Schedule juicy conversations about relevant trends

Strategy for Our Times Part 4

Image description: a photo of an arrangement of lime slices. Photo by Florian Pircher on Pixabay.

What types of trends do nonprofits need to consider? This will depend on the mission and area of focus of each organization, but there are some broad societal changes that most nonprofit leaders must consider:

· increasing wealth concentration, resulting in disruptions such as the disappearance of the middle class, rising costs of land and housing, and distortion of the philanthropic and charitable sectors

· climate change and resulting natural disasters, mass migration, and threats to our food system

· changes in government policy and practices

· technology changes including the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity threats, and new tools (electronic communication and records, videoconferencing, etc.)

· increasing social isolation, reduced volunteering and civic participation

· remote work and new work expectations

In addition, some trends are specific to certain fields. For example:

· the affordable housing crisis

· recognition of social determinants of health

· green energy and green building materials

· changing American dietary preferences

What impact will these trends have on your work and the people you serve? What other trends are likely to impact your work?

Identifying and talking about relevant trends and their actual and potential impact is important and requires making space for generative conversations.

BoardSource states that generative governance, one aspect of good governance, “entails efforts to make sense of circumstances, discover patterns and discern problems; to make meaning of what’s happening.” This is part of reinventing ourselves to meet the current moment, and it is important to allow the conversation to be wide-ranging and open to new possibilities. A few guidelines to support generative conversations:

· Identify a skilled facilitator to guide the conversation.

· The conversation will be richer with varied voices from all parts of the organization. If your board and/or staff is not fully representative of the community you serve, consider adding in advisors for key conversations.

· Carve out sufficient time together to go deep and include all voices. Move routine board and staff meeting items to other forums or a consent agenda. Consider spending an hour or more on a single topic.

· Set groundrules to support inclusion, curiosity, and listening. We cannot reach new understandings if we are not open-minded and patient to allow others to express their thoughts.

· Don’t drive toward solutions too quickly.

Generative conversations take time, but they will also engage your community and board and lead to more informed strategy later. Often, they increase connection and engagement among participants as well—we are all hungry for meaningful discussions and help in making sense of our world.