Building Viability For Once Nascent CBOs Led By LGBTIQQ, MSM and WSW in Africa: Asking The Right Questions

Questions to ask as you gauge your core values and definition:

Do you have a strategy to be effective ?

What are your strong points?

Do you know when to bite what you can chew?

Do you have a brand that marks you  out?

Who are the people at the core of your organization?

What are the existing structures within which the execution of work is made possible or obstructed?

What are the procedures for staff development?

What are the processes of leadership development?

What are the reward systems within your organization?

What are the existing structures of dispute resolution?

How is the organizational loyalty and performance?

A. The NAPO

1. Name of organization
2. The people coming together to make the organization
3. The community from which they come
4. The community they intend to serve
5. The methods of service

B. The VIMOA

1. Vision
2. Mission
3. Objectives
4. Activities to fulfill the VIMOs

C. The MEMATS

1. The internal manuals or policy documents
2. The core leadership structures from executive level, beneficiaries, board of directors and procedures for meetings
3. Time lines that chart your paths from now to tomorrow
4. The internal analysis principles to link yesterday’s activities to present and tomorrow

D. The CENA

1. The constitution and legality of the organization
2. The ethos, pathos and logos of the organization
3. The ethos, pathos and logos of the members
4. The networks and membership (internally and externally)

E. The STRATEGY

• A compelling vision must be established and well communicated

• Core Values are established and alive throughout the organization

• Yearly objectives must be identified

• Target results must be clearly defined and agreeable to all

• Your plans are on paper and can be monitored

• Have in position possibilities for resource mobilization

F. The STRUCTURE

• You must have an organizational chart created to specifically show accountabilities of roles

• Position descriptions are completed for each role including responsibilities, results expected, standards, and key performance indicators

• All identified systems are documented in writing using checklists where ever possible to create an operations manual

• Ensure that roles and responsibilities are aligned with team member’s strengths

PROCESS

• All organizational processes and systems are identified

• All processes must be “Done Right” 

• All processes are regularly evaluated for continuous improvement

REWARDS

• Your performance should be measured against desired results and core values

• You have to institute recognition programmes to encourage professionalism and practices which lead to desired results

PEOPLE

• Ensure that success oriented habits and attitudes are developed and reinforced

• Make sure that team members understand each other’s strengths, weakness, and behavioral styles

• Succession plans must be in place for key roles

CUSTOMER LOYALTY and RESULTS

• All sections, desks or departments must have goals established which support overall objectives

• All points of connection with customers, beneficiaries and target audience are identified.

• Areas of opportunity to improve points of connection to deliver remarkable service are identified and best practices established

• Indicators of your financial health are identified and tracked in order to know whether the business is on track to producing the desired results or not

LEADERSHIP

• Company culture revolves round:

1) Always provide the best service within your organization for staff, invest in client comfort as well as investing in emotional well-being

2) Always do the best job possible

3) The workplace should be where one constantly learns, grows, and improves

• Work up to 5-7 quarterly priorities on a schedule where it is possible to identify objectives; resources; and outcome.

• Tracking system for Key Performance Indicators is implemented

• Necessary information flows daily and weekly through a meeting rhythm

• Goals are established to obtain needed resources

Following are some questions you can use to evaluate where your your organization stands now on each of the points:

Strategy

• Are staff aware of your objectives, do they agree, are they in alignment?

• How are your current efforts securing your pre-determined objectives?

• Can you tie your organization decisions and actions back to your core values?

• Do you have a picture of the future that you believe you will realize?

• What are your top priorities?

Structure

• Do you have the right people, and are resources allocated correctly? How do you know?

• Do you compile a regular organization journal? What do you note down regularly? What are you missing?

• How do members of a given section or departments know what others in other sections or departments are doing?

Process

• When was the last time you improved your core processes (i.e.: take out waste, inefficiencies, and extensive costs?

• Are you meeting process deadlines?

• What does “done right” look like and how long does it take?

• How well are you meeting speed and quality delivery?

• How are you challenging everyone to seek innovative and improved methods of doing business and growing the company?

• Do you ask your people to analyze processes which interfere with their performance and the performance of the organization?

Rewards & Recognition

• How do you currently measure performance?

• What do you reward and why?

• When things aren’t going well, what do you reward?

• How often do you review employees?

• Is there a recognition programme that shows your people you appreciate efforts and that their accomplishments are recognized?

People

• What is the biggest issue you have in managing your people?

• Do you feel your people have the skills necessary to implement your plan?

• How do you gauge your people’s productivity?

• How do you measure morale of your employees?

• Do you have people ready to fill succession plans?

• How do you make people feel that they are an important part of the organizational whole?

• How well do you know what your strengths and weaknesses are? Your people’s strengths and weaknesses?

• Does each person in the organization have a detailed development plan with short and long term goals and action steps?

Leadership

• How do you develop leaders?

• How would you differentiate the difference between a leader and a manager and what is more important to the success of your organization?

• Do day to day operations reflect a “How can we make things better” philosophy?

• What qualities do you need to develop to be a better leader?

• What qualities do your people need to develop to be better self-leaders?

• Is everyone in the organization committed and focused on achieving organizational success?

• Is the culture one which encourages people to be their best and perform their best?

Results

• How do you measure success?

• How do you know if you’re moving in the right direction?

• How satisfied are you with your current business results?

• How do you measure your beneficiary or staff satisfaction?

• How are you maintaining consistent growth and improvement?

• Are you focusing on results rather than activities?

• What is standing in the way of achieving your goals?

Contact Dr. Tom on +14157079564 (Whatsapp!!) for more information.