How Tactical Retreats Fuel Long-Term Victories

“Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the face.”

Mike Tyson was right, and don’t we know it as nonprofit entrepreneurs.

Building and sustaining a business—especially a nonprofit—is no walk in the park. And, when you couple this inherent difficulty with how expensive seemingly everything has been lately, you get higher operating expenses and fewer donations. Quite the lose-lose scenario.?

So, what should you do? What you definitely shouldn’t do is more of the same. Even if it was successful before, that doesn’t mean it will be so now. Doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result is, well, literal insanity.

Instead, it’s time for a tactical retreat.

What Exactly Is a Tactical Retreat?

While it may sound like some kind of team-building trip that ends up with Peggy from HR screaming at Bert from Accounting because their team lost the scavenger hunt, a tactical retreat just means taking a step back.?

This involves figuring out where you are right now and why things aren’t working. Then it’s about redirecting your steps in order to make progress.?

You should always be moving forward, but sometimes a pause is necessary to gain some much-needed clarity into what needs to change.?

Let’s dive into the details of tactical retreats, their benefits, and how they can best be implemented in the nonprofit space.?

Understanding Tactical Retreats

To understand what a tactical retreat truly entails, we can start by (surprise!) looking at military history. In case you’ve forgotten what you learned in grade school history, the Battle of Dunkirk during the Second World War is a great example.?

Nearly 300,000 British soldiers were stranded at Dunkirk, days away from complete annihilation by Nazi Germany.?

Instead of “staying the course,” newly appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, devised a tactical retreat that not only spared the Allies from the jaws of utter defeat but allowed them to return to the fight in full force and ultimately defeat the Germans.

As a nonprofit, you have a finite amount of resources that must be used wisely. A tactical retreat provides the perspective necessary to accurately identify where those resources are being used, where they’re being wasted, and where they’re not being used at all.

And, much like the Allies at Dunkirk, a tactical retreat forces you to reexamine and ultimately improve your strategy for deploying those resources in the first place.

When Should You Retreat?

Now that you know how beneficial a tactical retreat can be, when exactly should you use it??

Look for the signs of stagnation, which include:

• Declining engagement
• Decreasing donations
• Ineffective campaigns

Are any (or all) of these are plaguing your organization? Adopting a “stay the course” mentality can be very tempting.?

After all, what you did in the past worked, so why won’t it work again? Well, remember what we said earlier about insanity??

The longer you wait to tactically retreat, the more damage you’re likely doing. When things simply aren’t working, it’s time to recall your troops and figure out a plan B.

The Retreat Strategy

Once you know that a retreat is in order, now it’s time to get busy.?

Start with your mission and vision statements. Are these still relevant, or do they need to be re-evaluated? To figure this out, answer another question: Do they align with current realities??

Next, consider your resources and where they’re being used. What’s working and what’s not? Prioritize essential activities, like donor outreach, and cut back on the non-essentials.

Finally, consider your team. A tactical retreat sounds scary, but it doesn’t mean that it’s all over.

Reassure them, inspire them, but be honest with them. Foster an atmosphere of open communication with morale in mind (donuts are always a good idea).

Returning to the Battlefield

When you’re ready to get back out there, how should you do it??

Focus on three key areas:

• New strategy implementation: Based on the insights gained from your retreat, your strategies should be refined, reshaped, and ready to be deployed.
• Leveraging digital tools: Digital tools are vital to increasing engagement with your mission, particularly with younger folks. Invest (or increase your investment) in social media, email marketing, and digital wallets.?
• Fostering long-term partnerships: Forging strong relationships with donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders is an effective way to continue fulfilling your mission, even when times are tough.

Taking a step or two back when things aren’t working doesn’t always mean defeat: It means that you recognize things aren’t working and that changes are necessary.?

Above all, it’s important to remember that a tactical retreat can be invaluable for setting your nonprofit up for success both immediately and down the road.?

As Do Good Points founder Andy Choi once said:?

“Relationships move at the speed of trust.”?

Trust the process, trust your team, trust your partners, and above all, trust yourself.

Do Good Points was created to help nonprofits achieve long-term victories. Contact us to learn what we can do for yours.