Everyone has their favorite quotes. You might find one in a good book, on a bumper sticker or T-shirt, or even on the internet. Over the years, Kasey and I have accumulated some favorite quotes, including some of our own, which we will share monthly on our blog. Here is our April 2017 Quote of the Month, which comes from yours truly:

Change which is known is manageable. Change which is unknown is paralyzing.

–  Gary Goscenski

How often does your United Way change? For many United Ways, change does not happen very often, but when it does, it is significant. To successfully change, it is essential to carefully plan and communicate the change to your stakeholders. Frequently, United Ways get into trouble when they change their partner agency funding. Partner agencies tend to feel a sense of entitlement when United Ways have funded their programs for 10, 15, or even 20 or more years. To successfully change your partner agency funding, you need to let your partner agencies know exactly what will change, how it will change, and when it will change – far in advance. When partner agencies know about the change, they can prepare for it and manage it. If you simply tell partner agencies change is coming, without specifying what will change, how it will change, and when it will change, it will paralyze your partner agencies. This paralysis manifests itself when your partner agency directors feel they need to adopt a fighting attitude to ensure the survival of their organization. This is one of those lessons I have learned more than once, always make sure change is known so that it can be managed.

If you have a quote you would like to share for our Quote of the Month, please let me know at: Gary@perspectives4uw.com.