who's got the route?

Happy Tuesday friends! I hope the weekend was just what you needed.  Mine was pretty great, more on that later.

A couple of weeks ago, I found the 30-60-90 plan I made for myself when I was getting ready to become a CEO for the first time. I remember feeling pretty confident about it back then. Looking back, it was okay. Better than okay considering how little information I had. I hadn’t met the entire board, the current staff, or spent time listening to stakeholders and learning from the community. I knew where I wanted us to go, but I had no idea how to get there. So, I guessed. It was based on experience, but it was still a guess, and this was new territory for me.  

Point of privilege - I ride bikes.  Stay with me. I ride them mostly on roads and trails I know, but not always.   I used to shun the bike computer, the data, and its navigation feature…like aggressively.

“Dude, I got this.  It’s about the adventure anyway!”

I was wrong, or at least operating with an incomplete set of information.

A properly prepared for adventure is simply better. 

This brings me to this past weekend.  I built a route based on experience and data from other users, shared it for feedback, and a group coalesced around a plan.  It wasn’t an easy effort, but boy it was fun.  Suggestions for pivots and adjustments were discussed along the way (see mid-ride swimmin’ hole pic below,) support, correction, and motivation was offered and received. 

You know that at the heart of your non-profit is mission planning, but are you planning the actions to accomplish this mission?

• How are you gonna do this?

• What’s the best route?

• Can you tell what others have tried? 

• Failures? Succeses?

• Adventures abandoned?

• How will you know if any of this is right?!?!?!

Efficiencies of Informed Direction

You can know where you want to go but you waste valuable time and energy if you don’t know how to get there. An informed plan of action is your compass, keeping your course true even if you need to adjust it a little.  When you engage stakeholders across the continuum of service that compass becomes a data driven GPS.

Implementation then Iteration

Impact thrives on action. Your mission plan sets the stage for your initiatives and the course of action moves this forward.  Real-world insights and feedback show you what’s effective and what needs tweaking, allowing you to refine and redesign the strategy.  The plan of action allows you to point to work completed and evaluate the value.  

Spoiler: There’s a lot of value in identifying actions lacking value.

Motivation and Accountability

A course of action is a powerful motivator. It  tracks activity and measures impact to reveal actual achievement. It’s a promise to yourself, your team, and your community that you’re dedicated to making a difference.

Embracing Adaptability

The world of member and stakeholder funded non-profits is full of uncertainties and changing landscapes. Any good adventure is! Having a plan exercises the muscles of both resilience and adaptability. You’ll learn to pivot in response to new challenges and opportunities, staying true to your mission while remaining flexible in your approach to the end goal.

Focus

Leaders have a lot on their plate.  They’re driven, passionate change makers. Identifying and employing tools to guide our actions will calm us, focus us, and intensify the impact of our energy spent.