Messy Is Actually The Best Place To Start
I spent time recently consulting with a seasoned nonprofit Executive Director. She had a particular challenge that she just couldn’t seem to unravel and move forward on.
When she contacted me and asked for a half-day to puzzle through her questions she said, “What I want to talk about is messy”. This is all I knew heading into our 3-hour session, but I love messy.
Messy is actually the best place to start.
And I knew together, we’d find a way forward — regardless of the situation. By the end of the session, we would put into order what felt like chaos and messiness in her head.
I took notes and made diagrams while she talked. “It feels so good to just talk my way through this and not have to capture notes. You’ve sketched out exactly what has been running all around in my mind” she said midway through our time together.
As we talked and I sketched, I could see the picture emerging of how she could move forward. The areas where strengthening was necessary within the organization became clear. How her role can evolve became clear. And what funding she needs to seek was also revealed.
We talked about how to elevate her board from “just governance” to more “fund development” so that the support she needs to find would not rest solely on her shoulders.
When I got home, I had an email from her saying, “I walked away from our time together feeling grounded and confident about the future.”
This is not uncommon feedback after a consulting session like this.
A few weeks ago, I did a similar session with a for-profit business leader and his words were, “I feel so relieved. You helped me wade through the crap and get to the strategy that will move us forward.”
Here are the reasons I’m good at this:
Having done this work since 2010, there isn’t a problem or challenge I haven’t seen.
I am always seeking to separate facts from fears, hopes, and assumptions. Strategy lives in the facts.
I’m completely okay with messiness because I know that within the messiness there is always a path forward.
I’m far enough removed from the personalities, emotions, and day-to-day operations that I can see the forest for the trees.
I believe in people, and I believe in their unique strengths, expertise, and skills.
I love to solve puzzles and I’m an excellent listener who asks powerful questions that cut through the mess.
Are you carrying around a jumble of questions and ideas?
If you are faced with a big question or a challenge that you can’t seem to see the path forward with, book a 1:1, confidential session with me. You can even be mad, frustrated, teary, or fearful.
I will hold the space and bring you from sitting in the mess to having an actionable pathway forward. And I will be supporting you along the way.
To learn more, or to see if your struggle is something I can help with, book a time to chat: