We made a preliminary call on a local nonprofit. They wanted to meet us and asked whether or not we would facilitate a workshop to come up with a “Yearly Work List.” We asked if there were documents about how they did this process. We needed to determine exactly what the organization was looking to do.
Sure enough there was a history of “lists” – things that the board considered very important and needed to be addressed. The documents demonstrated the critical need for metrics.
One of the items on the “Yearly Work List” appeared no fewer than six times. When asked about this particular item, the board chair said, “we never got to it in those years.” Yet this issue was seen as being critical enough to include on the Yearly Work List.
We suggested the organization work with us or another consultant and do a true strategic plan – with metrics, assigned responsibility and expected outcomes. The suggestion was not accepted. When we got back to the office, we totaled the costs of doing Yearly Work Lists and 3 years was more than our charge to do an Evergreen Strategic Plan, which would have carried the organization for up to 10 years.
What gets measured gets done!
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