Blog What’s Stopping You?What would it mean to your nonprofit if it could accomplish all the goals in its strategic plan? Imagine the impact on the communities you serve if there were no roadblocks to fully achieving the mission of your organization. Well, what’s stopping you? What is stopping, or at least slowing, your nonprofit’s ability to accomplish its goals and in turn, change lives? Chances are, it’s a combination of external and internal factors. I experienced this challenge first-hand working in the nonprofit sector for 30 years; from direct care to case management to the Executive Director of a large nonprofit in Chicago – and everything in between (you know, that ‘Other duties as assigned clause’). The work to be done is overwhelming, and resources are often scarce. Our society has long expected the nonprofit sector to solve large-scale problems out of the goodness of its heart, with a limited budget, and often little appreciation for the measurable impact. Thankfully, there continues to be much progress toward changing these outdated constraints. So far, I’ve talked about factors ‘external’ to your nonprofit, but what about factors ‘internal’ to your organization that are wasting precious resources like time, money, and expertise, and hindering your ability to achieve your strategic goals? I’m talking about factors that are quite possibly within your control. Ask yourself: Are you frustrated because you and your colleagues regularly work 50-60 hour weeks and yet never seem to get ahead of the workload? Are you discouraged by the number of important projects that become unorganized, over budget, behind schedule, or even stall completely? Do you struggle to inspire your employees or other stakeholders to embrace the changes that will enable your nonprofit to prosper and grow? There’s no doubt you’re passionate about the mission and you’re working hard, but successful nonprofits are continually asking themselves if they’re putting their limited resources to the best possible use. I’ve studied nonprofit performance for many years and have built my business around helping nonprofits ‘accelerate the work that matters most.’ Through my work now in 28 states and parts of British Columbia, I often hear variations of this statement, “Donna, I agree that there are probably ways we can, excuse the cliché, work smarter not harder, but where do we even start?” If they’re ready to get started, I work with them to assess their organization’s strengths and challenges in three areas and from there, the priority actions usually become clear. The first area to assess is operational efficiency – the ways you’ve completed your work in the past may no longer serve you as your organization continues to grow and evolve. Remember the fax machine? It was revolutionary – at the time – but it’s not of much use to us today. What other outdated tools or processes might you be hanging on to that are actually slowing you down? Why do we do it this way? Because we’ve always done it this way……. We also look at the degree to which the organization’s procedures and processes are written down, updated regularly, and accessible to its employees in a variety of formats. The knowledge of how the actual work is accomplished is an organizational asset and if it lives in only a couple of people’s heads: It is very risky because of how easily that knowledge can walk out the door and be gone, and It significantly slows the process of training employees, when they can only access the information they need to do their jobs by chasing their coworkers for conversations in the hallway. Finally, we’ll also take a critical look at whether you’re using technology as fully as is practical for your organization. The second area to assess is your nonprofit’s ability to manage and complete its various projects such as events, new programs, and even each of its strategic goals. Regardless of the size of the project, there are proven project management tools and techniques, and some of them are actually quite simple, that can be scaled up or down to keep your projects on track to achieving the desired results. The third area for assessment, which actually spans both of the first two areas of operations and projects, is readiness for change. There are a host of reasons why we resist change and a significant amount of study in this area. There’s a saying, ‘People resist change until the point when not changing becomes too painful.’ Ideally, your employees and other stakeholders will embrace needed changes and move forward together, but more likely, some will have trouble understanding why change is necessary and might even resist if not guided thoughtfully through the change process. I’ve given you just a few examples of common challenges that can be solved. I’ll leave you with the thought that every week, month, or year you wait and allow inefficiencies and other known internal roadblocks to continue at your nonprofit, compounds the wasted resources (time, money, and expertise) that could have been put toward mission-critical work. If you’re interested in learning more about how to identify and get rid of the internal barriers to accomplishing your nonprofit’s mission and goals, take a look at my website for these and other resources you might find helpful. Better yet, contact me, and let’s start a conversation about how I can help you get started! Donna Catalano, MS, PMP, with Eastlake Solutions, provides project management consulting and fractional COO services focused on helping nonprofit organizations maximize their results through streamlined operations, successful project management, and ongoing professional development for