How to set communications goals in 2023
Written by Katie Test Davis
There I was, scribbling furiously on a white board, facilitating a goals setting meeting with a nonprofit executive director and her communications lead. We were brainstorming the organization’s communications and marketing goals for 2023-2026, and aligning tactics for each year.
I wrote down “create a toolkit” for what we’d accomplish for one of the 2023 objectives, and the executive director looks at me and goes “I think that’s enough for the year.”
I cheered.
YES, WOMAN! That is the energy I want us to have in 2023.
One big project, that’s enough. Solid, meaningful and measurable progress towards our objectives and goals – that’s entirely reasonable!
It’s time to change the way we set our communications goals. Here’s how.
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Truly consider the work involved
When you break down a communications project into its pieces, it generally becomes a fair amount of work. For example, the toolkit the organization I was meeting with wants to create will involve many moving parts. They’ll need to conduct research, create messaging, draft collateral, send it out for graphic design and then train the toolkit users. That’s A LOT to tackle on top of the day-to-day communications needed for a successful nonprofit.
Consider that capacity while making goals. And if your team doesn’t have the internal capacity for the new work, look around at what you can take off their plates, or what you can outsource to an expert.
Set shorter timelines
We’re living with an ever-evolving and unpredictable economic and political environment. This means everything from fundraising to programmatic work is in flux. Setting shorter timelines for your goals will allow you to adjust to changing conditions more like a sailboat instead of a huge cruise ship. Just one example: our team used to plan out email marketing calendars for a full quarter in advance. Now? One month ahead is plenty, and even that changes.
Commit to fewer goals
Consider your people. Your amazing teammates are committed to your mission, and to doing great work for your organization, but it’s tough right now. Not only are our teammates burnt out, sick, and struggling with child care and schooling, many nonprofit leaders have decision fatigue after making hard choices for years on end. Committing to fewer goals means they (and you) will feel less unhealthy pressure to “grind” and instead focus on doing the essentials really well. If you wind up with extra time and capacity, great! You can tackle a “nice to have” project, but let that be a decision for your team in the future.
Our old ways of brute force and hustle culture never served us. Why bring those attitudes into the new year?
When you select fewer goals, with shorter timelines, you set yourselves up for success. You enable your team to focus on doing just a few things, but doing them really well. You can remove unnecessary pressure, and make measurable progress for your work.
