A messy shared drive is more than a headache. It’s a business process and knowledge management disaster. An organization cannot plan thoughtfully, design intentionally, work efficiently, and learn continuously if it cannot store, find, and use its decisions, plans, efforts, and insights. Google Drive, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc. are all powerful tools for file sharing and[…]
Tools are Just Tools In our first years, The IllumiLab’s work was focused almost exclusively on building tools nonprofits could use to measure their performance (logic models, measures, data collection tools, performance management plans, etc.). This was the pain point organizations experienced, and this was the service they requested. But we soon realized that without[…]
If we are too busy to plan, too busy to think, and too busy to reflect, we should stop and ask ourselves, “What are we so busy doing, and are we really committed to doing it well?” As Megan and I have been researching our Theory of Change, we’ve been digging into the literature on strategic,[…]
I love surveys. I love designing them and completing them. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve filled out satisfaction and feedback surveys every time I’ve been asked. My love of surveys has won/earned me free meals and theater tickets, and discounts or refunds on all kinds of products and services. I love surveys! I’ve[…]
Yes, this is one of those posts that aims to re-frame this crisis, to find a silver lining, to see the glass half-full. If you’re not in the mood for that right now, I won’t be offended. But please do come back and read this post when you’re ready to think about what’s next. In[…]
Two years ago in January, I wrote a blog called 6 Tips for Setting Meaningful Goals in which I admitted often falling short of following my own advice. All our work at The IllumiLab – whether it’s evaluation, performance management, planning, data management, quality improvement, or process management – is about helping organizations articulate and[…]
Evaluation, performance management, project management, and quality improvement (everything I do) all have at least one thing in common. They start with the end in mind, articulating goals. Before anything else, they ask what the end game is. For example: Evaluation – What do you want to learn from this evaluation? How do you want[…]
This is our third post from guest blogger, Julia Pickup. Julia and I are unicorns in the world of social work. We are therapists who dig numbers. We are bleeding hearts who love to manage and improve processes. We are artists and scientists. You could also say we are bilingual because we can tell stories[…]
This is the second post from our guest blogger, Julia Pickup, who is lending her unique perspective on outcome measurement, evaluation, and cultures of learning and improvement. Julia is a skilled family therapist and leader of clinicians. This set of posts is named after a common point of resistance I meet when talking with direct[…]
As promised in our October newsletter (click here to subscribe), Insight Partners has some exciting things planned for our third year, including this blog series by guest blogger Julia Pickup, MSW, LCSW. Julia is a highly skilled therapist, clinical supervisor, instructor, and program director. She thrives on developing clinicians to reach their full potential, building team[…]