Measuring impact is often seen as a necessary evil. But over the last decade, I’ve come to see it as a really good friend. A good friend tells you how it really is -- the good and sometimes hard-to-hear truths. And measurement -- done well -- will do just that. If you don’t measure what matters, what you measure becomes what matters. That said, let’s make sure we measure the things that really matter to our organizations and us and really listen to what our measurement tells us.One of the primary reasons we don’t get measurement right is that we don’t slow down to articulate the good we are trying to do clearly. Measurement begins with language. Measurement begins when you get clear about the change you want to see in the world, and you’re able to articulate it. When you start to get clear on what you want to accomplish, you are halfway to measuring it. Another way to frame the question is: What does good look like? What is the change you want to see (the transformative change in people, places, policies, or systems)? For instance, if you are working to increase inclusivity, you would start by describing what inclusivity in your context looks like. Then you would explain how your work contributed to increasing inclusivity. What you measure will become what matters, or, put another way, what gets counted, counts! You see, whatever you measure, you will end up spending time and resources. We then creating something that will allow you to count those things. For instance: if you count attendance, you will spend a lot of time and energy putting on events that get people to attend x, y, z.We need to make sure the measuring stick we are using for our projects actually helps us learn and improve. Don’t fear measurement; use it to find out what you are doing and as a tool to help you achieve your desired impact. Measurement helps you know more than you knew before, and for that reason, it can help you make better decisions. After all, don’t you want to know if what you are doing is working? Learn how to measure what matters by attending our Measurement Masterclass.

Monday, May 24th12pm - 2pm ETOnline Workshop

The Measurement Masterclass (MM) is an interactive learning workshop that can be delivered for as few as three people and as many as 100. An introduction and guide to impact measurement, MM takes participants from unpacking why impact measurement is important to providing the principles and practices needed to start the measurement journey.Join us for this 2-hour online workshop that will help you and your team get started! It’s a quick deep dive that will orient you in the right direction and give you some tools for beginning to measure.Cost is $25 per person or 5 people from your organization for $100, and FREE for Mycelium Network members!Interested in joining us for our May Measurement Masterclass?Click here to let us know via email!