You're leading a Community Outreach team. How can you set goals and expectations for maximum impact?

I get my team to start off by focusing on outcomes and working backwards in agreeing on the steps that need to be taken to achieve this. To maximize impact in a Community Outreach team, I use the SMART Goals Framework, align goals with the team’s values and mission, engage team members in co-creating goals, define roles and responsibilities clearly, set milestones and checkpoints, emphasize impact over activity, communicate expectations clearly, incorporate feedback loops, encourage innovation and flexibility, celebrate successes along the way, and use data and metrics for evaluation. This approach creates a cohesive, motivated team that is aligned and adaptable to community needs

Start by painting a clear picture of what your team stands for. Your mission is your North Star, it guides every action, decision, and conversation. When everyone on your team understands the mission, they’re not just completing tasks, they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves. Imagine the impact you can make together, whether it’s creating educational opportunities for underprivileged kids or building stronger local businesses, your mission should spark passion. It should be something everyone believes in and is excited to work towards. A well-defined mission is not just about setting a goal; it’s about inspiring your team to make a real difference.

Defining your team’s mission is the cornerstone of a successful outreach effort. Start by articulating a clear, overarching goal that resonates with every team member and serves as a guiding principle for all planning and actions. This mission should succinctly capture what your team aims to achieve in the community—whether it’s improving access to healthcare, fostering educational opportunities, or supporting local businesses.

Another way to set goals and guide your team for maximum impact, is to make sure your mission prioritizes and aligns with those you’re serving. Set the type of goals that focus on reaching and honoring community voice early and often. Identify ways to include community members in your goal setting efforts on decision-making levels. These efforts will help start the process for helping your team lay the foundation needed to build genuine trust and maximum impact.

To set goals and expectations for maximum impact, start by defining a clear mission that aligns with the organization's values and addresses community needs. Identify key focus areas where the team can drive the most meaningful change, such as partnerships or volunteer efforts. Establish SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—to guide progress. Engage stakeholders for input to ensure alignment with community needs, and communicate clear expectations for team roles and responsibilities, focusing on collaboration, accountability, and measurable outcomes.

Once your mission is clear, it’s time to break it down into actionable steps. Think of these objectives as the stepping stones that will help you reach your ultimate goal. Each objective should be specific, measurable, and aligned with your mission. But remember, these aren’t just numbers or tasks; they’re milestones that show how far you’ve come and how close you are to making a lasting impact. Setting objectives gives your team something tangible to aim for, something that makes the mission feel achievable and within reach. It’s about building momentum and keeping everyone motivated as you move forward together. Consistent is still key.

SMART objectives turn your mission into actionable steps, providing clear milestones for your team. For instance, setting up a monthly book donation program within six months makes your goal to improve literacy tangible and trackable. These objectives not only guide efforts but also boost morale, as each achievement offers a sense of progress and fulfillment.

Every team member has unique strengths, and it’s your job to help them shine. Assign roles that not only align with each person’s skills but also challenge them to grow. When people know what they’re responsible for, they can take ownership and pour their energy into making it happen. But don’t just assign roles, communicate the importance of each one. Help your team see how their individual contributions fit into the bigger picture. When everyone understands their role and how it connects to the mission, you create a sense of unity and purpose. It’s about making sure that every person on the team feels valued and knows that they’re an essential part of the impact you’re all working to create. Teamwork makes the dream work.

To maximize impact, start by assigning clear roles within the Community Outreach team that align with each member’s strengths and expertise. Define specific responsibilities for tasks such as event coordination, community partner relationships, and volunteer management. Ensure each role has clear objectives tied to the overall mission. This helps streamline efforts and prevents overlap. Regular check-ins and progress tracking keep everyone accountable. Empower team members to take ownership of their roles, fostering collaboration and ensuring the team operates efficiently to achieve its goals.

