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Management and Leadership in Nonprofits

Management and Leadership in Nonprofits

 

Constructive culture is even more important in a crisis

May 04, 2020
By: Jeffrey H. Wulf
Nonprofits

How will this crisis we are all facing impact the culture of my organization?  This is a question that leaders everywhere are asking themselves. 

Culture can be a vital ingredient to the ultimate success, viability and sustainability of any nonprofit organization, particularly if it is constructive in nature. 

One trait of a constructive culture is one where employees are expected to be helpful, supportive and open in their interactions with others.  A second characteristic is that employees are expected to set challenging goals and pursue them enthusiastically.  As a result, a strong constructive culture is an invaluable asset during times of challenge and distress. 

Many of us have had to implement some type of disaster and recovery plan as a result of COVID-19.

These actions were likely difficult and had significant impact on most, if not all, aspects of your organization.  Bottom line is you did what you needed to do, but it hurt. 

The organizations that will come out of this the best are the ones that have emphasized building a constructive culture and, even during difficult times, evaluate decisions through the lens of their most important supporting attributes. 

The COVID-19 crisis is all consuming now, but it will end.  And there will be more crises or challenging times in the future for us all. 

It is imperative for us all to work on creating constructive organizational cultures that are built on a set of strong beliefs that are held by everyone. These beliefs are foundational and unwavering.  So strong that they are visible in everything the organization does, from strategy to policies and procedures. 

Need more help with COVID-19 issues?

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Jeffrey H. Wulf
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