their teams and leadership....Read more...Are You READY to SET and GO?Tips for Hitting the Resume Button on Stalled Projects Even our best project planning did not consider having to hit the pause button for several months due to an international pandemic. How many of your organization’s projects have been in limbo, with no clear picture of when, or if, they can be started again? Think about your organization’s stalled projects. Did you have new program initiatives underway? A capital campaign scheduled to begin? A hardware/software installation ready to implement? You may still be in survival mode, just trying to maintain the most basic of your services or operations, but now is the perfect time to develop your organization’s strategy for getting your projects back on track. Consider these three project management techniques to get your projects READY and SET, even if they’re still temporarily paused: Have Priorities Changed? Let’s presume you won’t have the resources to restart every project at once – spend time now deciding which projects will be treated as a priority. Is opening that new program still mission-critical or greatly needed to increase/diversify revenue? Do you have obligations to funders, regulators, or stakeholders that need to be met? As basic as it sounds, a side-by-side listing of each and every ‘project’ your organization has on-hold could provide a clear picture for ranking the immediate and secondary priorities. Is the Scope of Each Priority Project Still Clear and Detailed? Now is the time to revisit the scope of each project – are the key deliverables, tasks, and sub-tasks still detailed and clear? In the project management world, this Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is critical for organizing the team’s work into manageable pieces. Opening a new program site, for example, involves hundreds of tasks and sub-tasks. Does your original project plan contain enough detail or is an additional breakdown of the activities needed? (Accurate budgeting and scheduling also depend on a detailed and comprehensive activities list.) The time you spend now reviewing and adjusting the full task breakdown will position you for a faster start and helps minimize scope creep as the project gets underway again. A Little Scenario Planning Goes a Long Way Your project’s schedule and resources may still be unknown, but you are in the ‘ready’ position because you have a comprehensive breakdown of your project’s scope, tasks, and sub-tasks. The Triple Constraint in project management shows that a change in either scope, schedule, or resources will result in a change to one or both of the other variables. Keep in mind that the job of the project manager isn’t to prevent changes to the original project plan, but rather, to anticipate changing circumstances and manage them as they present themselves. Scenario planning now, while your projects are on hold, will help you develop options for possible changes and risks based on impact and likelihood. Does your project still have a hard deadline even though it has been paused for several months? If so, the scope of the project may need to be reduced or resources (money, people) may need to be increased to still meet the original deadline. Could the original funding be reduced, or will some team members need to be assigned to other priority projects? If so, you may need to reduce the scope or extend the schedule to accommodate the reduction in resources. Has the need for the project increased even more, perhaps as a result of the pandemic? Expanding the scope of your project to address increased need will require corresponding changes to the timeline and resources needed for successful completion. With a little planning today, you can be READY to SET and GO tomorrow! Even if the when is still unclear, having the what and how outlined will position your priority projects for a strong (re)start and a successful finish. Donna Catalano, MS, PMP, with Eastlake Solutions, provides project management consulting and fractional COO services focused on helping nonprofit organizations maximize their results through streamlined operations, successful project management, and ongoing professional development for their teams and leadership....Read more...The Nonprofit Overhead Myth is Dying a Slow (but Steady) Death It happened to me again last week…… I was chatting with a friend (who I consider a dynamic business professional) and the topic of nonprofit management came up. I sensed a familiar statement coming, and then, sure enough, he said, “I always make sure that a nonprofit has low overhead before I consider donating to them.” Yikes….. Despite steady education efforts over the last several years by the likes of The National Council of Nonprofits and Guidestar, our society still has a way to go toward understanding that nonprofits are businesses with the same overhead expenses as most for-profit businesses. The National Council of Nonprofits is doing a great job of promoting the fact that ‘‘operating a charity is not free (gasp!). It costs something to deliver a nonprofit’s mission. In their piece, “(Mis)Understanding Overhead,” the National Council of Nonprofits makes the argument that we rarely question a for-profit business’s need to pay for insurance, accounting, utilities, marketing, technology, building maintenance (the list goes on…), so it’s time to stop pretending that nonprofit organizations don’t have these same valid expenses. I’ve compiled a few of my favorite resources to help as you consider your next charity donations (two powerful videos and a great FAQ sheet): Dan Pallotta’s Ted Talk titled, “The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong” is well worth 18 minutes of your time. One of the many strong points he makes is that when the focus is on direct vs. indirect costs, nonprofits are rewarded for how little they spend, not for what they get done. The Human Services Council of New York hits the (sad) nail on the head with their video, “What If Pizza Shops Were Funded Like Nonprofits?