"Flat Tire" Syndrome

Is your organization suffering the "Flat Tire Syndrome"? Here are three “roadside repairs” to help you pump it up NOW!

Your organization is a sleek vehicle. And even with a healthy engine, it takes four fully inflated tires to ride into the future.

As Executive Director and the driver of your organization, you are responsible for keeping the air in all four tires at once so that they can properly work in their roles. Most of us keep our eyes on three wheels: the Staff, the Board, and the Program. But we lose sight of the fourth and find our organization slowed down and out paced...... maybe even fully bogged down on the side of the road: "The Flat Tire Syndrome"!

The fourth tire is EVALUATION. Evaluation's role is to serve as your compass. You know where your North is: Your mission and goals. You need evaluation to keep you on course or to make appropriate adjustments. Evaluation provides DATA.

Opinions are fine but data is real! One can only be effective in the real world. Therefore, the most important factor in gaining quality evaluation data is to assure that all parts are relatable. The queries must relate to the goals/objectives.....the goals/ objectives must relate to the mission. This pertains to all the parts as well as to the whole. Follow the same assessment process at the appropriate level for an individual, a group, a program or the whole organization.

By setting up regular, objective evaluation processes and utilizing them properly, you can gain these three major advantages.

1. A management tool:

For the Executive Director:

To keep the individuals, projects and budget aligned

To make timely adjustments, changes in REALITY

For the Board:

To act as fiduciaries in keeping the mission AND budget aligned

2. An investment tool:

For potential funding sources:

On decisions for support

3. A communication tool

For the organization:

To give substance to the feel good messages; Bragging rights in real terms.

Pump up your evaluation tire now!