A few weeks ago, I wrote about how often the people closest to a problem are the farthest from the decisions being made about it.

But there is another layer to that conversation.

Sometimes people are invited into the room. They are asked to share their experiences. They complete the survey, participate in the focus group, attend the meeting, or answer the questions.

The organization listens.

Then nothing changes.

That is when we have to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth:

Listening is not the same as including.

We can allow people to speak without allowing their knowledge to influence the outcome.

Nonprofit organizations are often built around powerful words.

Dignity. Equity. Compassion. Opportunity. Belonging. Community.

We place those words in strategic plans, annual reports, grant applications, fundraising campaigns, and carefully written value statements. We use them to invite donors into the mission and assure the community that our organizations are safe places for people who need support.

But there is a question every nonprofit leader should be willing to ask:

Do the people working inside the organization experience those same values?

It is possible for an organization to do meaningful work in the community while creating an unhealthy culture for its employees.

Both things can be true.