An improvement culture

Creating a culture of continuous improvement is an essential element of all truly successful organisations. 

Hard work?

An endless process of striving to be better can sound like hard work, but many would argue that's exactly what our sector is all about: achieving the best possible outcomes for our users or cause. 

Embedding a culture of continuous improvement is at the core of these aspirations. Over time, by staying open to new ideas and honing our practices, it should also allow us to achieve more, without necessarily doing more.

Dealing with mistakes

One important element to consider is our attitude to mistakes. It's vital to avoid the blame game and to view the things that don't go so well as a learning opportunity for improvement. This mature approach will give your team more confidence to take responsibility for their work and to try different approaches to challenges.

Creativity

Fostering a sense of creativity within your organisation can offer some positive ways to introduce an improvement culture. Download our magazine Achieve More 6: creativity, for ideas on getting your team into a creative mode, or read more about NCVO's work on innovation.

Overcoming resistance

Unfortunately, not everyone will be receptive to the idea of an improvement culture. For instance, you could encounter internal resistance from staff and volunteers who may see monitoring as a waste of resources which should be spent on delivering services.

It may also be difficult to convince others, such as some funders, that assessing impact is a worthwhile (and fundable) activity. Read more about working with funders.

The key to overcoming this sort of resistance is to show how the findings from evaluations can lead to improved services, bigger impact and ultimately, a better world. It's vital to share your learning with everyone contributing to your organisation, but also to tailor your messages in the right way. Read more about communicating your impact.