What I Learned This Year: A Transparent Reflection

As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting deeply on my journey as a consultant of nearly eight years and a nonprofit professional of more than sixteen. I’ve supported dozens of organizations through strategic planning, capacity-building, evaluation, and community-centered leadership development. I pride myself on being thorough, aligned, and anchored in empathy.

But this year, for the first time, I experienced a professional struggle that reminded me humility is an ongoing practice, and growth is a lifelong journey.

When Misalignment Happens, Even with the Best Intentions

This year, I partnered with a nonprofit client for a strategic planning project. I began the work assuming the organization was ready for a specific type of process, one I’ve used successfully with many other clients and one that felt like a good fit with the initial scope of work. I was told that leadership and participants were on the same page about what the process would look like, what the deliverables would be, and what level of readiness was needed to make the work successful. My assumptions caused me to not do a deeper dive into this to ensure things were good to go.

But those assumptions (though rooted in pre-work review and extensive convos with leadership) were wrong.

As we moved deeper into the project, it became clear that we were not aligned on expectations. The organization’s needs, internal readiness, and team preparation didn’t match the process I had prepared. And as a consultant who is used to delivering excellence, I stretched myself far beyond the original scope of work to try to meet every need that emerged; needs that were not part of the contract, but that still mattered deeply to the organization.

I pivoted.

I adjusted.

I expanded the deliverables.

I offered a financial discount.

I provided every resource and material I had created, including those far beyond our agreement.

I even connected the organization with a trusted colleague who is now offering free support with data tracking, collection, and analysis, an area I knew would be critical to their long-term success.

Still, the truth is this: I could have prevented this misalignment with a different approach from the start.

Choosing Transparency Over Perfection

I believe in modeling empathy, honesty, transparency, and accountability. These are the same values I hope my clients extend to their staff, their boards, and the communities they serve. And while it is never comfortable to publicly acknowledge where things didn’t go as planned, it is necessary.

This experience reminded me that expertise doesn’t erase the possibility of mistakes. It doesn’t eliminate the need to pause, assess, and ask better questions on the front end. It reaffirmed the importance of making space for alignment before strategy.

And it humbled me in the best possible way.

A New Beginning: Strategic Planning Readiness Services Launching in 2026

From this challenge came clarity and a new offering.

In 2026, RBJ Community Consulting will launch Strategic Planning Readiness Services, designed specifically for nonprofits preparing to embark on the transformative journey of strategic planning.

Because the truth is: There is a LOT that nonprofits need to reflect on, strengthen, and prepare before diving into a planning process.

And as consultants, we have just as much responsibility to assess readiness as organizations do.

This new service will include:

• ✔️ A Strategic Planning Readiness Checklist outlining essential elements nonprofits must have in place.

• ✔️ An Organizational Readiness Assessment to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities.

• ✔️ A guided or self-led readiness process for organizations who want clarity before committing to a full planning engagement.

• ✔️ The option to bring me in to lead the readiness process, or to use the tools independently.

This offering is not just another service. It is a commitment to showing up better for my clients, their missions, and the communities they impact.

A Heart-Led Commitment to Moving Forward

I share this not out of guilt, but out of growth.

Not out of regret, but out of responsibility.

My clients trust me to walk alongside them as they grow and evolve and I want my consulting practice to reflect the same courageous evolution.

I am grateful for the lessons, the partnership, and the opportunity to turn a misalignment into a moment of transformation. This experience reshaped the way I approach consulting, and it strengthened my resolve to serve nonprofits with clarity, care, and intentionality.

Thank you to every organization that has trusted RBJ Community Consulting this year.

Thank you for your grace, your collaboration, and your belief in the work.

Here’s to 2026, a year of alignment, readiness, and deeper impact.

With gratitude and growth,

Rashidah Butler-Jackson