As we begin 2019 it is a natural time to reflect on the previous year and dream about what this upcoming year will bring. For your youth program it is also a natural time to evaluate your program and look for innovative ways to improve. Setting a culture that values evaluating and improvement is vital to a successful program. When we don’t take on this viewpoint we are in jeopardy of allowing our programs to grow stagnant, outdated and make choices that are not aligned to our programs mission and vision.

During these next couple weeks, take time to examine your programs and ask a few questions about what is working and not working. Are your current systems and procedures helping you to meet your program goals? Are we serving youth to the best of our ability? Does our programming reflect the values of our organization? What is working well? Where is an opportunity for us?

By asking these questions, and having a conversation with your staff, you can begin to get a clearer view of your program and identify areas of improvement. The next step is to create organizational goals based on those areas that need improvement and how to sustain what is working well. When we create a culture that values evaluation and looking at ways to improve, it sets the tone that allows for personal development within our programs.

What are you doing to get better today?