Organisational Biography

Learning from Your Organisation’s Turning Points

Every organisation has a story, with periods of growth and achievement as well as setbacks, crises and difficult transitions. An organisational biography makes this history visible and helps a team understand how past events have shaped the organisation as it exists today.

The exercise focuses on turning points: moments that significantly changed the organisation’s direction, identity or way of working. Positive turning points might include securing a major project, winning an advocacy campaign or expanding into a new region. Difficult turning points could include a problematic audit, the loss of an important donor, internal conflict or the death of a key colleague.

Importantly, the exercise creates appreciation for what the organisation has already achieved and for the people who contributed to its development. Teams often become so focused on current challenges that they overlook how much they have built, overcome and learned over the years.

Connecting the biography to organisational development

In our work with organisations and during our leadership trainings, we usually combine the organisational biography with the Four Phases of Organisational Development. Once participants have mapped their organisation’s journey, they can often recognise quite clearly which phase it is currently in—and sometimes how it has moved through different phases over time.

This helps teams connect their current challenges to the typical characteristics of a particular phase. A pioneering organisation, for example, may struggle with informal structures and a strong dependence on its founder. A differentiated organisation may face growing bureaucracy, hierarchical decision-making or disconnected teams.

Understanding that such challenges are a normal part of organisational development can reduce frustration. Once a team understands why certain problems have emerged, it becomes easier to discuss and address them constructively.

You can learn more in our article on the Four Phases of Organisational Development.

An example organisational biography

A small advocacy organisation began with a committed founder and a close-knit team. A major project enabled it to grow and establish field offices. However, its structures did not develop at the same pace. Unclear roles led to staff tensions, while a critical audit exposed weaknesses in its internal systems. The organisation subsequently clarified responsibilities and strengthened its financial management. Several years later, a successful advocacy campaign brought national recognition and new partnerships.

The example shows that organisational development is rarely a straight line. Achievements create new opportunities, but growth can also expose weaknesses and generate new challenges. Both the positive and difficult turning points contributed to what the organisation became.

How to develop an organisational biography

The following process can be used with an organisational team to reconstruct its journey and draw lessons from it.

Time: 60–90 minutes

Participants: Staff, board members and, where useful, selected partners

Materials: A long sheet of paper or digital whiteboard, cards and markers

1. Draw the timeline

Draw a line representing the period from the organisation’s foundation to the present.

2. Identify the turning points

Ask participants to identify events that significantly affected the organisation. Place positive turning points above the line and difficult turning points below it. Add the approximate date and a short description of each event.

3. Explore their impact

Discuss how the turning points affected:

• Mission, strategy and programmes

• Leadership and decision-making

• Staff, structures and internal systems

• Organisational culture and relationships

• Funding, partnerships and external influence

  
  

4. Look at the overall journey

Consider the connections between the different events:

• Which events led to growth or decline? And how did the organisation respond to challenges?

• Which recurring patterns can be identified?

• What achievements should be recognised and celebrated?

• Which organisational development phase is the organisation currently in?

  
  

5. Draw lessons for the future

Agree on a small number of lessons about what the organisation should preserve, strengthen or do differently in the future.

Use three questions to guide the final discussion:

1. What were the most important turning points?

2. How did they affect the organisation?

3. What lessons can we draw for the future?

   
   

Use our template

Use our organisational biography template to map your organisation’s positive and difficult turning points and discuss their impact.

An organisational biography is not intended to produce a perfect historical record. By understanding where it has come from, an organisation can better appreciate what it has achieved, recognise its current development challenges and make more conscious choices about where it wants to go next.