 

This is what you need to do and it’s actually quite simple. 

Next week, track all of your time. Use a timer site like Toggl and track absolutely everything you do, including all of the little things.

The most important thing to remember when you do this is, to be honest! You don’t have to share it with anyone. 

Then once you’ve spent the week tracking, sit down and take a good look at everything you’ve been doing. 

Look at what you actually spend your time on the most. 

The goal is to identify how much of what you spend your time doing isn’t actually moving the needle forward towards your mission. 

This is important because if you are leading an NGO, a big weight is centred around being the one that moves the organisation’s vision forward. 

Accomplishing the mission is why you’re doing it, right? 

You’re here to change the world!

So let’s make sure you’re actually doing that and not just spending a bunch of time in unnecessary meetings and spending time outside your zone of genius.

You might just realise that the lack of operational systems is holding you back from creating that change that you want to see. 

If you’re after more honest advice and tips to help you really start optimising your business, then you can always rely on me for that! 

I’ll be posting new articles like this every month so keep an eye out for these, but if you want even more (don’t say I never give you anything!) my email subscribers get extra tips, tricks, wake-up calls and help. 

You can sign up here! I’d love to have you in my squad!