The question that matters

Everything starts with a question. That was my very first lesson as an Economics Research Assistant (thank you, Tati!) and it is one that I now teach organizations. The reason you collect information and measure outcomes is to answer a question. Without a good question, my friend, you risk getting lost in the data. Or maybe lost overall.

So take a moment now, a deep breath, and think: What is your question?

If your focus is your organization as a whole, go back to the mission. If you are focusing on a department or a project, go back to the goals. In all cases, you can start by writing down what is the change you are creating in your community, and go from there. For schools, the question may be “Are the students learning?” For food banks, the question may be “Are we reducing food insecurity?”

There’s not really a right or best question because each organization is unique. Which brings us to the next step: once you find your question, justify it. Why do you want that question answered? Why does it matter if students learn or if food insecurity is reduced?

The why may seem obvious to you but clarifying it matters. We are all different people with different backgrounds and concepts, and clarification is what prevents miscommunication. And, ultimately, that’s what people connect to. People connect with your why (and you may know that if you are one of the 62,473,458 people, and counting, who have watched Sinek’s TED Talk).

So before going further with measuring, or even if you are already down that road, take a moment to write down what question you want to answer, and why.