Replacing a dying spirit with purpose:
Strategy consulting in the non-profit sector

(For what) Does a charity need purpose? Consulting case in the context of Neuwaldegg’s strategy consulting.

A large charity is working inten­si­vely on orga­ni­sa­tional deve­lo­p­ment. The new struc­ture of an umbrella orga­ni­sa­tion is intended to gene­rate syner­gies and streng­then the asso­cia­tion nati­on­wide. The social orga­ni­sa­tion with 3,500 employees has been working in a purpose focused manner for 150 years. With the chan­ging staff (non-deno­mi­na­tional, diverse) and nuns gradu­ally dying out, the ques­tion of the spirit, of the common iden­tity is being raised. What makes us diffe­rent from other compa­nies in the industry?

Can purpose replace the dying spirit?

The aim of the support is to refine the common purpose. The manage­ment team wants to be intro­duced to the concept of orga­ni­sa­tional purpose and to iden­tify the common FOR WHAT. What is important is that how purpose can work does not remain cogni­tive but becomes tangible. We start with an inter­ac­tive purpose day. A short format with a high level of inter­ac­tion is intended to provide a “taster” of the purpose concept. After­wards, the manage­ment group can decide on the next step – even against pursuing this direc­tion if in doubt. The manage­ment team’s clear buy-in to the process is crucial to success – hence the start with a “tester work­shop”. We design the day as a U process: starting on the cogni­tive level with refi­ning the case for action – where do we have the grea­test need for action as an orga­ni­sa­tion? What do we need answers to? Using the comple­xity map, we show how their own company and areas can be clas­si­fied in terms of incre­asing comple­xity and appro­priate control logic. Examples of purpose driven orga­ni­sa­tions show what purpose control can be like and how it can work.

Experience first, then decide

But before it gets too theo­re­tical, we leave the cogni­tive level and enter the expe­ri­ence. A varia­tion on the personal WHY process puts the mana­gers in touch with their own purpose biography and also in deep touch with each other through the discus­sion among them­selves.
These purpose expe­ri­ences are then deepened further with regard to the work in the company and are condensed by each person into a personal purpose state­ment. A common thread runs through this gallery of value and purpose profiles. It provides a view of the organisation’s deeper purpose which the indi­vi­duals contri­bute to.

How can we proceed?

We consciously only go as far as here, without refi­ning the purpose to the end. The struc­ture, size and culture of the orga­ni­sa­tion suggests that if a purpose process is really to start here, a bottom-up process is more func­tional. We would start with those who are closest to the purpose in their daily work with clients. We now emerge from the U with the manage­ment board to reflect on the expe­ri­ence: Where are we already prac­ti­sing or feeling this overall purpose? How could purpose enrich the stra­tegic leader­ship processes? How would it benefit our employees? Which of our chal­lenges does it provide answers to? So what’s a good next step out of this?

Franziska Fink

arrow_back Purpose & Strategy