What do you do if your nonprofit leadership lacks creativity in driving innovation?

This is a good place to start. 1)There must be trust and belief that the well-being of the team comes first. 2)Innovation can mean different things so the definition of innovation must be clear. 3)Being an innovator can open you up to criticism or judgement. You can become an easy subject to criticism because you're always pressing for change. Without the backing of the executive, innovative approaches are hard to nurture. 4)Interpersonal skills are a factor. How well does someone navigate relationships to encourage change? 5)And then, obviously, the intended outcomes of doing something new are fraught with uncertainty. Don't aim to innovate in mission critical areas first. Start small and build. Celebrate examples along the way.

Any honest assessment of a 'lack of creativity' in a nonprofit environment needs to look further than the team to consider organizational and sector culture. The nonprofit environment is completely riddled with barriers to 'creativity'; you can have a super-diverse, failure-embracing, routine-smashing team, and they will still struggle with creativity because they're working in an environment that discourages it. To 'assess honestly', ask: Does your organization have unrestricted funding? Can you use that funding to experiment, or does it have to lead to a hard outcome? What kind of indicators does the board use to evaluate the ED? What do your supporters and program users expect from the organization?

If your nonprofit leadership lacks creativity in driving innovation, you may need to take proactive steps to foster a culture of innovation within the organization. This could involve encouraging and empowering staff members to think outside the box, implementing brainstorming sessions, seeking input from diverse perspectives, investing in training and development programs, and fostering a safe environment where new ideas are welcomed and tested. By taking these actions, you can help inspire creativity and drive innovation within your nonprofit organization.

My team and I work with human services executives to improve their workplace culture. In our experience, a lack of creativity in nonprofit leadership can be attributed to 3 limiting factors: 1. High turnover rates for entry-level staff & middle management. 2. The common career pathways of executives. 3. The executive hiring process itself. Typically, capacity for innovation is not a determining factor for promoting an employee to upper management roles in mature nonprofit organizations (i.e. 50+ employees). Why? The typical executive in our sector spends 20+ years at their organization, begins their tenure as a reliable service provider, and is promoted because they understand how to run the current operation better than anyone else.

The general strategy of assessing problems first before brainstorming remedies is sound. While it emphasizes gathering team feedback, it might go a step further by pushing for an inclusive method that allows voices at all levels to contribute new ideas. Organizations need to promote a more widespread culture of creativity among teams.

It would be beneficial to promote the development of both internal and external meetings with personalities of diverse nationalities, all gathered around a common theme. Internally, this would involve regularly organizing multicultural exchanges involving a selection of team members. In addition, externally, it would be opportune to solicit interviews with prominent figures on this same shared theme. This approach would foster engagement and strengthen both internal and external ties.

Nonprofit executives who intentionally invest time in developing relationships with individuals and groups who reflect divergent viewpoints and experiences from their own are more effective at recruiting and hiring leaders who offer such diverse perspectives. We have witnessed several health and human services executives intentionally seek out public professional events hosted by Chambers of Commerce, nonprofit associations, professional associations, and recruiting firms dedicated to affinity groups and audiences that are unlike their backgrounds. These leaders tend to recruit a more diverse leadership and have much greater success in promoting creative solutions and diverse thought throughout their organization.

To enrich the teams of a non-profit organization, including employees, volunteers, interns, and trainees, it is advisable to opt for diversified recruitment, both nationally and internationally. In essence, this entails adopting an inclusive approach by forming diverse teams and bringing them together for brainstorming sessions. It is through the diversity of perspectives that creativity flourishes, and by promoting this exchange, the capacity for innovation can be energized.

When faced with a lack of creativity in driving innovation, I focus on implementing systems for our team that foster a creative environment. For example, I establish processes that encourage quick experimentation and idea sharing among team members (e.g. fail fast, fail cheap). By creating platforms like brainstorming sessions or innovation boards, I ensure that everyone has a voice in generating new ideas and solutions. These structured approaches not only stimulate creativity but also make it a consistent and essential aspect of our organizational culture. Through these systems, we can overcome stagnation and drive innovation to further our mission effectively.