Measuring Primary Goals

How are we supposed to measure success?

Normally, measurements are based on the easiest and quickest elements.  For example, a food bank that serves people living in poverty will measure how much food they give away, how many people they serve, and things like that.  An organization that works with sponsoring children will measure how many kids they sponsor and easy stats like that.  Churches measure how many people they have in their Sunday Schools and worship services.

But is this the best way to measure things?

I think there might be a better way.

And it all has to deal with a simple principle: only measure primary goals.

Primary goals is the simple mission of your organization.  What is the one thing you are trying to do?  What is your end goal?  What is your overall and over-arching mission?  Many organizations need to take the time to figure this out first.  Primary goals are not the secondary things or the results.  Primary goals are the heart of what you are trying to do.  For example, a food bank is not trying to give people food.  That is not a primary goal; that is a secondary goal.  Their primary goal is to have people not suffer from hunger anymore – and giving people food is just part of that.  A child sponsorship organization is not trying to sponsor children.  They are trying to enable children to grow into successful adults who have the opportunity to thrive.  A church is not trying to just get people in Sunday School or in their worship services.  Their primary goal is to develop deep Christians who are committed to pursuing and expanding the Kingdom of God.

So then certain shallow measurements do not do justice to the primary goals.  Is measuring how much food you give away going to reveal how many people are not suffering from hunger anymore?  Nope.  Once a group has identified their primary goal, now they need to shift their measurements to correspond with their primary goal.

Measure primary goals.

Then you will know how you are really doing.

Here we go!