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Deciding How to Show Up in a Changing Environment
A year into this new political and cultural climate, organizations have a clearer sense of who they want to be — but deciding how to act in practice can still feel overwhelming. At Raben, our Culture, Strategy, and Organizational Design team helps leaders translate values and vision into an actionable posture.
A year into this new political and cultural climate, organizations have a clearer sense of who they want to be — but deciding how to act in practice can still feel overwhelming. At Raben, our Culture, Strategy, and Organizational Design team helps leaders translate values and vision into an actionable posture.
Candyce Phoenix from our Government Affairs practice developed a framework that organizations can use to think about four possible postures when responding to complex environments:
- Prioritize Core Services: The most risk-averse option. Focus on keeping your doors open and delivering essential programs, even if it means making concessions to preserve your core work.
- Minimize Conflict: Maintain your operations without proactively shifting programming or messaging, but remain ready to negotiate or compromise to preserve mission-critical services.
- Stand Firm: Protect your principles without seeking confrontation — but if challenged, you’re prepared to defend your position and go to the mat for your values.
- Prioritize Advocacy: Take an assertive leadership role: proactively organize, lead the conversation in your sector, and advocate boldly for your mission and values.
Every organization’s posture will look different depending on its priorities, resources, and risk appetite. Our interdisciplinary approach ensures that CSOD and Government Affairs collaborate to help clients identify the posture that aligns with their vision — and develop actionable strategies to bring it to life. Learn more about how we can help your organization decide how to show up and design actionable steps for your chosen posture.
