March 11, 2014 | Read Time: 1 minute
Austin, Tex.
Small organizations that want to make their organizations and programs more innovative should start small, rather than seeking ways to undertake a massive overhaul, said two speakers today at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival here.
Michael Grenetz, director of digital innovation at Sierra Club, said groups should figure out not what needs to be improved but “what risks you can take.”
Small nonprofits can’t put too much on the line, so they should look for small changes that can be made in less than an hour that will produce results that can be assessed quickly. And they shouldn’t be afraid to drop an experiment when it doesn’t show promise, he says.
Karina Brisby, a consultant to nonprofits who used to work at Oxfam’s ShiftLabs project, also says to start simple: Ask staff members about ideas for improvement. That conversation by itself can often lead to ideas for small changes that can make a difference, she said.
In all cases, Mr. Grenetz says that organizations should be careful about how they approach the idea of trying new things. “Innovation” is a buzzword that can distract some leaders and coworkers.
Instead, he advised, talk about goals and potential results, and think hard about what will motivate individual staff members to try something new.
“Figure out exactly what the value or the interest is of that person, because that’s what they want to know,” Mr. Grenetz says.
