Prompting innovation
Apologies for two weeks off. Now to pick up on the practical work of promoting innovation I mentioned at the end of last posting. First three principles: Innovation is not about what is new. In a result frame it is about what is better. Novelty without improvement is of very limited value.Innovation comes from individuals and small teams far more often than from committees, plans, or...The Gap vs. the Continuum
Like many others, I am drawn to gaps. In wealth, we have the rich and the poor. In technology, we have those who connect and those who do not. In social justice, we have those with privilege and those without. The contrast that exists is, of course, made possible by the anchors. Hans Rosling in a respected and provocative book called Factfulness points out that what he calls the “gap...Watch Word Differences
A Wednesday Whimsy Regarding Words Watch your words, we are admonished since childhood. Over many years, I have added this guidance: watch for the differences in what words mean. If I ask a grant seeker, for example, “What are your measurable and quantitative objectives?” am I making a distinction between measurable and quantitative, or do I just want to appear erudite by including two...How Long Does Success Last?
Good nonprofits track and verify the number and kind of participants who achieve a gain—whether it’s landing a job, reading on grade level, or rehoming a displaced family. Great nonprofits track and support the number of participants who sustain that gain. In a few areas, like workforce development, the challenge of staying power is well known. Simply...Target Practice
Many graphics on the pursuit of results has the look of a target and a small “bulls eye” at the center. Indeed, my colleagues and I called our book Outcome Funding…a new approach to targeted grantmaking. And—sure enough—put the traditional target image on the cover. I am now questioning this way of looking at aiming points. In the vital area of inclusion, diversity, and equity, for...Musings on Milestone Management
I spent two hours on January 10, 2020, morning with 80 plus bright eyed leaders and staff of nonprofits in Manatee County, Florida. Our subject was Milestone Management. Simply put, what do you look at that tells you that your participants are making progress that forecasts they will get to a result—whether a job, a house, grade level reading, or anything else important. I was again...
Human-Centered Design: Part 2
Last week, I reprinted the first three principles my client Dave Haney described for Human-Centered Design. Continuing from his newly published article, In times of crisis, colleges should ask different questions than they do in a traditional strategic planning process in Inside HigherEd: No. 4: Engage in prototyping. Too often institutions spend months planning a major...Human-Centered Design: Part 1
In times of crisis, colleges should ask different questions than they do in a traditional strategic planning process. My client and friend Dave Haney wrote an article just published in Inside Higher Ed. Here is a long excerpt that speaks to our work together and the first three of his six principles of result-based strategic design. Next Tuesday, I will post the other three...What happened to results in considering performance?
A recent Washington Post article (6/10/20) looked at how and why funds to use farm surplus to feed hungry Americans led to awards to a San Antonio event planner and a health-and-wellness airport kiosk company. I know of one key reason: results and likelihood of their being achieved were not of the highest priority in selecting groups. When asked by the Post, USDA furnished...