A great article on the power or powerlessness of data in impacting society was in my mailbox recently. It was written by Nell Edgington who is President of Social Velocity
I get frustrated by the hype that promotes some software package. They are presented as the beginning of the New Millennium in its impact. If we will just use the new software we will end the social ills, evils and conflicts facing 7 Billion human beings! (Promises, Promises!)
Every new software must be used and used well to be of any good. Most software is designed to get a job done and it may assist us. However, we must figure out what jobs to do, when to do them and how to do them.
All social enterprises must have a plan. We must have a way to bring hope and change and the ability to patiently try new things and discard what does not work. Foundations, as a rule, have no patience to fund experiments and that drives us to exaggerate our successes. We too often count events that do little more than tell supporters how many brochures we passed out. Much data are but "True But Useless" TBU...
I try a different way to measure success. I attempt to actually estimate or count how many leaders are developed. More leaders equals more ministry equals more impact!
Then I estimate and count how many people and families have found real changes as a result of our work.
I believe in Multiplying Movers and Shakers! Free Spirit, hands on, get er done people.
Let me be honest: It is much easier to count True But Useless statistics about brochures sent out.
In one Third World nation of 150 million people we grew from one (1) leader to a thousand leaders!
Those people are leading groups, churches and ministries that are impacting hundreds of people every week, every month!
It took us 20 years to develop leaders. Now they love to get involved in promoting sobriety, self help, savings, investing, marriage, parenting, leading others to faith in Christ.
Go to our web and book store to discover how we did it.
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