Non-Profit Leaders: Seven 30-Minute Exercises to Kick-Start your Thinking

By Jonathan Bennett

Sometimes just getting started is the hardest part.

Especially these days—when working from home means that the intersecting, urgent obligations seem to crowd out that all-important, but non-urgent, time to just simply think.

For those of you with a bit more time than usual, but are struggling to focus and get some organizational thinking started, here are seven 30-minute exercises to try that will get the juices flowing, and get your strategic thinking started regarding:

These were first published on LinkedIn. Click here to leave a comment. Or, if you’d like Jonathan’s help with any of these exercises, please get in touch.


Exercise 1: Do you need to think about your organization’s design?

Take a nice big sheet of paper. Grab a sharpie.

Okay, now imagine that all the people in your organization went in on the Lotto Max without you, and they won, and they all gave notice the next day.

Now all you have is work, but no people to do it. You need people doing jobs. So, draw an org chart for the organization that you would re-build from scratch. Ask yourself:

  • How can there be as few levels as possible between the CEO/ED and the front line?
  • How can I maximize the span of control (people, size of budget) of each manager?
  • How can I design this to minimize program or service silos?
  • What functions might I outsource, or cost-share with partners?
  • What measures (KPIs) could I use to show how this new structure improves client service, and streamlines work flow for our staff and volunteers?

Congratulations! You’ve just started some thinking on which you can begin to build an organizational review.

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Exercise 2: If you need to think about your management team

This exercise is for those of you struggling a little to focus and get some organizational thinking done during these difficult times.

On a piece of paper, write down the names of your three best managers. Come on…be honest. For each, write down the three things that they routinely demonstrate at a higher level than your other managers (e.g., delegation, communications, addressing conflict, change management, etc.)

Now, imagine if all your management team members had their level of competency in these areas too.

  • How would that change your organization for the better?
  • What would you be emboldened to try?
  • What could the team achieve together?
  • How would clients / patients / participants ultimately benefit?

Congratulations! You’ve just started some thinking on which you can begin to build a professional development and training plan for your management team.

Exercise 3: If you need to think about your brand

This exercise is for those of you struggling to focus and get some organizational thinking done during these difficult times.

Start a new document and save it with title: “Our Brand in 2021.” Next, finish the following sentences in at least three different ways:

  • If asked, our clients would describe the impact of our work on their lives as…
  • If a staff member or volunteer was trying to convince a professional acquaintance to apply for an open position at our organization, they would attempt to persuade them by talking about how much we…
  • When thinking about the impact we make, it’s because our organization is the only one that can…

Congratulations! You’ve just started some thinking on which you can begin to build a re-branding project.

Exercise 4: If you need to think about your board

This exercise is for those of you struggling to focus and get some organizational thinking done during these difficult times.

Find your organization’s articles of incorporation and bylaws. Print them. (If this is unachievable, I’m going to refer you to a lawyer that specializes in this.)

Take out a pen. Mark these documents up as you read. Underline. Circle. Highlight. Get interested in these foundational documents; show them the attention they deserve.

  • As you read, and annotate, ask the following questions:
  • Do they properly describe your organization as it operates today?
  • Is there anything in there that is inconsistent with your board policies or practices, or your operational policies and procedures?
  • Do you know if they are compliant with the governing acts in your jurisdiction?

Now ask, what flows out your close reading of these documents that you should address right away, or what can be put on a work plan to chip away at over time (review board committee structure, board policies, maybe just some ‘good governance’ training, etc…)

Congratulations! You’ve just started some thinking on which you can begin to build a governance review.

Exercise 5: If you need to think about your organization’s risks

This exercise is for those of you struggling to focus and get some organizational thinking done during these difficult times.

Take a pen and a piece of paper. Draw large square. Divide it into the following quadrants:


High likelihood, low impact


Low likelihood, low impact


High likelihood, high impact


Low likelihood, high impact

Next, as its leader, think about what worries you most about the organization.

Brainstorm a list of the top 10 things that keep you up at night (finances, IT dependability, staffing, quality of service, lawsuits, etc.) Plot them on the grid.

Finally, ask yourself, do you have a contingency or mitigation plan for each of those items that are in quadrant two (high likelihood, high impact)—as a place to begin?

Congratulations! You’ve just started some thinking on which you can begin to build a risk management plan.

Exercise 6: If you need to think about your organization’s future

This exercise is for those of you struggling to focus and get some organizational thinking done during these difficult times.

  • Write an email to yourself.
  • Begin by answering this question: our next strategic plan will be completed, approved and ready to be implemented by when? Make the answer an exact date.
  • Next, jot down three reasons why your organization should be doing strategic planning now? (old plan is ending, new pressures, COVID-19 impacts, other changes in the environment, etc.) Conversely, give three consequences that may occur if you fail to craft a new plan.
  • Then, in a single sentence, write down what you would like the legacy of this planning process to be? (bold new vision, deeper connect to stakeholders through meaningful engagement in shaping the plan, etc.)
  • Finally, answer the following two questions: what do we need to make decisions? (evidence, stakeholder feedback, data, new business models, etc.), and who do we need to help us shape this plan, when and why?

Congratulations! You’ve just started some thinking on which you can begin to build a strategic planning process.

Exercise 7: If you need to think about your own future

This exercise is for those of you struggling to focus and get some organizational thinking done during these difficult times. Stop mindlessly scanning job ads. Instead, why not ready your organization for your safe departure?

Take a piece of paper and answer the following:

  • Who is the person that would step up and fill my role in the short term due to an emergency?
  • Does this person know I think they will be filling this role? Does anyone else know?
  • What do they need (training, supports) to be ready should the need arise?
  • Longer term, is there an up to date job description for my role? Does the organization have a succession plan for its leadership? Has the Board discussed its plans to ensure a stable transition to a new leader, and its approach to recruitment?

Congratulations! You’ve just started some thinking on which you can begin to build a leadership succession plan.

Next Steps

Need some assistance with next steps? We’ve helped leaders at over 150 non-profit and public organizations with everything from strategic and operational planning, to branding, to risk management and succession planning.

Get in touch with us today to start the conversation.