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Happy new year, y’all! 

Ready for number four? If you’re just joining us, this is the last of four strategies I use to plan for aligned growth. (Catch up on the others here.) Honestly? This one is the hardest. But if you’re running a values-based business or a nonprofit it’s a non negotiable. I might be stepping on some toes here but the questions are worth asking so here we go.

Validate

To put it simply, this type of strategy should answer the question “Does your product or service do what you say it does?”. And it should bank on the answer being yes.

If you’re a job training organization, do you train your clients well enough to work for you? If not, you’re not training them well enough. Do housing stability program participants actually end up with stable housing? If not, it doesn’t work.

If you provide branding, are your clients able to independently use your deliverables? Do those deliverables help them convert clients? If not, your product may not be strong enough. In my case, I’m promising clarity and strategies for success. Do my clients actually leave with more confidence and eventually achieve the plans we made?

If the answers are no, then frankly, our work is only serving ourselves. Ouch. That’s not what most of us set out to do. When a leader first realizes there’s trouble in this area, it’s usually a question of alignment. If a leader lets it stay that way, it becomes a question of integrity.

Hopefully it’s clear why this is a critical component of strategic growth. We don’t want to get too far down the road to growth without being certain that we’re delivering on intended impact along the way. After all, that’s why we started this thing, right?

How to put this to work:

1. Specify what you intend to achieve.

   My clients already know this because it’s always step one. (As usual, see “the soul of the thing” to learn more). Look at the language you’re using to communicate to clients, partners, and donors about what you deliver and make note of what outcomes you communicate.

2. Look for real data that points to those outcomes.

   This could be in the form of client feedback, visible results, or data collection. But be sure you’re looking at real outcomes and not assuming them.

3. If you don’t have it, go get it!

   Put one task on your calendar that would help you answer the question I posed at the beginning. You could schedule a call with a past client, draft a quick survey, or run a report. Determine what that would be and schedule it.

4. Double down.

   If you really want to stand ten toes down on this thing, tie the success of your business to the success of your outcomes. How can you attach your growth to successfully achieving the outcomes you promised? Doing this is scary but it ensures you’re growing an organization that delivers on impact rather than being exclusively self-serving.

This Cool Thing I Found

Events, free stuff, or cool links I’ve found lately. May contain affiliate or partner links.

🗣️Shout Out

Apropos for the week, I recently finished my own brand strategy with Laura Balfour of Fleecher Designs and I’m swooning over this thing. She specializes in small businesses with big impacts and her brand strategy helps business owners understand exactly what their brand is, what their clients think it is, and how to leverage it for success. The info I received from Laura answered the exact questions I asked above and impeccably captured what’s important about my work. This is not an affiliate plug, I’m just obsessed. Book an inquiry call with Laura or reply to me if you want to know more.

🩸 Super Bowl X Red Cross

The Red Cross will automatically enter all blood donors for a chance to win a super bowl experience through January 26th. Two years ago, I learned firsthand that how readily patients receive transfusions is directly related to how many people give blood! The threat of winter weather often leads to a reduction in giving this time of year, so consider giving if you can.

I’m Laura Green - a strategist empowering creative leaders to build businesses they love. My work focuses on crafting actionable insights, scalable strategies, and proven systems to find more impact and less friction. I want you to have the clarity, confidence, and energy to make good stuff happen, to drive profit, and to get back to doing the work you love. As for me - I love charts, good beer, nerdy nature books, and sneakers. When I’m not spinning up spreadsheets, you can find me gardening, hanging with my wonderfully wild kids, or sneaking in a nap. ✌️