Buried Treasure

We've all heard the expression about one person's trash being another's treasure. This happens in our work environments too. Often our perspective is so narrow, and so laser-focused on our organization, that we can't see it the way others do.

Recently I assisted a CEO of a rapidly growing organization with developing a vision and values statement, and rolling out these messages to a most important audience, the staff. I was able to get a feel for their organization, and interpret and condense this information quickly, much to their delight, as they had struggled for months to crystallize this. Was it my ability to divine, my stellar analytical skills, or my objectivity that allowed me to do this and deliver "magical” results? I suspect having a set of fresh eyes and an absence of preconceived notions helped.

This is often difficult to do within organizations, because we tend to lack perspective and objectivity. This especially happens the more we know about something (called the Curse of Knowledge) or the deeper we are immersed in it.

The same CEO relayed a story about recent client feedback. The organization had an independent business advisor personally interview a cross sampling of clients. They were asked what they valued about working with the organization and what their impressions were about its position in the marketplace. The results were not what the organization had expected. What they had perceived as weaknesses when compared to their larger competitors, were actually what their clients valued most. The differences were what made the organization special, and their weaknesses became their strengths.

Why does this matter?

If you are filling in the blanks for your donors, staff or other important audiences, you could be missing opportunities to connect with them in meaningful ways. By assuming what you think is important to them, from your organization's perspective, you could be:

> Overlooking untapped markets
> Underwhelming important audiences, and
> Underselling benefits and attributes that they value the most about you.

In nonprofit organizations, there are many places where this can go wrong: the benefits you think you offer to members, the opportunity you're offering to sponsors and donors (which are completely different) and the environment you're creating for your staff and volunteers.

Where to look for it

There is no magic formula. One of the best ways to find out what people value most is simply to ask them. What do they like about your organization? What attracted them to it? What did they learn about it that they didn't know before becoming involved? What do they think makes your organization different and special? What is its secret ingredient? What attributes and characteristics do they associate with it?

Another source of wealth is your front line staff, the people who answer the phones, process donations, coordinate volunteers and implement programs. What are they hearing from people? Have they had any observations, compliments or complaints? All input is valuable. Get in the habit of asking for it.

And what about those thank you letters and testimonials? Often gathered for a specific purpose, they may or may not be circulated or posted, and then accumulate in a stack somewhere as a final and forgotten resting place. These heartfelt words are treasures waiting to be spent – take their words and sentiments, and look for ways to use them to tell your organization's story.

Treasure can be found in the most unlikely of places, so keep your eyes and ears open. When you find it, treat it with care and deliberation, to reveal its true value.

• Enter your email address to receive a steady supply of Ready, Aim, Inspire! directly to your in box. You'll receive new articles each time they are posted.
• For those who are familiar with and prefer RSS feeds, click the orange RSS Feedblitz button to receive the feed in your web browser.
• Or, visit the Make It Count website and click on the Ready, Aim, Inspire! section to browse current and past posts.