A focus on “readiness”—i.e., the state of being fully prepared for something—has been ubiquitous in our sector long before COVID-19. Yet, as we take cautious steps to emerge from what feels like an endless suspension of “normalcy,” readiness has garnered renewed attention.
We at TCC Group have been hearing an increasing number of readiness-related questions including:
- Are we ready to rebuild?
- Are we ready for whatever shape the “new normal” may take?
- Are we ready for the next pandemic or global crisis?
Behind these readiness questions is our fundamental assumption that organizations can move forward from a place of readiness—when intentionally examined and honestly assessed—but success requires the knowledge and capacity to operate effectively in a changing landscape. Whether seeking incremental change or a radical re-envisioning of entrenched societal systems, organizational readiness to understand, respond, and act can and will determine the likelihood of success.
To reimagine readiness for a dynamic future, we must set aside antiquated and inconsistent concepts of readiness that perpetuate exclusion and inequitable resource distribution, fuel unrealistic expectations, curtail innovation and good risk-taking, reinforce complacency, and maintain the status quo. Instead, we must work together every day to listen and learn from those with specialized knowledge and lived experience, accept uncertainty and adaptation as essential, center context in our planning and assessments, and embrace our partners as equals in determining what it means to be ready.
The following are four interconnected approaches we have available for foundation, nonprofit, and company leaders to begin to reimagine readiness:
- Lead with your organizations’ values, thereby strengthening internal cohesion and commitment to mission, external communications with constituents, peers, and funders, and the ability to navigate an unpredictable future.
- Understand how organizations exist within a diverse, interdependent ecosystem and know where, how, and why to leverage relationships for the greatest mutual benefit.
- Center the perspectives, insights, and leadership of the communities you seek to serve in ways that maximize the potential for lasting transformative change.
- Come back together for in-person convenings in new ways that generate agreement and action, while leveraging virtual engagements to maximize your potential for connection and meaningful outcomes.
Since last year, we have been examining how readiness is manifesting in the social sector, listening to and learning from current, former, and ongoing clients who are amplifying their views and experiences with readiness: a current client grappling with issues of power, and whose voice determines it; another funding client who recognizes that it takes capacity to build capacity, and yet had not considered whether their grantees were actually ready to implement the project for which the funds had been allocated; and another client stressing the need for holistic buy-in from the staff, leadership, and board when it comes to adopting any new change management or strategic planning process.
Evan Klonsky 