November 28, 2011 | Read Time: 2 minutes
I’m sure we all have a favorite holiday smell. Often it’s from a favorite food with a rich aroma. But we’ve all had a time when we thought the smell signaled something wrong even before we’d sat down to eat.
After working with nonprofits for many years, I’ve realized that you can tell when something’s not right through a quick smell test. I sniff the air for signs that things need to change the first time I enter the CEO’s office.
There are some variations on the smell test. Here are some I use:
Smell the coffee. Is the organization alert in a caffeinated way to changes in the environment it operates in? Is it aware of the adaptations it might need in the slow economy? Does it embrace social media and other emerging technologies in how to operate with supporters? If the organization doesn’t smell of coffee, it may be sleepwalking to a slow demise.
Smell the rotten eggs. Check out what doesn’t seem right. For example, actively seek out aspects of the organization’s processes that may look fine but are actually broken. The eggy smell may be from a dysfunctional board or a senior staff member performing poorly. If there’s a whiff of something that is not right, take action sooner rather than later.
Smell the smoke. Keep on full alert for possible signs of smoldering that could turn into a serious fire. I recently told a group of senior managers in a major charity that they were beginning to lose support from individuals and corporations to a rival charity. It wasn’t a big loss, but it could grow. They had to smell the potential for disaster and take early action before the “fire” took hold.
Smell the fresh air. Often organizations, especially senior managers, need to get out more rather than spending endless time in meetings with colleagues or peers. Any organization that spends too much time obsessed with itself and its internal processes will eventually begin to have the scent of decay.
Standard management consulting approaches to figuring out what’s wrong all have their merits. But to figure out the changes that must happen, you might do best by unlocking your inner bloodhound.