Your team’s mission isn’t just about what you do, it’s about who you serve. Engaging the community is about building relationships, listening to needs, and creating solutions that matter. Don’t just reach out; connect. Make sure that your outreach efforts are meaningful and responsive to the community’s real challenges. When you engage authentically, you build trust and create a ripple effect that extends beyond your immediate goals. The community becomes a partner in your mission, not just a recipient of your efforts. This engagement is what transforms outreach from a task into a shared journey, making your work more impactful and rewarding.

Engaging with the community is like crafting a delicious chocolate bar, where our core values form the rich base, diverse programs add delightful textures, and our outreach strategies serve as the inviting wrapper. The joy and satisfaction we bring to the community are the sweetness, and just like sharing a chocolate bar, our efforts thrive on collaboration and shared experiences, creating a harmonious and enjoyable impact.

One of the greatest pitfall in community engage is to drop-in, do the job, and then drop-out. The immediate results look good on paper, but in the long term the impact is minimal, and the connection is fleeting. We come off as being more interested in our mission and vision, than in the people and their lives. We need to establish a genuine care for the community, and that takes times to learn, and relate, and appreciate. One step to speed the process is to partner with those who already care for the community, and who are known to care. They can help us to understand the full situation, and can also introduce us, and establish our credibility. However, there is no substitute for time invested.

When engaging the community it is crucial to lead with humility. If you are from the community then your knowledge about the community is "second hand', no matter how much of an "expert" you may be. If you are from the community, it is still important to lead with humility because you will not know everything and can always learn something valuable that will help you to succeed.

Measuring impact in the community is like navigating a bowling lane. Each goal we set is a pin at the end of the lane, representing a specific target we aim to hit. Our strategies are the bowling balls, carefully chosen and aimed to knock down as many pins as possible. The lane itself, with its smooth surface and guiding arrows, symbolise the path and direction we provide to achieve our objectives. Just as a bowler adjusts their stance and technique based on feedback from previous throws, we continuously refine our approach based on data and community feedback. Strikes and spares, representing our successes and partial achievements, motivate us to keep improving and striving for that perfect game, where every effort leads to impact!

To know if you’re making a difference, you need to measure your impact. But don’t get lost in the numbers, remember that each metric represents real lives and real change. Measuring impact isn’t just about proving success, it’s about learning, growing, and improving. Celebrate the wins, big and small, and use the insights to refine your approach. When your team sees the tangible results of their efforts, it fuels their drive to do more. It’s a reminder that their work is making a real difference, one step at a time. Keep the focus on the people and the positive changes you’re creating in their lives.

While measurement is certainly key, I have found that all evaluation metrics are not equal and different stakeholders value different things. Because of this it can be extremely helpful to work collaboratively with community members to choose the most appropriate metrics that will facilitate the development of a high value evaluation plan from which all parties can meaningfully benefit.

Adapting strategies is like drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter night: you need thoughtful preparation to balance the ingredients (resources, team, goals), flexibility to adjust if it’s too hot or cold, innovation to add a unique touch (like cinnamon or whipped cream), continuous improvement to perfect the recipe over time, and enjoyment to foster a positive process. By staying flexible, innovative, and committed to continuous improvement, your strategies will remain effective and enjoyable, much like a perfect cup of hot chocolate.

In the ever-changing landscape of community work, flexibility is key. Adapt your strategies as you learn more about what works and what doesn’t. Encourage your team to be creative, to think outside the box, and to embrace change as an opportunity for growth. When you adapt, you’re not just reacting, you’re proactively shaping the future of your outreach efforts. This adaptability ensures that your mission stays relevant and impactful, no matter what challenges arise. It’s about staying committed to the mission while being open to new ideas and approaches that could make your work even more effective.

Flexibility can often make the difference between success and failure! To community members, inflexibility is a strong indicator of disrespect. This will destroy trust and ultimately increase the risk of sub-optimal performance, mediocre evaluation and outright programmatic failure.