essays – Consulting

Changes

This month I’m celebrating anniversaries for both my marriage and my business.

How have things changed for my work since I launched 501(c)onsulting 24 years ago?

𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀. . .

Back in 2001, being a nonprofit consultant meant showing up with a three-ring binder, flip charts and markers, and the firm belief that “strategic planning retreats” solved everything.

Fast-forward to today, and umm. . .things look a little different.
(I’m still a fan of flip charts and markers, though.)

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱:

🧭 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻: We focused on 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙨.
📈 𝗡𝗼𝘄: We focus on 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨. And we actually measure it. (If you don’t measure and track things, do/did they really happen?)

💬 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻: I was viewed as the “expert in the room.”
🤝 𝗡𝗼𝘄: We’re 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 — collaborating, co-designing, and co-learning with each other.

📊 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻: Data was “nice to have.”
📡 𝗡𝗼𝘄: Data drives [almost] everything — from funding strategies to impact storytelling. (The #1 question: “What’s the ROI?” The #2 question: “Does the data change our approach?”)

🌍 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻: Most consulting was local.
💻 𝗡𝗼𝘄: Teams span time zones, and clients might be across the country — or halfway around the world. (Hello, my friends in Switzerland and Canada!)

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱: 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩.

But the tools, expectations, and pace? That’s evolved faster than my dial-up connection could ever handle. ☎

❓ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁?