Part 1: Gather Your Team Around a Common Purpose

Our society faces challenges of overwhelming magnitude. And since you are reading this article, you and your organization are likely focused on how you can contribute to solving these problems.

To help you get started, we are publishing this guide article, which is the first in a series of eight on solving societal problems through alliances, partnerships, and communities.

The series is based on Adam Luecking’s book “Social Sector Hero” and is intended for everyone who finances work on systemic change, whether it occurs within the political frameworks of a municipality, region, or state, or in private settings at a foundation, a philanthropic organization, or a family office.

And why this focus?

Because as a funder, donor, or investor (choose the term that suits you best), you are the backbone of the operation you have invested millions of dollars in. Therefore, it is in your clear interest to ensure that the goal is achieved.

Moreover, you are also, as Adam Luecking puts it, in a unique position to make it happen. Besides holding the funds, you have access to research, experts, tools, and various other resources that can steer the effort in the right direction.

This does not mean you should be autocratic. On the contrary, listen to your partners. But take on the responsibility you are particularly equipped for.

If you work in a social organization, read along anyway. It is highly likely that you will encounter the mindsets and concepts we present in the series’ eight parts in one form or another.

Find the Common Purpose

Some problems can be solved with legislative action or with a service tailored to those who need it.

These are not the kinds of problems we address in this series. We focus on those with widespread roots that require collaboration between multiple actors with different perspectives, skills, and toolsets.

In other words, our ambition is root treatment instead of symptom treatment. We want to change systems in a collective effort. This requires a community united in the desire to create social change. And not just any change, but specific measurable change.

So whether you are in a foundation or a municipality, you need to gather the participants in your community around a clear and specific objective.

With a clear destination, you can map out the path to the goal, prepare for the major obstacles, and plan how each team member uses their particular superpowers best.

In Adam Luecking’s world, a common purpose consists of two elements: Results and Indicators. Both elements must be crystal clear to everyone in your community.

You can also express it as an equation: Common Purpose = Results + Indicators.

It is not enough to describe a guiding star that everyone focuses on. You also need to describe the metrics that show whether you are moving forward.

Let’s dive into both parts.

Results Should be Overarching and Measurable

Results can have many names: goals, vision, mission, outcomes, result, or destination. The name is not important. What matters is that you have defined the end goal so that everyone knows it. In this article, we use Adam Luecking’s term “results,” originally defined in the Results-Based Accountability framework developed by Mark Friedman. 

The results should be:

• The ultimate overarching goal for the wellbeing you want to achieve through your work and investments.
• Concrete enough to measure progress towards it.
• Stated in plain language that anyone can understand.
• Shared among all partners.
• Actively used to guide all strategic development.

Results can be formulated as “All children start school ready to learn,” “All people are healthy,” or “All families are economically self-sufficient.” Or, as in a concrete example from the Egmont Foundation: “All young people can complete an upper secondary education by 2030.”

Systematically Measure Your Progress

So much for the first element: results. Now it’s time for the second: indicators or metrics, if you will. Again, what’s important is not the terms you use, but the consistency with which you use and define them once they are chosen. 

Indicators are what tell you whether you and your team are making progress toward your results. Without something to measure, you have no idea if you are on the right track.

You should attach at least one indicator to each of the results you aim for. But be careful not to set up too many indicators. It creates more confusion than clarity. Keep it to a maximum of three per result.

Indicators measure community-level conditions of well-being and include things like the “Poverty rate,” “Infant mortality rate,” or “Percentage of kindergarteners who enter school ready to learn.” 

What indicators you choose will depend on the result you’re looking at. For example, if you’re looking at the result, “All children achieve success in school and life,” some indicators you choose may be “Percentage of kindergarteners with age-appropriate development,” or “Percentage of third graders reading at or above grade level.

In Social Sector Hero, Luecking also reminds us that we aren’t always going to get our metrics right the first time. In fact, you may have to revise your results and indicators many times. But practice makes perfect, and you’ll get better at it every year. It is important to take action now and not wait for perfection.

Is Your Community in Sync?

It is not enough that you agree on where you are going. Each of you must also do what it takes to get you to the right place.

This requires what in English is called alignment, and which we, in the absence of a well-turned Danish word, call being in sync.

This means that each participant in your community should have tasks that match the specific competencies of that organization or person.

And it is your job to follow up on whether each partner has what it takes to perform their tasks – and to offer a helping hand when needed.

Finally, here is an exercise to help you find out if your community is in sync.

In part two of the series, we will look at how to keep the alliance together during your journey.

And remember that you have the opportunity to meet Adam Luecking in Copenhagen on September 18. Read more about the event here.