(previously published on LinkedIn)
Time for reflection is unusual for spring (winter tends to be more traditional) but emerging from a global pandemic has many of us looking back at the past year and taking stock.
For many organizations, this includes strategic planning that is more intense than in the past. There will be no “going back to normal” and the way forward is still quite opaque. As plans emerge and choices are made for where we want to go from here, I want to share five tips for using evaluation to balance stability and agility:
1 – Go beyond defining “what success looks like” and consider “what success feels like.” So many things about work look radically different than they did a year ago - and success in engagement, adoption rates, outreach, finances, etc., have taken on unimaginable dimensions. We have had to pivot to the point of dizziness through various “unprecedenteds”! What has remained consistent is how we want to feel when we reach our goals, when the next success is achieved. Dr. Julie Pham, of CuriosityBased, wrote beautifully about the value of feeling your way into success, and even offers workshops to “test drive” this concept.
2 – Back in my early days of professional evaluation, I worked with a firm representing a Native American Tribe on land reclamation/restoration. Part of the work was trying to communicate to federal agencies the importance of things the federal government didn’t see as important – like eating traditional levels of fish and wild plants that were higher or radically different than recognized standards, or the necessity of particular land areas being available for ceremonies. I got my hands on “How to Measure Anything: Finding the value of intangibles in business” by Douglas Hubbard and created a crash-course for our scientists and client on how to define metrics and rubrics for anything. It worked! I still recommend this book (updated since then) and a new book by Greg Brisendine called “Measuring Success: A practical guide to KPIs.” Brisendine’s book is a quick, engaging read to get you started, and Hubbard’s is there for your next steps.
3 – Change is inherent in evaluation. Whether you are evaluating for current effectiveness, past performance, or future needs – change is gonna come. The stories we tell before, during, and after an evaluation process create the outcomes as much as the data does. Take the time and reflection needed to integrate evaluation into storytelling, noting clear results rather than vague statements and full stories rather than dry facts. The organization NewStories provides resources and experiences with the power of stories to shape what is possible.
4 – This may seem redundant to #1, but I want to make a particular note of including emotions in your evaluation process – especially fear. As change is inherent in evaluation, fear is inherent in change. Acknowledging and giving voice to the emotions that emerge around evaluation is vital to effective outcomes. “Emotions eat strategy for breakfast,” is a saying I like to share (and may have made up) because we too often get caught up in our facts and being right when what is needed is understanding and being together. Evaluation can be scary when it is your program, your initiative, your team, or your organization that is under examination. All of Dr. Brene Brown’s works can help with this, as well as my own “Apocalyptic Best Practices: A unique approach to fear and change.”
5 – Evaluation is not an endpoint, or the only thing needed to adjust, improve, or evolve a program or process – we also need to keep learning. This is more than an individual’s professional development; a learning mindset and practice are necessary to assure that the evaluation process is more than just an expensive exercise. Your final report should consider and outline options to support learning necessary to implementation. Nancy Bacon understands action-oriented learning takes many forms, including one-sheets, microlearning, mentoring, and courses. Take a look at the amazing resources she has to share on how to best infuse learning into your organization.
Ideally, evaluation reduces the friction of change and helps you continue the iterative process of not just improvement but evolution in your work. And – really – this is true for individuals, too! As you look forward into your personal endeavors in an emerging world post-COVID19, does success look the same to you now? How will you integrate what you’ve learned and determine what you need to learn next? What story are you telling with what you do, with what you have, and where you are?
When you are ready for you next evaluation project, please consider Hand in the Dark Consulting.
