Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast – Episode Summary: "Design Shift Mini-Series: How to Make Your Design Shift Stick"

Host: Brooke Richie-Babbage
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Series: Design Shift Mini-Series (Final Episode)

Overview

In the concluding episode of the Design Shift Mini-Series, Brooke Richie-Babbage delves into the critical aspect of sustaining organizational changes within nonprofit organizations. Building upon the foundational concepts introduced in the previous two episodes, Brooke emphasizes the importance of embedding shifts into the organization's infrastructure to ensure long-term growth and resilience.

The Challenge of Sustaining Organizational Change

Brooke opens the episode by addressing a common hurdle faced by nonprofit leaders: maintaining changes without reverting to the status quo. She articulates that growth inherently brings pressure, which can tempt organizations to fall back into familiar patterns.

“When change inside your organization isn't locked in, it always slides back to the status quo. Not because you're doing anything wrong, but because growth creates pressure. And under pressure, we return to what's familiar.”
— Brooke Richie-Babbage [00:00]

This sets the stage for discussing strategies to ensure that transformational shifts are not fleeting but become integral to the organization's DNA.

Structural Shifts vs. Temporary Changes

Brooke distinguishes between temporary shifts—which exist only in leadership’s thoughts or team conversations—and structural shifts that are embedded into the organization's systems and rhythms. She underscores that for a shift to be enduring, it must transcend mere discussions and become part of the organizational infrastructure.

“If a shift only lives in your brain or in conversations with your team, or in your energy, then it's not actually a structural shift. It's more like a phase or an experiment which happen and are good. But I want to talk about structural shifts.”
— Brooke Richie-Babbage [00:04:20]

Brooke Richie-Babbage’s Three-Part Approach to Sustaining Shifts

To facilitate lasting change, Brooke introduces a three-part framework designed to systematize, document, and integrate shifts into the organization's routine.

1. Systematize the Shift

The first step involves creating a repeatable process that supports the desired shift. This ensures that the change does not rely solely on manual efforts or individual memory.

“What’s the repeatable process that supports the shift you’ve made? You want to turn the shift into something that doesn’t depend on you remembering it or driving it manually every time.”
— Brooke Richie-Babbage [00:07:30]

Examples:

• Clarifying Team Roles: Establishing a standardized onboarding process to ensure new hires understand their roles clearly.
• Setting Strategic Priorities: Developing a system for monthly progress checks against strategic goals.

2. Document the Shift

Next, Brooke emphasizes the importance of documentation. By recording processes and making them accessible, organizations ensure that shifts are recognized and followed by all members.

“Where does this live? Where does the system live? How do people know about it? How do they access it?”
— Brooke Richie-Babbage [00:09:15]

Examples:

• Team Manual: Updating it with clarified roles and norms.
• Strategy Documents: Including quarterly goals, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and key performance indicators.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Writing out processes like donor follow-up in a clear, bullet-pointed format.

Key Point: Documentation should enhance clarity without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.

3. Rhythmatize the Shift

The final step involves integrating the shift into the organization's rhythms—the regular patterns of activities and interactions that define the organizational culture.

“Ask yourself, how does this get reinforced in our organizational rhythm? If you want a shift to stick, it has to be part of how we do things.”
— Brooke Richie-Babbage [00:11:00]

Examples:

• Regular Check-Ins: Scheduling weekly reviews of OKRs.
• Monthly Financial Reviews: Assessing cash flow trends consistently.
• Board Meetings: Embedding strategic discussions into regular board activities.

Purpose: Embedding shifts into rhythms ensures they become habitual and ingrained in the organization's operations.

Sustaining Shifts: The Sustain Checklist

Brooke provides a simple yet effective checklist to help leaders ensure that their shifts are sustained:

1. Repeatability:

   • Question: Can we repeat it?
   • Action: Establish a consistent process.

2. Referenceability:

   • Question: Can we reference it?
   • Action: Document the process clearly.

3. Enforcement:

   • Question: Do we enforce it?
   • Action: Integrate into organizational rhythms.

“If you can answer yes to all three—repeatability, referenceability, and enforcement—then you are not just shifting, you're designing.”
— Brooke Richie-Babbage [00:13:45]

Action Steps for Leaders

Brooke encourages leaders to actively apply the framework by:

• Identifying a Recent Shift: Reflect on a change implemented in the organization.
• Applying the Three-Part Approach: Determine the system, documentation, and rhythms needed to sustain this shift.
• Utilizing Available Resources: She mentions tools like the Strong Quiz for diagnostics and programs like the Next Level Nonprofit for hands-on support.

“Look at one shift that you've made and then ask yourself, what's one system, one document, and one rhythm that will lock this in? That's your next move.”
— Brooke Richie-Babbage [00:14:30]

Final Insights and Call to Action

Brooke concludes by emphasizing that organizational resilience stems from robust structures rather than sheer hustle or passion. She highlights that sustainable growth is achieved through deliberate and methodical design.

“Resilient organizations are not built through adrenaline. They're built through architecture. One shift, one system and one rhythm at a time.”
— Brooke Richie-Babbage [00:17:00]

Encouragement: Leaders are urged to adopt this structured approach to ensure that their organizational shifts are not just temporary adjustments but lasting transformations that support sustained impact.

Resources Mentioned:

• Strong Quiz: For diagnostics and starting points.
• Next Level Nonprofit Program: For comprehensive support in embedding shifts.
• Newsletter: Leadership Forward 321 – Additional resources and insights.

Conclusion

This final episode of the Design Shift Mini-Series serves as a practical guide for nonprofit leaders aiming to lock in changes and scale sustainably. By adopting Brooke Richie-Babbage’s three-part approach—systematizing, documenting, and rhythmatizing shifts—organizations can transform temporary adjustments into enduring frameworks that support long-term growth and impact.

Stay Connected: For more insights and resources, listeners are encouraged to visit Brooke's website at brookerichiebabbage.com/podcast and subscribe to her newsletter. Ratings and reviews are appreciated to help others discover the podcast.