Continuous Improvement Resources

A framework for social sector excellence

Find out what high performance means, what it takes to achieve it, and how to get there.

Discover a structured approach to moving forward on the path to high performance, collaboratively developed by leaders who have walked the talk. Find out what high performance means and how to achieve it. Collect board, executive leadership, and staff perspectives on your organization, analyze feedback to identify strengths and gaps, and learn and improve together. Do it again to assess progress.

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The Performance Imperative helps nonprofits and public agencies understand and assess performance by sharing a common definition of high performance and providing a framework of seven organizational disciplines to achieve it.

Our Common Definition of ‘High Performance’

high performance

adjective

: the ability to deliver – over a prolonged period of time – meaningful, measurable, and financially sustainable results for the people or causes the organization is in existence to serve.

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Courageous, Adaptive Executive And Board Leadership

Executives and boards embrace their responsibility to deliver meaningful, measurable, and financially sustainable results.

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Disciplined, People-Focused Management

Managers translate leaders’ drive for excellence into clear work plans and incentives to carry out the work effectively and efficiently.

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Well-Designed And Well-Implemented Programs And Strategies

Leaders and managers who run programs that are intended to produce meaningful life changes hold themselves accountable for helping participants achieve desired outcomes.

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Financial Health And Sustainability

The board and senior management take charge of their organization’s financial destiny.

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A Culture That Values Learning

The board, management, and staff understand the organization’s mission and desired results and review them periodically to ensure that they are still relevant.

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Internal Monitoring For Continuous Improvement

The board, management, and staff understand the organization’s mission and desired results and review them periodically to ensure that they are still relevant.

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External Evaluation For Mission Effectiveness

Leaders complement internal monitoring with external evaluations conducted by highly skilled, independent experts.

The Behaviors

Put the framework into action with the Performance Practice

Discover a structured approach to moving forward on the path to high performance, collaboratively developed by leaders who have walked the talk. Find out what high performance means and how to achieve it. Collect board, executive leadership, and staff perspectives on your organization, analyze feedback to identify strengths and gaps, and learn and improve together. Do it again to assess progress.

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The Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community is a private community of experts and leaders who believe that mission and performance are inextricably linked. Our resources are collaboratively developed and offered to the field to support organizations on their journeys to high performance.

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