By David Bronkema, January 18, 2024
Are you struggling with figuring out how best to measure the social and spiritual impact of your business and projects? You are not alone, and there is a straightforward process by which to do so that many have found to be a game-changer as well as a lot of fun.
That process consists of asking yourself, your team, and those with whom you work, three simple questions, and answering them in order: 1) What specific change (spiritual or social) do we think we can bring about? 2) Do we have specific things we are doing to bring about that change? 3) How can we best measure that specific change that we think we can bring about?
Why is the process of asking and answering these questions in sequence so powerful and give such great results? The answer is three-fold, mirroring the three questions themselves.
What specific change (spiritual or social) do we think we can bring about?
This question forces you to think through thoroughly and realistically the social or spiritual impact you can hope to achieve based on the resources you have and the context in which you are operating. I can’t tell you how often it is the case that once the first question is asked, people realize that their spiritual and social goals and aspirations are either nebulous, ambiguous, or just plain unrealistic; asking the first question helps you articulate clearly and precisely what you can shoot for.
2. Do we have specific things we are doing to bring about that change?
This second question helps you make sure that you have things you are doing that are geared specifically and precisely towards bringing about that impact. Again, it is quite often the case that when asking themselves the second question, people realize that the things they are doing, while good, are not specifically geared to achieving the spiritual and social impact that is desired; this, then, leads to creating actions to remedy this, to plugging that gap.
3. How can we best measure that specific change that we think we can bring about?
This final question helps ensure that what you measure and how you go about measuring it is tailored to your specific goals as well as to the opportunities and limitations of your context. If you know what you are shooting for, then you can more easily, creatively, productively, and effectively come up with markers that point to those goals being achieved; and, you can also make sure that how you go about gathering information about those markers is appropriate to your context, which many times will require some creativity as well.
So, think about giving these three simple questions a try. As you do so, keep in mind, especially if you are just starting out on this journey of measuring social and spiritual impact, that it is good to aim small and then expand out from there. Have fun in your discussions around what your aims can and should be and make sure that you challenge yourself to keep the brainstorming going until your goals are very, very clear and specific; enjoy the next step of creatively assessing whether and how what you are doing should be modified or added to in some way to bring these specific goals about; and finally, then and only then, tackle what the best markers are of whether these aims are being accomplished or not, and how best to gather information to that end.
And, don’t forget that all of this should be a part of an overall process of prayerful discernment, in which you are looking for, and living abundantly into, the guidance of the Spirit in this area as in all.
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