Stretch the Plans - Focus on Objectives
When things don’t go as planned, we have to make adjustments. If we have objectives, and our objectives are more important than our plans, we adjust when our plans are shot.
On eMite projects we have defined objectives. The objectives are based on the core values of our organization, with the ultimate foundational objective being the faithful stewardship of the Mites that have been entrusted to us. Every project eMite presents to our giving community for support is researched and fully vetted to ensure the highest likelihood of successful completion and accomplishment of intended impact. Once a project is commenced, we track, document and report back to our eMiters on the progress of the project. Every project is visited, in field, by an eMite team, including a videographer, to document and compile video footage for production of a Project Celebration video. This video gives the donor a from the field perspective of the impact made, even showing the people their generosity helped.
Our objective is to utilize the Mites given for the purpose of completing the project and to produce media that will give the donors an in depth understanding of the impact they have made. We go into every project with this objective and a plan on how best to accomplish that objective based on the unique nature of the project. But things don’t always go as planned when dealing with major humanitarian outreach conducted all over the world. So when a project, or the things needed to complete a project, throw us a curve-ball, we have to adjust. We continue to focus on the objectives while making modifications to the plan as necessary.
The fact is that on many projects it has been our willingness to modify our plans that has resulted in the objectives being achieved. Some might consider this a yin and yang thing, but we have found that sometimes, when working in other countries with multiple organizations, the greatest threat to achieving the goals of a project are inflexibility and hardheadedness when it comes to holding to plan. As the old English proverb states, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Sometimes being flexible with your plans is just the honey that is needed.
Working internationally for years has taught our team the necessity of flexibility and agility when dealing with plans. There are of course times when objectives are threatened and a hard stand must be made in order to provide the eMite community the level of reporting required. We do not have a problem making these stands. It is well worth the effort to provide the best giving experience possible. At the same time, we do not mind becoming the rubber-band man when our willingness to modify and stretch our plans will deliver that same great giving experience. The bottom line to eMite is that our donors experience the joy of giving!