One of the most pressing but hidden in plain sight situations facing a lot of communities occurs when innovative initiatives become the status quo.
They often emerge as beacons of hope, promising solutions to deeply rooted problems like poverty, crime, unemployment and homelessness.
But while they start with noble intentions, the danger is that they become permanent entities hindering further progress.
For example, my clients routinely mention that their biggest challenge to making a positive impact isn’t the problem itself, but rather the cottage industry of initiatives who have built themselves up around the problem.
I call them “vampires.”
Why?
Because they have a knack for draining resources and perpetuating their own immortality in the shadows of change.
In today’s post, I’m going to share the 3 most common dangers of these vampire-like organizations.
Then I’ll give you 3 ways to expose them to sunlight and make sure they don’t remain the status quo forever.
How the innovative becomes the status quo
About 10 years ago, I was inaugural director of a new organization created by about a dozen foundations.
By pooling several million dollars for innovative programming and advocacy, we set out to reduce unemployment for low-income adults by improving our state’s $300M investment in nonprofit job training programs.
Two other initiatives launched at about the same time, both focused on aspects of unemployment in our region.
What set my organization apart was that it was created for a limited time.
After 7 years, it would cease operations.
The logic behind an organizational expiration date is to instill a sense of urgency, foster continuous innovation, and prevent complacency.
By setting a predetermined time limit, it encouraged us to consistently reassess our efforts and progress related to the problem at hand.
Today, about ten years later, the organization I led is long gone, leaving behind only its legacy of accomplishments and failures.
The funders have similarly moved on to other, new initiatives focused on issues of pressing concern.
But the other two organizations – the ones created at the same time as mine – are still around.
They’re bigger than ever, no longer innovative start-ups, but full-fledged bureaucracies.
People in my region praise or blame them – and they do – but no one would deny that they’re now a part of the status quo.
The dangers of “vampires”
The allure of innovation lies in its ability to challenge existing norms and provoke change.
However, as these groundbreaking ideas become ingrained in society, there is a risk that they lose their potency and fail to address the evolving needs of the community.
Let’s examine the top 3 dangers of this type of situation:
#1. Becoming complacent co-conspirators
The initial groundbreaking ideas that aimed to challenge norms may inadvertently become complacent co-conspirators with the very systems they were meant to change.
Instead of pushing for transformative changes, these initiatives may conform to or accommodate existing structures, diluting their original intent.
This alignment can lead to a reduction in effectiveness, as the initiatives may operate within the confines of established systems rather than challenging them.
#2. Opportunity cost
Another peril associated with this transformation is the opportunity cost involved.
As these initiatives receive ongoing resources and attention, there is a risk of diverting valuable resources from potentially more effective solutions or emerging priorities.
Additionally, as organizations grow into bureaucracies with increased staffing, they may find themselves needing more funds to sustain the organization rather than effectively addressing the problems they were initially created to solve.
#3. Marketing success to hide stagnation
Finally, when initiatives become entrenched as the status quo, they may develop big marketing and communication departments to maintain the appearance of effectiveness.
This involves emphasizing success stories, touting achievements like winning grant awards, or downplaying existing problems to present a more positive image.
In other words, they can create a facade of success, leaving the public unaware that the initiative isn’t performing as originally intended.
The sunlight of accountability
Living with organizational “vampires” need not be perpetual.
There are effective ways to expose them to sunlight and prevent them from remaining the status quo indefinitely.
Here are 3 strategies to bring them into the light:
#1. Call for independent evaluation
To dispel the shadows surrounding organizational effectiveness, advocate for independent evaluations that rigorously assess an initiative’s success in achieving its original mission.
These evaluations provide an unbiased and transparent view of an organization’s impact, holding it accountable for tangible outcomes rather than internal metrics.
#2. Suggest an expiration date
Introduce the concept of an expiration date for organizations and initiatives.
Even if the initiative already exists as a permanent organization, encourage board members to first conduct an independent evaluation (#1 above) and then establish a limited timeframe for achieving the mission.
Will the work be substantially more complete in 3, 5 or 10 years?
Proposing a new, limited timeframe encourages a proactive reassessment of goals, strategies, and overall effectiveness.
#3. Establish public and transparent dashboards
Move beyond organizational measurements like funds raised, often highlighted in annual reports, and establish public and transparent dashboards that directly reflect the status of real-world issues.
These dashboards focus on the impact of initiatives on the problems they were designed to address, providing a clear and accessible way for the public to track progress and hold organizations accountable for their contributions to positive change.
TLDR
The metamorphosis of innovative initiatives into status quo “vampires” presents a tangible threat to community progress.
By advocating for transparent accountability, we can bring these vampires into the light and ensure they don’t drain our communities dry.
See you next week.
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Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways I can help you:
→ I’m a strategic advisor for the toughest societal problems like poverty, crime and homelessness. People come to me when they want to stop spinning their wheels and get transformative, systems-level change.
→ I’m a coach for emerging and executive leaders in the social and public sectors who want to make progress on their biggest goals and challenges.
Let’s find out how I can help you become transformational.
