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Overview

Jon and Becky are here with an episode all about getting geared up for the year ahead. As we're on the brink of 2024, it's the perfect time to take a breather, reflect on where you're at and map out some meaningful goals. You've likely been knee-deep in year-end fundraising, plotting out your business goals, and scheming up your strategy for the new year. But, we hope you’ll take some time today to explore the 4 V’s of Meaningful Goals. We’re bringing you an actionable framework, crafted by Abby Fox, We Are For Good's Chief of Staff, that you can put into action right away whether you’re a team of one or a large shop. Get ready for some impactful goal planning🎯

“No matter what we’re doing, whether we’re fundraising or we’re marketing, or we’re doing operations on the back end, it all comes back to values.”

— — Becky Endicott, CFRE, Co-Founder and Chief Storyteller, We Are For Good

Episode Transcript

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Episode Highlights

Tonsetting (0:35)
The 4 V’s:
- Step 1: Vantage Point (1:55)
- Step 2: Vision (5:30)
- Step 3: Values (9:05)
- Step 4: Versatility (12:45)
Join us in We Are For Good PRO (17:35)
Becky’s One Good Thing: Build a virtue of Rest. (19:20)

Impactful Quotes

“Vision is when you dial in and step back to say, Where are we going?” -Jon

“As leaders, we're responsible for orienting our teams and those around our movement with a shared vision of success.” -Jon

“We can't always just change our environment, but we can always adapt.” -Jon

“Business, as usual, doesn't exist anymore.” -Jon

"Failure is a wonderful thing. The ability to fall forward and fail forward is going to help us grow, it's going to help us see the bigger picture." -Becky

“No matter what we're doing, whether we're fundraising or we're marketing, or we're doing operations on the back end, it all comes back to values.” -Becky

"Planning is going to help us have more resilience.” -Jon

"I want you to build a virtue in for yourself of rest.” -Becky

The 4 V’s to Create Meaningful Goals for 2024

Step 1: Vantage Point

You can’t chart a path to your destination without knowing where you are. The first step in goal setting should be getting a clear, realistic picture of where you are.

You can start by asking yourself and your team questions like:

Did you achieve what you had hoped to achieve this year?
Identify specific successes + failures. Ask yourself what you learned from these and how you’ll build on them in the future.
Check your vitals - back in episode 325, Shaun Lee unpacked 6 levers for organizational health and introduced us to the concept of organizational vitals.

What are your core indicators of team or organization health and performance? These should be measured annually and in perpetuity.
Examples: Fundraising + revenue targets, # of beneficiaries served, retention rate, etc.

End with gratitude: Ending on this note is important because it helps us cultivate an abundance mindset. No matter how your year went - whether you achieved your goals or fell short, you didn’t do it alone. What people, circumstances, partnerships and ideas fueled you?

Step 2: Vision

Where you are is simply a stop on the road to where you’re going.
Vision is the destination.

Helpful Episode with Joan Garry (493)- how to invite others into the storyline/vision of where you are going

As leaders, we are responsible for orienting our teams toward a shared vision of success. You may be like our friends at New Story and you have a crystal clear vision for what success looks like: ending global homelessness. Or you could be still struggling to put words to it.

Let us pass on some wisdom we gained from our friend Brooke Richie-Babbage. In episode 329, Brooke encouraged us to ask some brave questions that will help us refine our vision:

What is the change in the world that I am pushing for?
What does the world look like when I have solved this problem that just really, really gets to me?
What is our individual, personal north star that inspires you to work toward that future?

Organizational vision gains traction when your staff and believers in your mission can personally identify with the future you seek to create. If they can see how their actions contribute to the greater vision, they’ll become rabid fans who won’t allow you to fail.

Step 3: Values

No surprise on this one - you knew it was coming! Because no matter what we’re doing, whether we’re fundraising or marketing or providing service - it all comes back to values.

Vantage point informs where you are. Vision informs where you’re going. Values inform HOW you get there. That’s why they’re so important to goal setting. They provide clarity about which path we should take.

Freebie: If you are struggling to identify your values, we have a resource for you. Download the Values Worksheet.
From there, set SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound that align with how you want to do business.

Step 4: Versatility

Consider potential obstacles and challenges that may arise on your journey. How will you navigate them? Planning for obstacles prepares you to overcome them with resilience.

The scarcity mindset can often leave us feeling trapped and out of options when obstacles arise, so it’s helpful to have a versatility index ready a resource. To create one, you can ask yourself some simple questions.

What resources do we have that can be leveraged for success?
Start within: What unique skills and talents does my team possess? Or what additional talents and skills can we cultivate?

If you have a small team, you can talk through these 1:1, or if you have a larger team, you might turn to resources like Cifton’s Strengthsfinder or the enneagram to get a clearer picture of what each team member brings to the table.
You may be surprised by what you learn - especially if team members aren’t fully optimized in their current positions.
This is a great way to prioritize self-growth.

Look outward: What support systems are in place and how can we leverage those to overcome obstacles? This is where partnerships, additional funding sources, or tri-sector solutions may come into play.

We can’t always change our environment but we can adapt. Business as usual doesn’t exist. We must evolve through adaptation.

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