Sticking plasters and long-term solutions
Some dictionary definitions…
A vicious circle is a problem or difficult situation that has the effect of creating new problems which then cause the original problem or situation to occur again.
Catch-22 — a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.
In the cycle of delivery and development, the feeling of vicious circles and catch-22’s is maybe inevitable? We’ve certainly got tensions that can feel that way… Sometimes they’re interesting to wrestle with, sometimes they’re draining.
Some of ours…
Vols now vs vol pipeline: We need more volunteers to grow. We need staff time to grow. We need staff time to supplement our volunteer numbers.
Deliver now v delivery development: We need to figure out how our virtual programme is most impactfully delivered. We currently delivering under certain conditions — X many children, X many volunteers. We are aiming to deliver under different conditions.
Spending money to grow v sustainable costs: We need to spend money to grow. We need to work out what the most efficient cost is.
What does it make me think?
There’s no such thing as no escape! We have the control to put our resources in the places that most need them. We have the power to speed up, slow down and pivot. The important thing is that we pay attention individually and organisationally to the learning and the data.
We can be optimistic AND realistic. We’ve got lots of data that points in positive directions, which should help give us the energy to fix the hard things.
Red lines are important. We have a few but could maybe do with articulating a few more. One is that we protect the experience of YPs on the programme now, if we haven’t achieved safety and wellbeing in session we can’t do anything else.
Polarity management is relevant. We’re in change mode — I think we’re doing quite a lot to honour how that feels by talking about it. What else can we do to look after each other through that?
Let’s be precise and honest about when things can be done. As I break out work into sections for the next year I’m trying to be better than ever at acknowledging crunch times (no meetings for Ed Team in product week?) and plan carefully to ambitious with our more flexible times.
We need to get comfortable with pushing several things forward at once. Having a shared focus is great for a team, but in this change and growth phase it does feel like you have to nudge quite a lot of dependant factors forward at once. The classic one for us being you can’t grow YP numbers without growing vol numbers and fundraising. And indeed to increase vol numbers or funding without growing YP numbers also wouldn’t work.
So…
No conclusions. Any thoughts?
