Organisational effectiveness

Screenshot of video. Text reads 'Introduction to OKRS'.

Learn a Goal Setting Technique: Objectives and Key Results OKRs

Objectives and Key Results are a simple goal-setting technique that can help increase organizational learning and improve performance.

Leaderful Organizing Tool: Organizational Structure Matrix

Organizational Structure Matrix is a conversational tool to explore the benefits and disadvantages of different organizing structures.

Leaderful Organizing Tool: DARCI Grid to Clarify Roles and Responsibilities

The DARCI grid (template) is a leaderful organising tool which allows for clarity in the distribution of roles and responsibilities.

Pathways to Repair: Guides to Navigate Healing, Trust building and Human Messiness

These resources from the Pathways to Repair project discuss the challenges of navigating relationships and resolving conflicts within communities, highlighting the need for pathways to repair and reduce harm.

Group of diverse women having a business meeting

Governance Resources for Australian Not-for-Profits

The Institute of Community Directors has a comprehensive collection of resources to support good governance by not-for-profits. Check out these links to get started.

Detangling Digital: Has the concept of a centralised digital department outlived its usefulness?

Instead of a centralised place for all things digital, here’s a model for integrating digital skillsets back into every department of an organisation.

Front cover of the Purpose Driven Campaigning summary.

Purpose Driven Campaigning: 40 key principles for Growing Social Movements

Australian Progress has prepared this 40-point summary of Pastor Rick Warren’s bestselling book The Purpose Driven Church.

Diagram shows 5 arrows pointing to the target of Purpose: Symbols, Slogans, Stories, Specifics, Personalise.

Being Purpose Driven

Nothing precedes purpose. The starting point for every organisation or movement should be the question ‘Why do we exist’? A number of tips for focusing an organisation on vision and purpose. An excerpt from Purpose Driven Campaigning, based on Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church.

Diagram of the Circles of Commitment also known as the Ladder of Engagement. 5 concentric circles labelled from outside to inside: Community; Crowd; Congregation; Committed; Core.

Levels of Commitment from Community to Core

Rick Warren focuses on five ‘circles of commitment’ – community, crowd, congregation, committed and core, and argue that it’s important to recognise where your supporters fall in these categories, and develop processes to move them from the outside in. An excerpt from Purpose Driven Campaigning.

Work Less: You’ll Get More Done

Overwork has heavy costs. Working longer hours is dangerous and ineffective. But poor management, the subconscious, workplace culture, and work volume, can each be a barrier to better workplace practices. Thankfully though, these barriers can be overcome.

Photograph of two people standing on pavement, taken from above. Written on the ground is 'Passion Led Us Here'.

Retain volunteers with intrinsically motivating work

Civic associations depend upon volunteers to get their work done. Joel Dignam distils insights from Ruth Wageman and Richard Hackman’s “Designing work for individuals and for groups” from Perspectives on Behavior in Organizations.

A diagram with three organisers at the centre. From each organiser arrows go to a Leader, from the Leader there are arrows to 5 team members.

How to Structure Teams for Organising

Joel Dignam reviews Marshall Ganz’ treatment of structure as a craft of organising. As Ganz notes “Developing leadership requires structuring the work of the organization so it affords as many people as possible the opportunity to learn to lead.”

Photograph of a group of people having a meeting.

On Conflict and Consensus

Making collective decisions and navigating conflict and are core activist skills. Conflict is usually viewed as an impediment to reaching agreements and disruptive to peaceful relationships. However, it is the underlying thesis of Consensus that nonviolent conflict is necessary and desirable.