“Don’t let the humor in this video mislead you – anyone who has worked in the nonprofit sector has surely experienced some variation of this situation. If reading FAQs is more your style, check out Overhead Myth – FAQs compiled by GuideStar, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and Charity Navigator for clear and detailed facts about nonprofit overhead. Now you’re ready to join the movement to dispel the overhead myth which has constrained nonprofits for too long. Spread the word! Donna Catalano, MS, PMP, with Eastlake Solutions, provides project management consulting and fractional COO services focused on helping nonprofit organizations maximize their results through streamlined operations, successful project management, and ongoing professional development for their teams and leadership....Read more...So Many Projects, So Little Time Nonprofit organizations can easily identify an unlimited number of worthwhile projects, but there are many actions the nonprofit leader can take to protect against initiative overload. The best results come from focus, not from trying to ‘do it all.’ Focus, in this case, means that new projects and activities aren’t added to the portfolio without regard to priorities or available resources. This doesn’t necessarily mean your nonprofit has to say no when new needs or opportunities arise. Instead, you should use a disciplined process for deciding how new projects get added and have a clear understanding of when it becomes necessary to hit pause or delete on others. What’s on the Plate and How Did it Get There? Much of your nonprofit’s day-to-day focus is dictated by the urgent and important needs of its stakeholders. Add in strategic goals, program goals, business goals, plus regular operations, and it’s no wonder that the full scope feels overwhelming. What is your process for deciding what gets on your nonprofit’s ‘plate?’ For example, you would never leave a strategic planning session agreeing to implement 100 different goals – even if each of them had merit on its own. If you’ve ever used a Pros & Cons list to help make a decision, you’re familiar with the concept of scoring models. Using a scoring model might seem like a dry textbook exercise, but there is significant value for organizations of all sizes to regularly look at everything they are trying to accomplish side-by-side, at least conceptually, and compare apples to apples. Possible measures for your scoring model could include: Risk vs. reward Resources needed Reasons in support of the project Return on investment Your organization’s project portfolio contains both existing and future projects and is constantly evolving – as projects are completed, you are in a better position to make decisions about the next priority projects to begin. Being Honest About Resource Allocation One of the leading causes of project failure is under-estimating the resources needed for completion. In the nonprofit sector, where budgets are tight and team members wear many hats, we’re tempted to act as if we have unlimited hours in the week. When making capacity decisions, there is a big difference between feeling and knowing what is possible. Quantifying (in total hours) how long projects and activities take allows us to make better decisions when planning workloads and upcoming initiatives. Time tracking can be cumbersome at first, but gathering real data on how our teams are actually spending their time provides valuable information. For example, a painting contractor routinely collects data from previous jobs, such as the number of hours and amount of materials needed depending on the size of each home, and makes scheduling decisions for upcoming jobs accordingly. Consider beginning with tracking (collective) time spent on regular activities such as attending meetings, preparing status reports, and service documentation and billing. Build from there to track total hours spent on bigger projects such as events and program development. Over time, your organization will have a collection of useful data to not only help with future planning, but you will also be able to identify ways to create everyday efficiencies as well. Knowing When to Hit Pause or Delete Making more time for important activities involves deciding when to hit pause or delete on others. When you look at the full scope of your organization’s work, do you see a large number of unfinished, or languishing, projects? Redirecting resources (time and energy) away from current projects to address crises or take advantage of new opportunities is a regular part of nonprofit leadership. At the same time, having a process for adjusting the priority levels of existing projects (pause or delete) is necessary to avoid sabotaging the entire portfolio of projects and activities. Having too many projects in limbo (not officially paused or removed) eventually affects team productivity and morale when everything is expected to be treated as having equal priority. So Many Projects….. and a Plan for Success Consider the full scope of your organization’s work. To what extent do you use data to manage workloads and allocate resources? Do you use a defined process for evaluating and adjusting the priority levels of new and existing projects and activities? By focusing