When Goals Meet Reality

This month has been an object lesson in what happens when goal-setting meets reality. I began this blog in the autumn of 2024 with the intention of posting weekly articles for nonprofit leaders, guided by monthly themes. That rhythm has been harder to maintain lately—but it’s also taught me something important about patience and flexibility.

The purpose remains the same, but I have had to adjust my expectations of myself. Some weeks, as this month has proven, a weekly article is too much. I am still filled with opinions and have plenty to write about. But, like everyone else, my energy is limited.

But isn’t that always the case with goals? Organizations can spend hours and hours setting goals, building out objectives, developing metrics, and reporting on their progress. Then reality sets in. That’s when we turn to goal-setting’s quiet partner: patience—and make the necessary adjustments.

That natural cycle is why I prefer setting “nested” goals. I start with a few (3–5) long-term goals, then define objectives for each. From there, I can break the work into tasks that drive steady progress. It’s a practical system—but it only works when the organization stays focused on its purpose and regularly revisits its goals. In today’s fast-moving world, even annual goals can become outdated within six months.

When working with a board of directors, I like to set objectives quarterly and take the opportunity to revisit the goals at the same time. An organization should ask itself if each goal is still relevant. Are they still aligned with the organizational purpose? Were all the objectives met? If not, why not? What objectives should be set for the next quarter?

In my experience, the system usually breaks down when goals and objectives are layered on top of day-to-day operations, rather than embedded within them. Rather than adding to the workload, the objectives should integrate into the nonprofit’s operation. We create strategic plans and set goals to change the organization. Therefore, implementing the plan should change what is being done and how it is accomplished. This integration is tough, but vital to true change, true improvement.

With this in mind, it becomes easier to cope with a change in plans. We take a deep breath, make adjustments, and forge ahead. A little patience and flexibility will ensure that your association, your nonprofit organization, will stay current and relevant. Isn’t that what we all want?

This article was written with the help of ChatGPT.