When Work Stops Working: How Charities and SMEs Close the Strategy - Execution Gap
What’s Really Going On
Common symptoms:
- Unclear priorities: ask three people what matters most this quarter, get five answers
- Delayed decisions: simple calls stack up, slowing entire programmes
- Reporting overload: beautiful dashboards, low impact
- Burnout creep: pace accelerates, clarity doesn’t
A Human Operating System That Works
What you need isn’t more tools. You need a repeatable rhythm for execution. At Lumina, we use a three-part system:
Discipline: Decide What to Finish
- Set no more than three priorities per quarter
- Define what ‘done’ looks like for each
- Allocate real capacity to each (not just hope)
Action: Make Moves That Unblock
- Run short weekly moves meetings (25 minutes, no slides)
- Each owner shares one blocker and one forward step
- Give teams the power to decide on anything under £5k or two weeks
Consistency: Keep the Rhythm
- Same review time every week, even in chaos
- Measure one lead and one lag metric per priority
- Make safety visible – rate every meeting on how safe it felt to speak up
Real Tools That Help
- Priority Canvas: 3 org goals, outcomes, owners, risks, capacity allocation
- Project One-Pager: problem, outcome, non-goals, first 3 actions
- Decision Log: who decided what, when, and why
- Metric Pairing: lead = weekly lever, lag = longer-term result
- Burnout Radar: pulse on energy, clarity, workload, control (monthly)
Case Study: Regional Charity Simplifies to Multiply Impact
A regional youth development charity had 27 initiatives on paper, no shared priorities, and a staff team running at 110%. We ran a two-day focus sprint with senior leaders and trustees.
What changed:
- Reduced 27 initiatives to 3 clear quarterly priorities
- Created a single-page decision log and began using it weekly
- Capped each team member at two active projects
90 days later:
- Team decision time dropped 40%
- Energy scores rose 18%
- Two of three priorities hit early; the third was consciously paused and resourced later
This wasn’t a digital fix. It was a human system fix.
What to Watch
- Boards and funders will expect clearer evidence of focus and outcomes
- Burnout isn’t just a health risk – it’s an execution risk
- Strategy isn’t a document. It’s a rhythm. Without one, organisations stall
FAQ
How many priorities per quarter?
Three max. Two if you’re under pressure.
What if funders keep adding work?
Use your priority canvas to offer visible trade-offs. Protect impact and people.
How do we know if we’re aligned?
Ask three staff to name the quarter’s top priorities and how they’ll know each is done.
Is this just OKRs?
No -this is about operational rhythm. OKRs are a format. DAC is the system.
Can small teams use this?
Especially. Clarity matters more when capacity is thin.
Wrap-Up
You don’t need more speed. You need traction. A system that prioritises progress over motion will save time, protect your team, and get work done.
