Organisations don't change on their own - People must change before the organisation does

Of all the issues discussed by many in the Australian nonprofit sector, is the common-held view that the external environment within which you operate is an ever-changing landscape. These external pressures are derived from many sources and the work that I do in the strategic planning and strategic thinking space with many such organisations, highlights fundamental issues which must be taken into consideration when seeking to ensure the ongoing sustainability of your nonprofit organisation.

These pressures are originating from numerous sources, and when they hit, as they invariably will, they are not mutually exclusive, but rather are somewhat interrelated, suggesting no single cause and effect relationship. They stem from economic, political, social and technology trends, all of which are continuing to challenge your staff, your boards and therefore your business models. 

Staff knowledge that has remained static over any number of years will be detrimental to your organisation. Boards that are not keeping abreast of market risks and opportunities will be a drag on your organisation. Business models that worked and delivered outcomes 5 years ago, may not be relevant as you move forward for the next five years. This points to 'Change' and those nonprofits that can successfully manage change in a dynamic environment framework, and appreciate that it is not a static but rather a constant process, will best ensure their own sustainability.

My own research through my recently completed PhD was entitled "The enduring challenge of change management - new perspectives from nonprofit healthcare practice" identified a number of processes and initiatives that support successful change management in this sector. The findings from this research have now been embodied in an OPTIMUM NFP service offering entitled the CARC Program(Cultural Assessment for Readiness to Change). The Program addresses not only the extent to which your nonprofit is in fact ready for change, but also identifies the key factors associated with its ability to maintain an environment of constant change.

The CARC Program is a flexible approach to understanding how staff within your nonprofit will react to initial and ongoing change. Its key characteristics are as follows:

• An interview-based analysis that caters to all organisational sizes and settings
• It is not a one-size-fits-all approach but rather it reflects your organisation's unique context, environment, people and requirements
• Investment in the Program is based on the number of staff interviewed, and therefore caters to all organisational sizes

The following represents the 6 key steps in the CARC Program:

1. Reach agreement of expectations and deliverables
2. Undertake a Situational Analysis from within the organisation
3. Create a Change-Success Gap Analysis
4. Identify detailed list of remedial actions
5. Undertake Executive-level discussions 
6. Complete a detailed Change Readiness Report including a Change Action Plan

Contact David Rosenbaum of OPTIMUM NFP at drosenbaum@optimumnfp.com.au or 0411-744-911 to further discuss this new initiative and how your nonprofit may benefit from its implementation

The Enduring Challenge of Change Management - New Perspectives from Nonprofit Healthcare Practice

This is the title of my recently submitted PhD thesis. After 7 interesting and productive years, it has just been submitted to my supervisors for final review at Macquarie University Faculty of Business and Economics. I have been living and breathing this activity throughout this period, not just for the purposes of my thesis but also through its application in my consulting activities. Merging the PhD research activities with my consulting activities has also been challenging, but again, very professionally and personally rewarding.

The thesis includes 4 published articles in peer reviewed journals as well as one article that was only recently submitted for review. Additionally it was the product of 6 international and domestic conferences. Many of the articles appear on my OPTIMUM NFP website. These articles (some of which are not yet publicly available as they are still going through the review and/or publication process) form relevant chapters in m,y submission and the details appear as follows:

• "Planned organisational change management - forward to the past" which has been accepted for publication in July 2017 in the Journal of Organizational Change Management

 

• "Applying grounded theory to investigating change management in the nonprofit sector" which was published in 2016 in Sage Open

 

• "A longitudinal qualitative case study of change in nonprofits: Suggesting a new approach to the management of change" which was published in June 2016 in the Journal of Management & Organisation

 

• "Action Learning intervention as a change management strategy in the Disability Services sector - A case study" which was published in the Action learning Action Research Journal in 2013

 

• "The role of reflection in planned organizational change" which was submitted to the Journal of General Management in July 2017 and is currently being assessed

Given this research has been an integral part of my consulting activities over this period, I would be keen to discuss the findings from this research with those of you who have a need to review and consider how you deal with change in your own organisations.

Contact David Rosenbaum of OPTIMUM NFP at drosenbaum@optimumnfp.com.au of 0411-744-911 for a no-obligation discussion about your nonprofit's circumstances and requirements in this area.

Is Your Organisation Ready to Implement Change

Introducing C.A.R.C.

Your future survival will depend largely on your organisations ability to adapt & change in evolving markets.

OPTIMUM NFP announces the launch of the C.A.R.C.Initiative (Cultural Assessment for Readiness to Change).

This initiative has resulted from PhD research undertaken by David Rosenbaum which represents the latest research undertaken on change management in the Australian Nonprofit sector. David has presented his research and findings at key international conferences in Italy, the United States and the United Kingdom and is scheduled to present further aspects of the findings here in Australia and in the Netherlands in 2017.

What was the research about?

• It recognised the uniqueness of the NFP sector and its people;
• It identified the impact that such uniqueness had on sustainable change management;
• It researched change from the perspective of people experiencing and managing it.

Why is this research important?

• Australian nonprofit organisations are currently facing many challenges that question their very existence, in the provision of disability services, aged care services,employment services, community services, health, education, etc.;
• Organisational survival will be dependent on the ability to change service delivery models, structures, and/or business models. The key to success is to realise that organisations do not change, rather, people within them change. So unless your people are ready for change, in every sense of the process, sustainable change will not be guaranteed, irrespective of the quality of your change plans;
• Change processes can be costly, therefore failure will cost your organisation at a time when you can least afford it.
• The application of the findings of this research will ensure that people within your nonprofit can cope with change, thereby minimising costly failure.

How flexible is the C.A.R.C.?

• As an interview-based analysis it caters for all organisational sizes and settings
• In the absence of a one-size-fits-all approach, which is characteristic of many organisation-culture assessments, the C.A.R.C. is built around your organisation’s unique context, environment, people and requirements.
• Investment is based on number of staff interviewed, and therefore caters to all organizational sizes. 

The following represents the 6 key steps in the C.A.R.C. process:

1. Reach agreement of expectations and deliverables
2. Undertake a situational analysis from within the organisation
3. Create a Change-Success gap analysis
4. Identify detailed list of remedial actions
5. Undertake executive-level discussions
6. Complete a detailed Change Readiness Report including Change Action Plan

Contact David Rosenbaum of OPTIMUM NFP at drosenbaum@optimumnfp.com.au or 0411-744-911 to further discuss this new initiative and how your organisation may benefit from its implementation.