Christopher Hitchens, in his autobiography, once stated that what he most disliked about aging was how it made his friends search for neutral words to describe his appearance. Aging well is a concern for all of us, as we all want to be able to live our destiny in good health and sound mind. But how about organizations and non-profits more specifically? Do they ever age poorly? Clearly they often do, but it’s not necessary fact that they must. Organizations and non-profits can reinvent themselves and renew from within, given the right environment.
As the Rescue Mission creeps ever closer to its 100 year anniversary, I’ve been giving quite a bit of thought about what it means for an organization to age well, or conversely, what are the symptoms that it may be aging poorly? One critical factor in non-profits aging poorly, and therefore is critical to fight off with all your might, is complacency.
Proverbs 1:32 says, “the complacency of fools destroys them.”
There is something very comforting about find a place to be, and wanting never to move again. Clearly, however, this is a recipe for disaster both for us as individuals and for organizations. We have to keep moving forward, actively challenging our own internal desire for to be complacent with where we are today. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to challenge our common desire for dangerous complacency:
1: Is this organization resting, or are we stuck? There are normal times and seasons in every organization where movement slows. If it’s the right season, and for just a season, that can be an incredibly healthy time of rejuvenation. However, if you stay there too long, you’ll soon take root in a place you were never intended to stay.
2: Have we lost our energy? Organizations need to be rejuvenated with youthful energy on a regular basis. This is isn’t ageism, in fact it often has very little to do with age, but rather is a reflection on youthful spirit. Non-profits need to regularly be infusing their system with people who have new eyes and perspectives that some within the system have lost.
3: Are people using neutral words to describe us? If people are jazzed about what you are doing, that tells you bunches. Often organizations that are on the move are irritating people, or making fans, but rarely do they illicit neutral feelings about important issues.
These are just a few questions you could ask to assess whether your group is aging well. What are some others that you have thought of as you read this blog? Thanks for you input.
David Curry
