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JOHN SAWHILL units. Its members spent all their time talking programs is generally not that we did it one way �1. about day-to-day operations, and conservation here and one way there, and that the first way was strategy was relegated to the secondary spot. I be- much better than the second. Usually the differ- came dissatisfied with that way of operating;it just ence is that in one case an individual figured out didn't give us the right focus on our mission. It is what the community's needs were and developed a common problem in organizations that the mun- a program that met those needs. dane triumphs over the strategic. In our organization, the state director is usually One of the amazing consequences of our strategy the prime mover.The team obviously plays an im- shift was that about a year ago the management portant role, but if you don't have a strong leader, group voted to disband itself.We were searching for it's hard for the team to operate effectively. So we a way to focus on the most advanced thinking in spend a lot of time and care recruiting our state di- conservation, a way to propel the organization for- rectors. I personally interview all of them before ward on conservation issues. In place of the old they're hired. What I most want to know about structure,we have established a conservation com- them is how entrepreneurial they are,how creative mittee, which discusses and debates issues affect- I they are,what new things they're doing. ing our mission, and an operations committee, which handles administrative issues. We've also Has there been much resistance within your orga- made significant changes in the faces around the nization to the changes you've set in motion? table.Instead of the old war council,the traditional horizontal slice at the top, we took a vertical slice People in this organization are deeply committed of the organization for both groups. We now have to its mission.They care about it;they think about a mixture of people from throughout the organiza- it all the time. Fundamentally, it's what drives tion, including practitioners from the field, people them. There is something about a nonprofit's mis- with dirt under their fingernails.Finally,we created sion that motivates people by closely aligning per- a third entity, a management council, comprising sonal values with professional values. Maybe roughly 150 managers from all parts of the organi- there's a lesson here for corporations. When mis- zation. That group will meet once a year to review sion comes first, people are more open to change: the work done by the conservation and operations They act- t changes that would probably cause committees. a lot of anxiety if they weren't committed to the The new structure replaces a tighter manage- larger purpose. We invested an enormous amount ment team that had consisted only of senior staff, i of time and energy in the strategy process, and and it represents a real shift in management philos- ' once we got it done, our people generally accepted ophy.The early returns are positive.We have been ( the changes. They were convinced that the new able to hone further our conservation agenda and strategy was the right way to achieve our mission. eliminate layers of bureaucratic review for day-to- day decision making. What is the most satisfying part of your job? Our new conservation strategy demands a high level of creativity from people throughout the orga- I tell people I have the best job in America.First,I nization,and any organization that has grown as we ' work with committed, energetic, bright people.. have must guard against bureaucratic tendencies. I Second, I do something that I regard as extremely don't think you can get people to be more entrepre- y important. Protecting natural areas and leaving neurial unless you make them responsible for a them for future generations is one of the most im- •' piece of the organization and give them control of ( portant things we could possibly do;it's leaving the their own destinies.We can give people in the field world a better place than it would otherwise be. So • a lot of autonomy as long as we have absolute clar- f I'm motivated by the significance of the task.A lot ity about our mission and our core values. i of businesspeople think that someday they'll do Usually when we have a successful program it's a stint in government to make their contribution • because the person running it is entrepreneurial to society. They ought to think about working in • and knows how to take advantage of opportunities, i a nonprofit instead. Not only will they get a lot mobilize resources, and attract a good board. The j more done, but nonprofit work is also much more •2` success of any program often comes down to the rewarding than government service. I can say that skills, energy, and leadership of the individual because I've done both. 8 • heading it. The difference in results between two I Reprint 95508 118 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1995