RSS
Who are you, REALLY?
Discovering your core message… and how to share it
Do you know who you are? Do you know what you represent to others?
It’s funny that we can inhabit our skins (all the time!), carry on a continuous internal dialog, and still not have a clear picture of who we are, even in terms of how we see ourselves. We know what we like, or what we’re good at; we know what we look for in a friend; we are shaped by countless experiences and relationships. But the closer we look, oddly, the fuzzier the picture can become.
Nonprofit organizations are the same way, especially those in “midlife”: they’re far enough from their moments of conception to look upon those times as relatively simple and progress-rich, but they’ve still got long roads and countless opportunities before them.
In reality, it’s no easier for organizations to “know” who they are, and what their places in the world are. But while a person can approach this problem as a lifelong adventure (or as a ride), nonprofit organizations owe it to their stakeholders—staff, volunteer leadership, benefactors, and their constituencies—to realize an identity, to have a plan, to choose a direction, and to make a difference.
Introspection is the pastime of most nonprofit organizations. Their identities are usually more complicated than those of for-profit enterprises, which can very often frame their purposes in commercial terms. (Though they are not immune to bouts of narcissism now and then, to be sure.) And now that most nonprofits have come to think about their brands, and try to act deliberately to shape their brands, there seems to be all-new justification for committee-based navel gazing. But many a committee have found themselves unable to translate insights about their organizations into meaningful stories for people “out there,” or to learn anything new at all.
How much introspection is a good thing? How can you learn from it? How can you put self-knowledge to work? Maintaining focus and turning discoveries into tools are themselves important projects. But not every organization has the time, the resources, or even the need to be on the proverbial therapy couch for very long.
That’s why we recently launched a series of workshops, rather like brand communication “boot camps”, designed to help organizations maximize the value of what they already know, and get set on the right path for strategically building their brands.
For example, our strategic messaging workshop is designed to help both for- and nonprofit organizations articulate what’s special about their activities, connect that value to constituents’ interests and needs, and optimize their story. This workshop puts the Pareto principle to work, because many of the answers to your brand story problems are already in the minds of an organization’s people.
It’s rare that an organization, especially a mature one, can discover something about itself so novel that it changes their outlook and brand. If it is who it is, and it’s going to do more or less what it’s already doing, it can address many brand awareness and comprehension issues with rigorous focus on relevance, simplicity, clarity, and consistency.
What about that other 20% of the problems? Solving them could be the key to sustainable growth or meaningful change. That’s where more hard-core self-study—and, crucially, internal alignment—comes in. No workshop can mend deep rifts in strategic vision, or plot a careful course through a time of transition.
Taking the time to look deeply will give an evolving organization the perspective to reevaluate its past and its values, to determine what kind of change is desirable, and practical. It also affords all the stakeholders the opportunity for their voices to be heard, contributing to the solution and having the time to adjust to new realities. Sometimes, reorienting your perspective just can’t be rushed. (But this doesn’t mean you can ever take your eye off your goals. Many get lost in the reflection!)
Many nonprofit brand identities, like the people behind them, are complex—full of contradictions and inconsistencies. But that doesn’t mean they’re all worthy of attention.
Knowing how to sort out all your traits and ideas, and strengthening those that support business strategy while attending appropriately to gaps and weaknesses, is the key to avoiding introspection paralysis.
Categories Branding, Nonprofits, Strategy and Management
Twitter
LinkedIn
[...] value to constituents’ interests and needs, and optimize their story. This workshop puts the Pareto principle to work, because many of the answers to your brand story problems are already in the minds of an [...]