Curb these three self-deceptions and boost your impact.
Contrast is what drew me to New York City, its oppositeness to my southern upbringing. There were little things. You stand on line instead of waiting in line. And the pace — my lord. Make quick work of your transaction at the bodega, or the people standing on line behind you will become vocal in a heartbeat. That’s actually the biggest thing; there’s no holding back.
Where I grew up, “I’m sorry” was the standard expression of empathy when hearing about anyone else’s troubles. In New York, this expression prompted the response: “Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault.” Flat out candor is what impressed me most during my decade in Manhattan.
That’s probably because we Southerners aren’t exactly known for our candor. We soften the negative. We shave the edges off an objection. There’s never an excuse for abruptness, and the truth can be sugarcoated until it’s just not true anymore.
So for the sake of progress, let me channel my old area code, shove my way onto the subway, and tell it to you straight. Because in some respects, the nonprofit sector has even the most diplomatic Southerner beat. What we say isn’t what we mean.
It’s not that I’ve heard it all. I’ve just heard the same thing over and over. And these are the three most common euphemisms I hear from organizations of every size and locale.
“We know our audience, we’re in front of them every day.”
Translation: No one in my organization knows much about market research. We don’t prioritize taking the time to study the people we’re trying to help. We believe that attending a conference qualifies us as experts on our audience. None of us fully grasp that we have blind spots that prevent us from resonating with the people whose behavior we’re trying to change. We’re not interested in altering our approach, no matter how marginal our outcomes may be.
“Our programs come first; marketing just isn’t a priority.”
In other words: We’re satisfied with how things are going. Measuring our impact comes with a side of accountability, and that terrifies us. Raising the bar would mean considerable effort, and we’re too exhausted to take on one more thing. Marketing is misleading and deceptive anyway.
“We’ve never really had to market ourselves.”
Put another way: We think our cause is so noble that people will find us. The audience we care most about is our donors (substitute elected officials if a state agency). Being visible is practically a liability. The last thing we need is to look like we’re spending money. Staying as lean as possible is how we demonstrate how worthy we are.
I could go on, but it hurts to type these words. If it hurts to read them, they may apply.
Maybe you’re interested in changing the scope of your impact. Perhaps you’re new to your organization. Or you might just have had it with a lack of progress. If so, I have a path forward for you.
1 |
Research is the most important thing you can do. |
Empathy isn’t the same as understanding. You must understand what biases and heuristics are impacting the behavior you are trying to change, and you can’t do this without qualitative and quantitative research. Say it with me: “Every one of us has inherent blind spots that research can unearth.” |
2 |
Rethink your intervention's program design. |
Communications need to overcome your client’s barriers to change, but that isn’t enough. The experience they have at every interaction with your organization needs to be shaped (or reshaped) in a way that allows behavior change to begin, usually with a small first step accompanied by effusive encouragement. |
3 |
Think like a business. |
Marketing isn’t reserved for the systems that work against the people you’re trying to help. We can call it consumer education if that makes you feel better. When done right, they are one and the same. But you can’t build scale if your organization is invisible. There’s nothing noble about being undiscovered. It’s time to enact messaging that is grounded in research, insights and a deep understanding of every hurdle facing your audience. |
If you can take these three big steps forward, reward yourself with a vacation. You probably deserve one now. But wouldn’t it be better to truly relax, knowing you’ve done the necessary work to take your cause three levels up from its current iteration? You can do it, I promise.
Believe in yourself,
Kevin
