Consulting 2.0

Consulting 2.0 Week 2.0

Ends (Why?) Means (How?) Match (Makes Sense?) Method (What and When?) Anyone’s nonprofit have an End identified? (A deep one?) Anyone’s nonprofit have a Means identified? Anyone concerned about the Match?

Has a Means No Means In Mind Has an End I II No End III IV

Ends Means Match Method

#1: Ends

Pre-Defined Standards Integration Marketing/Message Stakeholders Branding Pre-Defined Standards Do we need consistency with the group’s marketing strategy and message? (Probably) Do we need to keep it consistent with the nonprofit’s brand/image? (Probably) Who are the people at and around the nonprofit who need to be involved / sign off? Are there pre-defined standards to follow: colors, fonts, logos, etc.?

Ends Means Match Method

#2: Means

Ends Means Match Method

#3: Match

Sniff Test Obviously, does it pass the basic sniff test – at all a good match. But you can’t stop here. Because sometimes something doesn’t stink, but there’s still bad stuff hiding in there. So to speak.

Ease of Use Set up: Definitely an issue, but you’ll be there to help them. Ongoing: big issue. Must be easy to maintain? Minimal technical skill required? Over-estimate your expertise in deciding what’s hard. People tend to sit and nod even when they have just the slightest understanding of what you’re talking about.

Time Investment Setup: you need to fit it into a semester. Ongoing: need to be sure they’re willing to commit to the time; otherwise, why start? (e.g., Blogging.)

Audience Who uses this tool? (e.g., will nursing home residents user Twitter?) Who could be convinced to use this tool? (Is the content compelling enough to make them use Twitter?)

Likelihood of Use Find it Use it Reuse it Why would the target group find out about it? Knowing about it, why would they want to use it? After using it, why would they want to come back?

Benefits they could have gotten ROI Time and money to do it Benefits received Benefits they could have gotten Return on Investment: resources to do it compared to Benefits received and Benefits they could have received if they’d spend those resources on something else

Extra Sniffing Required It’s the tool they first asked for It’s a tool you use and like You’ve been itching to learn it Be especially careful if any of these are true. Be sure you’re not picking a tool for the wrong reasons.

Swerves Good examples of swerves: ENDS SWERVE. Setting: a group focusing on high school students who are often economically disadvantaged and at risk. Original plan: blog for the kids. Why might that not work well? (Lack of access to computers). Who could they blog for that might make sense? (Donors, partners, volunteers, staff…) A: blogged for partners. MEANS SWERVE: Setting: a group that helping people prepare for High School Equivalency exam, improve reading ability, etc. Original plan: set up a Facebook page to keep in touch. Any idea why that might not work well? This one’s more obscure. A: Facebook is much bigger with college students and college-educated people; high school and the economically disadvantaged more likely to use MySpace. Swerve: student went with MySpace even though it wasn’t his comfort zone.

Ends Means Match Method

Plan to evaluate Mid-way through implementation, stop and ask: “Does this still look like it’ll meet the goal?” It’s easy to get on autopilot and just do the project.

The plan shouldn’t end at the semester’s end. Remember: your plan must include ongoing maintenance.

Consulting 2.0 Week 2.0