SmartStart: Beginning Your Project with Clarity of Purpose
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Anonymous
Getting started is always hard. You need that extra little snooze, that first cup of coffee, those easy morning emails before you can really get going. But, at Chora we have a “jump-start” trick to share: Clarity of Purpose. As a purpose-driven group, we are obsessed with purpose and we always begin there. Even the most mundane meeting can be spiced up with a strong statement of purpose atop of the agenda — a crisp, concrete purpose that can motivate the team to pay attention and take off. Clarity of purpose is the sine qua non to begin any meaningful activity for your team.
An example?
“The purpose of this staff meeting is to review our project outcomes for this week, discuss and resolve any issues, and decide the top priorities for each team member.”
The keywords here are “project outcomes”, “discuss and resolve”, and “decide top priorities”. A simple statement of purpose can focus and discipline your meeting and keep it from drifting.
This approach can be easily scaled up to jump-start even the most complex project, like a museum expansion or major renovation project. With an explicit, well-articulated Statement of Purpose (SOP), you can confidently start any project. The SOP provides a conceptual scaffolding to organize the project and clarify its objectives. With this consistent structure, you cannot go wrong.
So, what does a good SOP do? Many things, including:
Prioritizing target audiences
Articulating core messages
Defining project goals and objectives
Clarifying what problems the project will solve for the community and
Illustrating what success looks like
The purpose of this “Chora Insight”, is to share with museum practitioners (audience) the basics of SOP drafting (goal definition), an often-lacking piece of effective brainstorming (statement of the problem). Good SOP drafting takes you halfway to where you want to go (slight exaggeration about envisioning success.)
With our SOP front and center, let’s get started on a step-by-step building of a canonical SOP.
Step 1: Stating the Problem
A good SOP begins with a focused description of the project's purpose or the problem it is intended to solve.
Good Example:
To create a self-sustaining arts education program that motivates and recruits the next generation of workers into the region's creative economy.
Bad Example:
To offer transformative art experiences that generate social impact. (Note: try not to overuse “trendy” words like transformative, engaging, empowering, etc.)
Good Example:
To create scientifically literate citizen decision-makers capable of understanding and acting on the critical scientific and cultural issues of our time.
Bad Example:
To revolutionize the socio-economic landscape through innovative initiatives that foster holistic well-being and paradigm shifts. (Note: This example is filled with buzzwords and vague language that does not clearly articulate the organization's purpose or the problem it intends to solve. It lacks specificity and fails to provide a clear direction for the organization's efforts)
Step 2: Prioritize Audiences
Everyone is welcome to benefit from your project, but at the onset you must be disciplined in targeting your audiences and learning objectives. Your project cannot be “for all.”
A simple exercise can help. Ask yourself, “What audience must I serve?” Trust your instincts when you answer. What sounds right? The must-serve audience is your A priority. Then, ask, “Who should I serve?” It's still an important group, but that is your B priority. Finally, “Who would be nice to serve?” That is your C priority, the (optional) cherry on top. Slicing your audience descriptions as thin as possible increases the chances of your learning objectives being focused, relevant, and effective. Let’s look at some examples:
Good Example
Families with children 11 years of age (middle school) and above are recommended as the primary audience for [[insert here name of your project]].
Bad Examples:
General Public
The Community
School Children
Everybody
Step 3: Articulate clear and compelling core messages
What story do you want to tell? What narrative are you delivering to your priority audiences? Identifying focused core messages calls for discipline. In fact, this is a recurrent subtext in museum planning: you must be laser-focused and “ruthless” about your priorities. Here are some examples of core messages to be featured in a well-thought-out SOP.
Good Examples:
Africa is old, culturally diverse, and modern.
All life, including yours, depends on the health of the oceans.
The legacy of slavery still impacts our lives today.
Bad Examples (Why? Too generic, lack sharpness, epically “un-catchy” and forgettable…):
Science is magic.
Art transforms lives.
Art heals all.
Step 4: Clearly define project results and social impacts
Good SOPs focus on results that self-evidently move toward the achievement of those strategic priorities of your project. The results (or desired impacts) should motivate and challenge, yet be realistic and obtainable. No happy talk. Here are some examples:
Good Examples:
To provide better beginnings for Washington, DC preschool children and their families.
To reduce the effects of poverty on learning.
To increase parents' confidence and competence as master teachers of their children.
Bad Examples:
To raise awareness of the benefits of early childhood development.
To increase understanding among diverse communities.
Many efforts try to “raise awareness and increase understanding,” and while these are noble aspirations, they are not easy to measure or observe. It is better to focus on more tangible results.
Step 5: Define What Success Looks Like
It is perhaps a cultural habit, to begin with design, move to content, and finally to function. Whether it is choosing a new car or a life partner, we tend to go in that order. Note a typical car ad. It begins with the car whooshing down a road with autumn leaves spinning in the wake. All about design. Then we are shown the Corinthian Leather seats and accessories—the content. Finally, we are told that, just in case, a very good service department is available — with mpg in the fine print at the bottom of the ad (the function). This may work for cars, but when it comes to museums, we recommend reversing the order, starting with function (purpose), then content (messages, stories), and finally, design. Be patient and think things through, lest architects and designers come in too soon. You must first be clear about exactly what you want. This clarity will make you an effective client for architects and exhibition designers when their time comes. Here are some definitions.
Function = Purpose, outcomes, impacts (who is the project for? What is it supposed to do? How do I know it works?)
Content = Stories, objects, text (what will the project be about? What do you want to say?)
Design = Space, size, shape, cost (what will it look like? How big will it be? How much will it cost?)
The Bottom Line: Getting started is hard. However, you will be on a productive path if you begin with purpose. By following this step-by-step guide, you will arrive at a concise leadership document that will jump-start your project and give it clarity and direction.
