Measuring Organizational Success

A couple of posts back in Thinking More About Success, I reviewed the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell which focuses on the components of individual success. I even came up with a formula based on my understanding of what I had just read:

Individual Success = Passion + Talent + Hardwork (10,000 hours) + Opportunity (includes when, where, and to whom you were born)

What about organizational success? What are the ingredients for organizational success? We know that having great people who connect to the mission of the organization is paramount. But is having great people enough to drive organizational success?  The gifted people who work in our agencies need a voice. Collaboratively, as a team y'all (you all) decide the components for your agency's success.

That is why I like the Success Equation espoused by the Center for What Works. The Success Equation is:

A + B + C = D

Starting with "D" which represents your mission, work your way backwards to determine "A", "B", and "C" which represent measurable outcomes that contribute to a successful mission.  An outcome is a desired change in behavior or condition brought by a particular set of activities or business processes. After determining three critical outcomes, develop indicators that are used to measure each outcome.

This process may seem tedious, but it is helpful in determining what is working and what is not. It is also flexible enough for the outcomes to be changed and re-measured.  This equation can also be used to identify the success of indiviual programs. In the case of programmatic success, D would represent the program's mission. Are you currently measuring the effectiveness of your organization? If not, get started today.