Build something valuable
In the past few weeks, I've heard from non-profit teams in some uncomfortable situations:
Event registration has been open for weeks, and now we realize we never asked about dietary restrictions.
We sent the quarterly report to the board; now they say they wanted it broken down by program instead of by campaign.
We released a slick new online volunteer registration workflow, but most of our volunteers won't use it -- they still just show up unannounced.
... et cetera.
It happens.
But it's not random or unavoidable.
You probably wouldn't have a custom home built without reviewing the mockups and floor plans first.
You probably wouldn't host a dinner without counting guests and discussing the menu.
Heck, you probably wouldn't even paint your kitchen without considering a whole list of details.
In my own work, I encourage clients to go through /some/ phase of discovery and planning for almost any substantial undertaking:
What does "success" really look like -- not just features, but real-world outcomes?
Who are the stakeholders here, and what would make this awesome (or awful) for them?
What little contradictions are hiding in our initial concept, and how can we deal with them?
Those questions matter whether you're hiring an outside specialist or implementing small changes in-house.
Define the outcomes.
Acknowledge the stakeholders.
Challenge the assumptions.
This makes all the difference between "building something new" and "building something valuable."
All the best,
A.