This month I'm including Lesson 12 in my series: Why Organizations Go Off Course. 

This series offers a counterpoint to the lessons in another series: Why Organizations Thrive.

Why Organizations Go Off Course Lesson Twelve is: Step out of the Comfort Zone.

This lesson is mostly about fundraising because it's the context where it most often comes up.

But it's not only about fundraising.

Regularly, when I'm working with nonprofit boards, and occasionally with staff, I'm struck by the following disconnect. On the one hand, they profess great passion for the organization's mission and its importance to the community. On the other hand, they routinely say they aren't prepared to do something for the organization because it makes them "uncomfortable."

Now if the discomfort is ethical or legal, then of course, it's a sign you shouldn't do something.

But almost always the discomfort they express is: "It makes me uncomfortable to bother my friends about this by asking them to do X." Usually X is a request for a donation or their volunteer time.

Important mission. But not worth "bothering" anyone.

Organizations that fail to create a culture where its leaders get past this disconnect are more likely to go off course. They may putter along doing some work, but they are unlikely to thrive.  

Why this disconnect between belief in the cause and unwillingness to be uncomfortable?

What are the consequences of this disconnect?

And how can a nonprofit overcome it?