by Molly Penn<\/p>\n
Have you ever thought about what systems can do for you?\u00a0 We specialize in thinking about this question. As consultants who work with nonprofits and foundations to help them change the world (a lofty goal), we recognize the importance of starting with the smallest step – building systems to support people in doing the work.<\/p>\n
“System” is one of those overused words that starts to feel very fuzzy in its definition.\u00a0 Basically, a system is a set of procedures, that taken together, help you accomplish a common goal.\u00a0 A system is how you break down an aspect of your work into small, bite sized pieces that really anyone can do.\u00a0 When we talk about building systems, we mean not only the procedure steps (the “what”), but also the “how” instructions.\u00a0 Imagine if you could develop procedures for everything your organization does?\u00a0 Those are the systems that help you accomplish your mission.<\/p>\n
Systems are important for a variety of reasons:<\/p>\n
Systems don’t exist in a vacuum – they exist for a reason – to accomplish something.\u00a0 In the context of nonprofits, that something is the work (programs, fundraising, hiring, etc.), which helps organizations accomplish their missions.\u00a0 We work in nonprofits because we are committed to these missions – systems give you an opportunity to show your staff (and build into the system) how their work connects to your mission.\u00a0 This helps keep employees in touch with the reason that what they do (and how they do it) matters to what you are trying to accomplish in the world.\u00a0 It makes them mission accomplices.\u00a0 This, in turn, increases their motivation not only to do a great job executing the system, but also to look for ways to do it more effectively or efficiently.<\/p>\n
Organizations often grow because the staff is stretched too thin, and the first thing leaders think is “we need more staff!”\u00a0 We always tell our clients to wait – before hiring staff.\u00a0 First, build the systems that will enable the staff you hire to get up to speed right away and do a great job for you.\u00a0 How much time gets lost in training new employees and having to mentor them every step of the way until they know what they are doing?\u00a0 That’s not a good setup for the employee (who constantly fears what they don’t know and worries they might make mistakes) or for you (who has to spend too many hours of your time shepherding their development).\u00a0 Systems allow you to accomplish all of that while stepping back and keeping your eye on the horizon of where you are going.\u00a0 They also allow you to work on the softer skills your employees need to excel at their jobs.\u00a0 This is how you scale your work (and therefore your impact) more quickly and with consistency.<\/p>\n
Once you have developed some good systems, it’s time to put them into practice.\u00a0 This is where project management systems come in.\u00a0 There are software systems out there that do project management, and most have a free version that allow you to try them on for size.\u00a0 One we particularly like is Asana but any similar software will do the trick.\u00a0 Once you learn what it can do, you can configure the software to support your systems by automating some of the steps, holding templates to make the work easier, clarifying the work sequence, and keeping the work on track.<\/p>\n