Over the past 34 years, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with some truly exceptional United Ways. These exceptional United Ways have measurably changed lives and impacted their communities in new and innovative ways.

Mediocre: of moderate or low quality, value, ability or performance: ordinary, so-so (Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary)

These exceptional United Ways stand out because I have also seen United Ways that are the epitome of ordinary – not exceptional in any obvious way. They seem alright with intermittent successes, failing occasionally, and mostly just relieved to have survived another year. They feel comfortable continuing what they have always done, showing little effort to rethink what they are doing or to try new things. They adopt smaller goals and achieve less every year, oblivious to the years of diminishing returns. They are quick to blame the world for their fate and justify their performance as the best possible given the circumstances.

Signs of Mediocrity

Take a moment and think about these questions:

• Does your United Way continue to do the same things every year with diminishing results or outcomes?

• Are exceptional results or accomplishments rare at your United Way?

• Does your United Way set smaller goals each year?

• Are people in your United Way complacent with things as they are?

Do you see signs of mediocrity in your United Way? If you do, use that discomfort you are feeling to change your United Way.

Moving Beyond Mediocre

Every United Way has the potential to be great! However, escaping mediocrity can be difficult because it will not happen without change. Here are four ways your United Way can leave mediocrity behind and fully embrace your potential:

Aspire. Start by asking your board and staff what your United Way aspires to accomplish. Note that this is not a question of what your United Way will do such as programs or processes, but rather what are the outcomes of your United Way’s efforts? Aspirations should be big – they are not the least you could do – they push the boundaries of your potential and how your United Way could change lives in your community. Some examples of aspirations from other United Ways include every child enters kindergarten ready to learn and eliminating chronic and veteran homelessness. Religious leader Gordon B. Hinckley said “Mediocrity will never do. You are capable of something better.”

Focus. Rather than doing a lot of things in a mediocre way, focus your United Way’s efforts to achieve exceptional results impacting a single issue. Issue Focus United Ways decide what issue to impact, how to impact the issue, ask for the money to do it, and measure progress toward the bold goal. Note that Issue Focus United Ways, typically focus on only one issue such as poverty, hunger, kindergarten readiness, reading at grade level by third grade, high school graduation, or homelessness. They don’t try to be everything to everyone. According to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, “Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity.”

Be Accountable. It is easy to fall into mediocrity if your United Way has a victim mentality – the economy, competition, technology and other external factors are often blamed for United Way’s performance. For reasons like these, many United Ways have stopped publicizing a campaign goal making it even easier to escape accountability. If your United Way is going to be great, it means you will need to stop making excuses, pointing the finger at others, or finding scapegoats for your United Way’s performance.

Issue Focus United Ways hold themselves accountable with a bold goal of changing lives. United Way of Greater Greensboro (Greensboro, NC) has a bold goal of “3,000 households in greater Greensboro will leave generational poverty by 2030” while United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County (Asheville, NC) has a bold goal of “By 2035, ALL Asheville City and Buncombe County students graduate from high school ready and fully prepared to pursue their goals and dreams.” These are aspirational goals that hold these United Ways accountable. “You either do what is hard and succeed, or you do what is easy and live in mediocrity” according to motivational speaker and author Eric Thomas.

Commit. Becoming excellent doesn’t happen overnight. It requires making a commitment to aspire to something greater, focusing your efforts on changing lives, and holding your United Way accountable for achieving your bold goal. This commitment will take years to achieve, but it will never happen unless you are willing to leave the past behind.

For many United Ways, moving toward excellence starts with our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat. This retreat will guide your board and staff through in-depth discussions about your challenges, the need for change, and if an issue focus direction is right for your United Way. Make a commitment to moving your United Way forward and contact us today to learn more about our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat. “The difference between excellence and mediocrity is commitment.” – Anonymous