It takes great vision, stamina and perseverance to lead an organization committed to social impact, equity, and change. The challenges are many and not all leadership teams or boards are equipped to meet them. A change in strategy may require new partnerships, changes to roles or that staff work together differently.  It may be difficult to get work done due to confusion over who makes which decisions and how information gets shared. The organization's culture may be difficult to work in resulting in turnover and burnout. Underpinning these challenges may be issues of equity and inclusion making it even more difficult to realized desired outcomes. To add fuel to the fire, constant changes in the  environment (whether it be funding, regulatory or even a new leader) can easily take the organization off course, making it harder to sustain impact.  While these challenges are far reaching, they also represent opportunities to rebuild, renew and rejuvenate the health of the organization.

With care, compassion, and respect, Moon Shadow Consulting will partner with you to help you stay on course or forge new ground. Services include:

Mission, Vision, and Values Definition to clarify purpose and to shine a light on what is truly important to the organization. Defining or re-establishing “true north” is vital for igniting passion and commitment to working together. There are many circumstances when  this is needed for instance, when leadership transitions or when the organization needs to reinvent itself or when forming new partnerships to pursue a common goal.  

Setting Strategic Direction to determine how best to bring the mission and vision to life over time. Defining strategy involves setting goals, priorities and measures along with an ongoing process for learning and adapting as internal and external conditions change. Engaging those impacted ensures the strategy is centered in the right place.

Organization Planning, Design and Development to define the roles, processes, structures and governance systems that bring the "right people" together to do the "right work" in the "best ways." Designing organization systems that foster equity and inclusion involves a rigorous assessment of existing policies and practices, identifying where disparities exist from multiple perspectives, and architecting new ways of operating.  

Culture and Climate Change to ensure that the mindset (beliefs and attitudes) of people within the organization and the way people behave creates an environment where people feel energized and can do their best work.  Changes in mindset and behavior are fundamental to establishing an inclusive, high functioning organization. Progress is possible when leaders model the way. When reinforced systemically through programs, policies and processes, change is more likely to occur.

Team Alignment to improve the board, executive team or staff's ability to work together in pursuit of its objectives and in stronger relationship with one another. Bringing together diverse perspectives enhances problem-solving and creativity.  At the same time, it can be difficult to find cohesion. Knowing oneself, appreciating each other's differences, aligning around a shared purpose and ensuring that everyone knows how they will work together leads to greater effectiveness.

Change and Communications Strategies to establish a path forward and to provide clarity on how impacts will occur. System-wide, high involvement and adaptive approaches are fundamental to realizing change and to helping those involved commit to new directions. Providing clear and frequent communications along with opportunities for dialogue ease concerns and build trust.