Consensus Is Overrated

One of the most precious --and scarcest-- resources a nonprofit has is Time. Talk with anyone who's worked at a nonprofit, and they'll tell you there simply aren't enough hours to accomplish the work at hand. Unfortunately, far too many organizations squander an astonishing amount of time. Worse still, they often engage in activities that on the surface appear to add value yet consume the most time with scant ROI in exchange. 

In my estimation, the biggest thief of time is consensus building. Getting buy-in. The concept is known by other terms too, but they all entail decision delay. (For purposes of this post, can we define consensus as “group solidarity in sentiment and belief”? Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

On a related note, one of my favorite lines in Hamilton is:  “Madison is grappling with the fact that not ev'ry issue can be settled by committee” from the song “The Room Where It Happens”. 

It's true. Not everything can *or should* be settled by committee. Your organization has leaders, department heads, an executive director. Utilize their expertise as often as possible, especially on strategic initiatives and big-picture matters. Once a strategy has been determined and outlined, it may very well then make sense to form committees which, when deployed effectively, are ideal for executing tactics.

In closing, a parting thought from Benjamin Franklin:  If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.