The Adaptable Nonprofit – Keeping Pace – Setting the Pace

To be adaptable sounds pedestrian, even boring, in a time where all sectors speak constantly about innovation as the ultimate individual and organizational capacity. Innovation is said to be all around us but simultaneously innovation still seems like something magical and far away that only mighty individuals or mighty organizations can attain – we aren’t all going to be Muhammad Yunus, Steve Jobs or Teach For America. While there is an argument to be made that adaptation and innovation are nearly identical because really very, very few products, services or processes are truly breakthroughs, but rather tweaks and adaptations of what already exists, that is more philosophical than I want to be here. I want to frame this post around adaptation because I think it helps bring the conversation closer to our lived challenges and aspirations in organizations.

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