We're always grateful for our partners Blue Engine Collaborative and BlueLena for their expertise and generosity in sharing insights.
We’re going to break the benchmark frustration cycle. Our own David Grant was proud to present with BlueLena’s Ashley Woods Branch on building goals that matter at the NC Local News Workshop event in Durham. There, we premiered something we’ve long talked about at Blue Engine: the limits of benchmarks for building organizational goals. Don’t get us wrong; a benchmark can help you see if the tactic you’re already implementing could be improved – and it can be the basis for asking further questions. But usually when we get asked “what’s a good benchmark for X?” the following occurs: 1?? Your organization will be in only one of three possible positions: above, at, or below the? benchmark. 2?? You will either rejoice (above), feel nothing (at), or feel unnecessary shame (below). 3?? And then you’ll still wonder what the heck you have to do next. ???????? ???? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????????????????????? ??????????. To break it, we need to realize that our quest for a benchmark is usually because we aren’t pursuing a strategically chosen goal, or we don’t have enough context to make decisions. What can you do instead? ⒈ ????-????-??????.? Build backward from what you need to achieve. Think about what’s required – whether to meet certain financial targets, to meet audience or revenue commitments, etc. –? and plot a course to reach them. By figuring out what you need to achieve you’ll have a clear view of where you are, where you’re headed, and what gaps you need to fill. ⒉ ??????.? Across all the initiatives you could pursue, what’s the best use of your limited time, energy, and money? Use audience growth data and monetization potential for each potential course to build simple financial models, determine the likelihood of impact and sustainability, and select the best option. Now that you’ve chosen your highest-value path, your modeling will give you clear milestones to use as goals en route to your destination. ⒊ ?????????????? ????????.? If you’re looking for a sanity check, ask similar organizations about their metrics – but be very mindful that this data should be context, not a target. But also look beyond media. You can, for example, analyze local civic institutions and businesses to understand demand and competition by reviewing nonprofit disclosures, Chamber of Commerce reports, and Census business data. Then, once you’ve built your goals using one or more of these techniques, you can use SMART goaling and agile methods to break down that big goal into manageable, doable pieces for you and your team. Still hungry for “how am I doing?” metrics? Or have questions about how this process applies to you? Let us know at [email protected] or let us know in the comments. ??