So this weekend I attempted to go hiking with my sister. We were hyped. The weather was giving rainy but joyful, the trail looked scenic but challenging, and we were both ready to move our bodies and pretend we do this often.
Except baby girl, (in a VERY CUTE outfit might I add) showed up in spiky platform open-toed shoes. Not trail shoes. Not sneakers. Not even Crocs with ambition. We didn’t make it far. A few steps in, we realized the hike was not happening. It wasn’t safe. It wasn’t smart. And her toes deserved better. We rescheduled. We’re trying again this weekend, with some friends… with proper shoes.
That moment keeps coming back to me because honestly, it’s how I feel every time someone in nonprofit communications says “pivot.”
If I hear the word ‘pivot’ one more time, I might scream into my crashed Adobe files. The nonprofit creative space is obsessed with agility. And I get it, yes change is constant, especially in our line of work. But what if all this constant pivoting isn’t actually a sign of innovation but a sign that we’re rushing into the mountain with the wrong shoes?
“Pivot” has become the avocado toast of nonprofit comms lingo. It was fresh once, now it’s just trending noise. I wondered, are we trying to make the chaos sound digestible? So I decided to explore….
What Are We Actually Doing When We Pivot?
People love to throw the word around like it’s the fix. The strategy didn’t land? Pivot. Donors aren’t biting? Pivot. Leadership changed their mind again for the 400,894,482,728th time? Pivot.
I don’t see this as a true strategic shift but a reaction. We’re spinning and performing flexibility while drowning in exhaustion.
Pivoting, when done right, is intentional. It is not code for “hurry up and change direction without time to think, process, or breathe.”
Nobody talks about the mental part….
The shift that happens before the campaign changes, before the rebrand, before the new comms plan.
What about the thoughts that scream, “this isn’t aligned anymore”?. We’re burning ourselves out trying to be responsive to everything and committed to nothing. Can we just take a second to think?
That voice is the real pivot and we ignore it all the time because nonprofit culture rewards movement, not stillness. Sometimes in order to progress, you have to process. Can I get an “amen”? Quite frankly, the best creative decisions I’ve ever made didn’t come from an adrenaline rush but after a pause.
Let’s actually, finally, and with audacity (or as I like to say… VIM) pause and ask: Who are we centering? What is this really about? Is the work honest or just reactive?
Not Every Mountain Needs Climbing Right Now
Just like that hike with my sister, sometimes you have to admit you’re not ready to climb yet because you’re not equipped and pushing forward just to prove something could actually be a step backward.
Adaptability is not a badge of honor. Sometimes, the wisest move is turning around, regrouping, and returning with the right tools and shoes.
And so the rhythm changes…
I’m not anti-pivot. I’m just pro-intention. So here’s what I think can be a great fix:
- Pause out of respect for your capacity and quite frankly, mental health
- Process the hard questions before you change anything
- Prioritize your mission
- Proceed from clarity, not panic
(How’d I do with the alliteration 😉
This is the kind of pivot I want to see in our space. One that doesn’t glorify speed over sense. One that respects the weight of our work because baby… it’s heavy. If you don’t have the capacity, reschedule the hike and come back when you’re ready to climb.
-Sosa
