Lost Focus: How Inattention to Results Can Derail Your Nonprofit’s Mission

A focus on results is essential for measuring success and achieving the mission. When there is inattention to results, nonprofit organizations risk losing sight of their goals and becoming complacent.

Patrick Lencioni, in "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team," states that teams must be results-oriented to achieve their objectives. Without a clear focus on results, nonprofit teams may become distracted and lose sight of their mission.

How the Dysfunction Manifests:

• Lack of Clear Objectives: Fundraising campaigns and projects are launched without specific, measurable goals.
• Poor Tracking and Evaluation: There is little to no tracking of progress or evaluation of outcomes, making it difficult to assess success.
• Complacency: Team members are satisfied with mediocre results and do not strive for continuous improvement.

Why It Undermines Performance:

• Limits Impact: Without clear objectives and tracking, it’s difficult to gauge the effectiveness of initiatives, limiting the organization’s impact.
• Wastes Resources: Inattention to results can lead to the misallocation of resources, as efforts are not directed towards the most effective strategies.
• Reduces Accountability: When results are not a focus, there is less accountability for achieving organizational goals.

Examples

Imagine this common scenario. A nonprofit focused on community health runs various programs but fails to track their impact. Without clear metrics, staff members are more focused on completing activities rather than achieving meaningful outcomes. This lack of attention to results leads to ineffective programs and difficulty in securing funding from donors who want to see a measurable impact.

In the real world, the Clinton Foundation has faced scrutiny over its effectiveness and attention to results. Critics pointed to a lack of transparency in measuring the impact of its initiatives, leading to questions about the foundation's overall effectiveness in achieving its mission. This scrutiny affected public perception and donor confidence.

Focusing on Results

To ensure a focus on results, nonprofit leaders should establish clear, measurable goals and regularly assess progress. Using data to inform decisions and demonstrate the impact of programs can help keep the organization aligned with its mission. Celebrating successes and learning from failures can also reinforce the importance of results-driven work.

Our Foundations for Growth engagement can help. When you go through FFG training, you learn how to track issues, quantify the metrics of change, and engage in cycles of continuous process improvement. Participants learn to apply tools like the A3 Report and the Plan-Do-Study Act cycle. They learn that rather than talking about doing, they need to visit where the issues are occurring and develop effective countermeasures.

In short, they learn the process of orienting toward results.