Action and Getting Things to Happen
Tom Suddes | April 4, 2008
Nick has shared with you some things about an A.F.E. – an ACTION-FORCING EVENT. In my last two COACHING CLINICS it hit me, again, how powerful this really is. Here are 3 quick bullets and a bonus.
- PREDISPOSITION!!! If you’re on the For Impact Platform, you know that this is a big, big deal for us. PREDISPOSITION comes before you call to get a visit… is used to set up the presentation… is even used as part of the follow-up. PREDISPOSITION is definitely an A.F.E. (especially if you tell someone you’re going to call them in the next 48 hours to set up a time for the visit!)
- DEADLINES. Disney uses the term “THE TICKET IS PRINTED” to reinforce this concept of a deadline. (They tell all the contractors, designers, etc. that this new ‘EXPERIENCE’ [RIDE] is opening on such and such a date. ‘THE TICKET IS PRINTED.’ There will be little kids and their families standing in line… on that day!)
Priorities, Projects, Programs need DROP-DEAD DATES/DEADLINES, be they real or artificial. Draw a line in the sand. Put a stake in the ground. Use whatever other cliché you want. Just use DEADLINES as an A.F.E.!
- MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES. Every single MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE becomes a wonderful A.F.E.! You can tell people you’re going to follow-up. You can announce plans, kickoffs, groundbreakings, etc. Think of your MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE as it relates to ACTION! (A literal ACTION-FORCING EVENT.)
Bonus: BOARD MEETINGS. With all due respect, every “not-for-profit” Board Meeting is a disaster. Boring. Information-driven. No engagement. The only real ‘ACTION’ is approving the minutes from the last meeting.
WHAT IF… you could literally use your Board Meeting as an ACTION-FORCING EVENT? Approve the Funding Plan! Create Leadership Consensus around Priorities! Get buy-in at the highest level on your Message and Vision!
A.A.R.
This is a military term for an AFTER-ACTION REPORT. (It has nothing to do with AARP which is a very quiet but powerful organization for old people like me.)
You’ve heard me or read me when I talk about failure… engage then plan… prototype… act now. Every time you actually DO something, it becomes a wonderful lesson…IF you actually take the time to think about what happened, debrief, and get feedback.
AFTER-ACTION REPORTS in the military are the primary means of debrief and feedback. I would encourage you to do your own A.A.R:
- After Every Visit!
- After Every Memorable Experience, Predisposition, etc.
- After Every ‘Lesson’
Special Note: In our For Impact ROADMAP, the EXECUTION component is comprised of PREDISPOSITION, PRESENTATION and FOLLOW-UP.
It this model, the FOLLOW-UP includes a MEMO FOR THE RECORD… in other words, an AFTER-ACTION REPORT! No exceptions. No excuses. There needs to be a written summary of the visit and the required follow-up/action.
There it is.
ACTION-FORCING EVENT and AFTER-ACTION REPORT
Common word?
ACTION!!!
3 Comments So Far
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Sandra - April 4th, 2008 6:07 pm
You once told us to think of visits as a ‘practice’ – like yoga. I’ve been doing that for three months and made about 20 visits. Have some great results but I think I need to be doing more AAR.
Thanks.
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Mark - April 4th, 2008 6:25 pm
Tom: I don’t think of you as being eligible for AARP! Do you have a template for an AAR? I agree with the priority of the AFE. My biggest problem is the self-discipline to practice this consistently. I am trying to overcome this issue by forcing myself to create Quarterly Reports of activity and building AFE’s around these reports. Make sense? How do others view this type of accountability?
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Armen - April 4th, 2008 6:31 pm
Great to hear from you, as always, hope all is well. Here’s an AAR for you, as I just had my own AFE (the desire to get the hell out of the office and solicit). I just had my first successful solicitation – and your three circles (hand-written, on the spot) is BRILLIANT! In fact, as soon as I drew my three, the donor drew his own diagram with six spokes (he is after all a tax lawyer, so I shouldn’t have been surprised). Anyway, he committed to a nice $30,000 gift.
Thanks for the inspiration and great practical advice (I even listened a little)…
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