Tell me your story

Over the last two weeks I have had the privilege of interviewing 40 agency dashboard stakeholders. The interviews have taken me from the Connecticut to Washington DC business offices. 

Washington DC business office inside building

In interviews with board members one of my favorite questions to ask is, "What would delight you?" This is often the turning point in the conversation. Energy picks up and responses shift from statements to questions. "Can results for children across our programs be quantified? How do we measure real and lasting change in the lives of children?" They envision and describe a strategic agency dashboard based on years of experience and expertise across many well-known companies.


Even though I mentally prepared to hear the truth, some interviews touched me beyond what I imagined. One interviewee said, "You know the headlines in the newspaper today; Somalia is the road to death. ” He told me about the numbers of children dying every day from hunger and preventable diseases. He told me the list of issues that are addressed from severe malnutrition and abuse, to separation from family members. “I just feel called to go,” one interviewee told me. All I could say is, “Thank you.” We both paused for a moment because words did not belong in that space.

I take a walk and reflect. