At the start of a new year, we are always ambitious with ideas and goals. We assure ourselves we will have time and dedication to work towards those goals. Life, however, typically has other plans. There is always something more pressing especially when you are a volunteer! This is something volunteer boards run into all the time. Whether it is a job or family life that comes in the way, something inevitably does and that’s okay.
At the start of your fiscal year, it is important to set those realistic but ambitious goals. They will motivate your work and give others something to strive for. When it comes to midway through the year, however, it is time to check back in with those goals and re-energize the group.
Plan to review your goals at the halfway point board meeting. Assess how the organization has achieved or fallen short on each goal. If your group is falling short on all of the goals, it may be time to revise and make a more realistic plan. If you are still determined to reach those goals, make a game plan. Determine steps that will be made in order to achieve the goal.
One method that many organizations use to achieve goals, is to implement a little competition. Whether it is among members or the board, competition can drive people in a different way. Give something away to those bring in the most members or to the board member that brings in the most sponsors. The money you pay for a reward will be worth it.
At the end of the day, you set the goals for a reason. Sometimes it just takes a reminder of the “why” to light a fire under people again. Having this mid-year check in and encouraging the board to become involved is the best way to assure goals are not swept under the rug.