Ripples Story: “Trust in the leader, not the plan”

In this article, Maggie Moody, CEO at Community Solutions, reflects on her Profit for Good journey and how trust enabled her to shift direction at a time of organisational change.

When I began my Profit for Good journey, the plan was for Community Solutions to help recently bereaved people with memorial speeches and video and to create meaningful ways to remember loved ones; memory bears, photo books – that sort of thing.

It was a good idea and it connected into our services. But at the same time, everything around me was changing. Our CEO had stepped down, other key team members moved on, and I was appointed into the role of CEO.

We were in a period of significant change, both structurally and culturally. On top of all that, I was doing something entirely new: trading. I’ve got 30 years working in the voluntary sector, my skills were not in trading and commerce.

Through the Profit for Good programme, I started to learn about product development and marketing. It made me look at the idea differently – and that’s when the doubts set in. It felt like I was pushing a ball uphill. A new product, for a new audience, at a time of huge change. The more I explored it, the less it fit. The emotional intensity of working with people immediately after bereavement would require care The moment of trust and time we didn’t have. It would also fundamentally change the feel of our space at Elmfield Hall in Gatty Park, impacting other visitors.

A different direction

Through Profit for Good, a new idea took shape. I realised the same concept could be reimagined to help people create new, positive memories, rather than focusing on loss. I was reinvigorated and excited by the possibilities and creativity with which we could build on what we already had. Elmfield Hall is a stunning community and heritage asset with space and potential. Our café was growing and the wonderful park around us offered many opportunities to bring people together. The change felt right because it aligned with our purpose and the kind of environment we wanted to create.

The moment of trust

I didn’t test the waters, although I probably should have. Instead, in presenting on my Profit for Good journey, I dived straight in, sharing my new idea with my Profit for Good peers and Rank colleagues, including Rank’s CEO and trustees. It was a bit cheeky, but I genuinely felt that my learning was sound.

That confidence came from Profit for Good. Tools like De Bono’s Thinking Hats and Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle helped me think things through, but just as important was the peer learning with the others in my cohort.

Rank backed the idea, and the results have been significant.

• The café has grown, with around a 20% increase in income and a wider audience coming through the doors

• A heritage product range has been developed, opening up new creative and commercial opportunities

• Elmfield Hall and the surrounding park are being used more fully, supporting both community activity and income generation

Not every element is highly profitable, but together, they’ve created momentum, engagement and sustainability. More importantly, they’ve helped us create the kind of space we want to be, one that is welcoming and forward-looking.

Trust in the leader

For me, trust wasn’t that single moment or person, it was a circle around me. My board trusted me to lead, my peers and I shared honest reflection, and Rank created an environment where change was possible.

It’s often said that you build trust by doing what you say you will. In this case, trust wasn’t about sticking to a plan. It was about understanding why the plan needed to change and being trusted to act on that

“Support provided with the Profit for Good Programme includes the space and time for organisations to evaluate innovative approaches to their projects. Trust is given to the organisation to help shape their ideas, diversify their income whilst ensuring a lasting and meaningful impact within the communities they serve.” – Kirsty Stephenson, Events and Engagement Officer, The Rank Foundation

Read the full latest issue of Rank Ripples magazine