How values can re-energise a team for NFP’s
NFP Challenges
When we think of challenges faced by the not-for-profit sector, we tend to think about competing priorities such as funding, strategies, and programs. The propensity is to focus on the organisational goals and achievements. And of course, that is essential. But what about the employees?
If there isn’t the funding for professional development, team building and wellbeing, how will your staff refill their own cups after filling everybody else’s? And in the new hybrid way of working, with staff retention being an issue, what can you introduce for your employees that is relatively low cost, high benefit?
Organisational values
Sometimes the most obvious things are ignored because they seem too simple. What I am about to suggest isn’t rocket science or a magic cure. I can hear the yawns from here when I say the phrase, organisational values. We are all familiar with our company values that are talked about at interview. After that, they may get a mention when putting together proposals, discussing somebody’s behaviour or performance reviews. But the actual integration of them into the daily business in a productive way can be lost and forgotten.
Team Reflections
Some of the work I do with NFP’s involves team reflection on values and each team developing a team charter that they can relate to in their day-to-day work. As well as improving the way a team works together, the group find that they benefit from some personal development, and positive change occurs. We begin by looking at what they are currently doing well as a team. What would they like to do better? Where are the gaps? Then we look at individual strengths.
Strengths
The team work together in pairs and take turns to relate what strengths they see in each other in their daily work. We then hold a group discussion to feedback each person’s strengths. While the discussion starts off a little awkwardly, by the time we have finished, they are all beaming. How often do we take the time to feedback to our colleague what strengths we see in them? Sure, we might give a sentence or two about a job well done but generally we don’t go into any detail.
When team members have insight into how others see them, it makes for a very positive environment, and I have seen productivity increase as a result.
Even those team members that don’t get on, will join into the spirit of the exercise, and acknowledge each other’s strengths (sometimes more grudgingly than others). The next exercise involves working through the organisational values and thinking about what they mean from a personal perspective. The group are asked to put together a creative team charter based on the company values and their personal strengths.
Team Charters
This may start off awkwardly as people say oh, I’m not creative. But throw in a few suggestions and soon the conversation takes off. Once they have a few ideas, they can work on them as a group at another time. More discussions amongst themselves about values helps embed them further. The results are very inspiring. I have seen all manner of team charters from Masterchef Menus, videos with members dancing to songs that match the values (e.g., Aretha Franklin’s Respect) as well as a team putting together a training schedule to compete in the Olympics.
Not all ideas are as grand but are equally powerful to that team. Another example is making a tree of team members’ hands. The values were written along the fingers and on the palms and were put together to make a tree. And another one involved matching values to the qualities of pets and it made for a lot of puns as well as fun. The beauty of doing this creative exercise is that everybody is talking about the values without it being boring or seeming forced and they get to decide what they want for a team charter.
Creativity
Going through the exercise of a creative approach means lots of discussions and information being absorbed about values, without too much talking or lecturing. When complete, the team charter or the representation of the team charter goes up on the wall. Teams are encouraged to refer to it regularly, and asked for ideas about how to keep the values alive and meaningful rather than a one off activity.
Some of the suggestions are hilarious. The more traditional ideas include morning teas; bake-offs; value of the week; awards for living the values and, many other ideas that each team comes up with themselves. In this way, each team owns their values rather than being dictated to by senior executives. Of course, none of this is a substitute for an employee’s poor behaviour but working this way with the values results in team members not prepared to tolerate it as a group.
Other benefits
It also generates a level of competition around the organisation which means more talk about the values in an organic way that wouldn’t normally occur. The more that values are brought to life for employees and the more they own them and the process, the more motivating it is for them. The team receive a lot of support and encouragement to get into the creative mode. They may be reluctant to start but it’s so much more powerful than delivering a straightforward workshop on organisational values. The process does have more steps than written about here but the team charter can be refreshed quarterly or half yearly or annually. It’s a particularly good tool to use when a team starts to become disjointed or there is conflict.
if you are interested to learn more about how I can add value to your organisation click on the link below
https://sharonstoneconsulting.com.au/not-for-profit-orgs/
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