Leadership
Choose a statement:
1. We have clear, well-communicated vision, mission and values, which are periodically reviewed.
2. We have an effective and responsive organisational structure.
3. Our decision makers engage with, learn from and influence stakeholders.
4. Our decision makers motivate and support staff and volunteers and encourage a culture of learning.
6. Our decision makers are responsive to feedback and results and champion organisational improvement.
We have clear, well-communicated vision, mission and values, which are periodically reviewed.
Suggested Evidence
Our mission, vision and values are:
Example
Crucial to the change in any management structure is to revisit the mission. Example from Nilaari to follow shortly.
| Tips for advisors: How often does the organisation review its mission statement Tips for funders: How well is the organisation achieving its mission? Is it still relevant? |
We have an effective and responsive organisational structure.
Suggested Evidence
Examples of evidence & good practice could include:
Example
Nilaari provides “accessible high quality culturally appropriate services primarily to Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) young people and adults who misuse or are at risk of misusing drugs and/or alcohol in Bristol”. As a follow-up to their development day, a business advisor reviewed their progress using C3Perform. Prior to the development day, the organisation’s structure was linear: Board of Directors- Manager- Staff. Since then, team manager posts were established to aide the work of the manager as well as provide clearer management structure for the various initiatives within the organisation. This change has meant that communication from Board of Directors to manager and then to team managers was improved; and although the line of communication was increased, it was identified that the process of decision-making was “speeded up”. Staff were able to address matters with their team managers or use team meetings as wider forum for discussion and feedback.
| Tips for advisors: The range of C3Perform tools can be used for development days, to review progress against specific actions or to team build. Tips for funders: Recent changes in organisational structure can signal positive change an organisation is going through. |
Our decision makers engage with, learn from and influence stakeholders.
Suggested Evidence
Examples of evidence and good practice may include:
Example
Nilaari is a black and minority ethnic led third sector organisation, providing support services in the areas of drug and alcohol misuse. A development day was held to provide the opportunity to explore for workers and the Board of Directors to review whether the mission statement still reflected the core function and role of the organisation. However, what proved important to understanding the importance of the mission statement was the adoption of organisational values, which they had not done before and therefore provided a much clearer framework whereby the organisation could measure its outcomes.
| Tips for advisors: Encouraging and supporting organisations to review their mission, vision and values is crucial at the beginning of any Performance Improvement process Tips for funders: Is there any evidence to show how regularly an organisation reviews its mission, vision and values? |
Our decision makers motivate and support staff and volunteers and encourage a culture of learning.
Suggested Evidence
Example
“Improve your organisation” training is a 2 half day training course run by Voscur and supported by C3. Organisations were encouraged to send 2 participants in order to promote a culture of learning and embed the concept of PI in the organisation. From this, a number of organisations went on to access1:1 support with an advisor and action learning which enabled higher staff motivation. Participants were asked to carry out an exercise between sessions in order to start the process of embedding PI in their organisations.
| Tips for advisors: If you want to get people on board, you need to have your follow- up support package ready. Tips for funders: Look for evidence that organisations have been through this type of training which encourages evidence gathering, using results to improve. |
Our decision makers are committed and active in promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity inside and outside the organisation.
Suggested Evidence
Examples of evidence and good practice may include:·
Example
Voscur recently asked a small sub group of workers and Directors to review the organisation’s Equality and Diversity policy. This has been streamed into the development of improved Equality and Diversity training, which all workers and Directors are expected to attend. Understanding the reviewed policy makes up part of the day’s training curriculum.
| Tips for advisors: Evidence of annual review of policies does not necessarily mean that all workers and trustees are up-to-date with changes. Encourage policy review not to be undertaken in isolation by a few trustees only. Tips for funders: Look for evidence that policy review is not simply a checklist of dates. |
Our decision makers are responsive to feedback and results and champion organisational improvement.
Suggested Evidence
- Ability to demonstrate that results and their impact are communicated to all staff
- Ability to demonstrate that decision makers use results to understand how the whole organisation is performing
- Ability to demonstrate that decision makers are active in ensuring targets are set
- Ability to demonstrate that decision makers/leaders are role models for our organisational culture.
Example
BAND is a voluntary sector infrastructure organisation supporting childcare and play organisations in Bristol. They sent 2 participants on Voscur’s “Improve your organisation” training, who then encouraged the organisation to go through the whole C3 PI process and championed the PI process within the organisation.
“Staff who attended the ‘Improve Your Organisation’ training found the process as well the outcomes of the C3perform work inspirational and very accessible. The work has been enthusiastically embraced by trustees and staff and we’re sure will bring long term benefits to our organisation”. Paul Dielhenn, BAND.
| Tips for advisors: Be available as a resource to follow on from training. Remember this is their journey but continue to empower and support PI Champions within organisations Tips for funders: To enable the PI process to happen, a need has been expressed for support from advisors or external facilitators, especially at the beginning of the process. |