your attention and resources, you’ll protect your organization and its teams from initiative overload and still accomplish its urgent and important work. This article was originally published in Nonprofit Colorado magazine in March of 2019. Donna Catalano with Eastlake Solutions provides consulting services focused on helping nonprofit organizations maximize their results with streamlined operations, successful project management, and ongoing professional development for their teams and leadership....Read more...When is a Deadline Not Really a Deadline? Do deadlines approach and pass at your organization with barely a mention? Do you work hard to meet deadlines and deliver results, only to see that there is no consequence for fellow team members who rarely finish their work on time? How much time and effort do you waste chasing team members to determine if project activities are on schedule or which projects need extra attention because their deadlines are looming? What is the deadline culture at your organization? If you experience any of the above situations with your teams, it’s not too late (no pun intended) to change the expectations and the deadline culture for your entire team! In fact, it’s your responsibility as (fill in your title here) to set the ‘ground rules’ at the beginning of each project you manage, including a collective understanding of how deadlines will be regarded. If you don’t consciously guide the deadline culture of your teams, a culture will develop on its own (and you probably won’t be pleased with the outcome.) “The deadline is the deadline unless we formally agree that there is a new deadline.” In other words, no single team member may change a deadline without following a predetermined guideline for doing so. To be clear, there is no shame in changing pre-established deadlines, nor is it the goal of the project manager to prevent any changes to the project plan (including timelines). In fact, good leaders and managers are regularly looking at the big picture and actively managing (rebalancing) resources and timelines as changing variables present themselves. Still not sure if ignoring deadlines is a problem in your organization? Put yourself in the position of the next person hired to join your department or project team. Will this recently hire person say to herself, “My coworkers really strive to deliver their work on schedule, but I like that there is a clear process in place to adjust deadlines when necessary. I see how my work, and meeting my deadlines, impacts the collective work of my team, and the organization.” Or, will your new employee quickly learn that, “Although many task and project deadlines are set, no one seems very concerned about meeting them. In fact, if I know I will miss a deadline, it is best that I stay quiet and wait until someone notices and we’ll fix it then.” Improving the deadline culture at your organization might be easier than you think. Even with excellent planning, there are many valid reasons why deadlines might need to be adjusted. No doubt, your team is juggling a full portfolio of projects, which are often competing for the same resources. Be open about the many ways missed deadlines are negatively impacting effectiveness and morale. Clearly express your intent to change past deadline behavior by establishing new guidelines; During planning, set realistic deadlines for project activities and deliverables – this means that deadlines are not artificial, but rather, based on available resources and the scope of each project; Establish clear expectations and guidelines for team members to communicate when approaching deadlines might be in jeopardy. Remembering the basic tenets of The Triple Constraint, it is the project manager’s responsibility to adjust the resources, scope, or schedule proactively, not after the project is off-track and in crisis. You will soon find that most team members appreciate following a proactive, transparent process for keeping projects moving forward. Changing deadlines for valid reasons should be encouraged – letting deadlines pass with no mention or letting projects languish should not. Donna Catalano, owner of Eastlake Solutions, helps nonprofit organizations assess and strengthen their internal capacity and position themselves for future growth. Services include consulting, speaking, training, facilitation, and publications in the areas of capacity building, project management, change management, strategic planning, and organizational development. Eastlake Solutions is based in Denver and Chicago – eastlakesolutions.com...Read more...Mastering The Triple Constraint In chaos theory, the Butterfly Effect shows how even the slightest change in an initial set of conditions can have a dramatic impact on future events or conditions. Similarly, in project management, the Triple Constraint refers to the three critical and interrelated factors in any project; Scope, Cost, and Schedule, and how even a small change in one of the factors impacts one or both of the other factors. By understanding of the dependency between scope, cost, and schedule, coupled with good upfront planning, you are sure to see an increase in your project success rates! On any project, you’ll need to keep in mind that your project plan is not static and that change is the only constant. The goal is not to prevent any changes to the project plan, it is to actively anticipate the variables and manage them as they present themselves. A good project manager has already identified the risks to scope, cost, and schedule, estimated likelihood of each risk, and identified options ‘just in case.’ To illustrate the dependency between Scope, Cost, and Schedule, let’s look a few familiar scenarios: Scope changes – it is no surprise that Scope Creep is often cited as the #1 project threat! As various stakeholders want to add more bells and whistles (requirements) you need to understand how to adjust cost (resources) and the schedule accordingly. When your boss or client says that they want to add some more features to the project, your response, with a smile, is ‘Of course!’ and then you sit with them and review how the expanded scope will in turn affect the cost and/or schedule Cost changes – Sometimes, your project is presented with a change in cost/resources. How many of us have experienced losing key staff who have either quit or been diverted to another project? The loss will most likely affect either your project schedule or the project scope. A good project manager will already have planned for this common risk and will be ready to propose some schedule or scope options to accommodate the resource reduction Schedule changes – Your boss may call you on Thursday and say that she needs your report on Monday, which is one week early. Your options, after you stop grumbling to yourself, are to increase resources (by working over the week-end or enlisting a co-worker to help you on Friday) or reduce the scope or quality of the report (which carries some risks). So, on your next projects, consider the Triple Constraint and commit to some upfront risk planning. You’ll be better able to anticipate change, manage your options and, in turn, increase your project success rates. Donna Catalano, owner of Eastlake Solutions, helps nonprofit organizations assess and strengthen their internal capacity and position themselves for future growth. Services include consulting, speaking, training, facilitation, and publications in the areas of capacity building, project management, change management, strategic planning, and organizational development. Eastlake Solutions is based in Chicago and Denver – eastlakesolutions.com...Read more...How to Avoid 3 Common Project PitfallsStalled projects? Most of us know the feeling – the stack of files taunting you from the corner of your desk because you haven’t looked at them for weeks. You fear, correctly, that not only have deadlines passed, but your original work may be so outdated that you’ll need to start over. On top of this, you’re living with a sense of dread because it is only a matter of time before your _______________ (fill in the blank with boss, client, or board member) will be asking for a status report. By understanding strategies to avoid the most common project pitfalls; vague or incomplete project plans, poor estimation of the needed resources, and sporadic or insufficient team communications, you’ll be better equipped to keep any project on time, on budget, and within scope. Consider these solutions: Develop a complete and realistic project plan – time spent planning up-front is NOT wasted time! Resist the urge to jump right in on a project before creating a realistic project plan that considers all of the components and variables. It is guaranteed that detours will occur so being able to refer back to your solid project plan will help you make adjustments and get back on track without starting over. Accurately estimate the needed (human) resources – very few small- to medium-sized organizations have the luxury of full-time project managers on staff. In reality, the same people responsible for day-to-day operations are also responsible for the special projects which invariably get pushed to rare periods of ‘free time.’ Be honest about how much time the project manager will need to devote to the project weekly to finish it on-time. Then you can decide if he/she has sufficient time available (given other responsibilities), or if the completion date needs to be extended or additional resources will need to be secured. Maximize the use of technology for team communication – avoid wasting time chasing team members for updates on their portions of the project, or worse, experiencing set-backs when some team members are not aware of important changes in the project plan. Take advantage of increasingly common web-based platforms/intranets (such as SharePoint) for collaboration, status reports, file management, and team communications. Be sure to also set the team ground rules for the expected use of the intranet and the frequency of status reports. By integrating these three strategies into your assigned projects, not only will you avoid many common project pitfalls, but you’ll also enjoy a reduction in the number of stalled projects taunting you from the corner of your desk. Donna Catalano is the owner of Eastlake Solutions, certified Project Management Professional, CARF surveyor, and licensed Nursing Home Administrator. She provides consulting, speaking, training, facilitation, and publications for nonprofit organizations on project management, strategic planning, organizational development, and quality assurance systems. Eastlake Solutions is based in Chicago and Denver – eastlakesolutions.com ...Read more...Selecting and Managing Multiple Projects – How Many Plates Can You Spin At Once?Donna Catalano was honored to speak at the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities’ annual member conference in Springfield, Illinois. Attendees, from organizations providing services for people with disabilities across the state, learned valuable techniques for maximizing their resources and increasing their project success rates by ‘doing the right projects and doing the projects right.’ View the full presentation – Selecting and Managing Multiple Projects ...Read more...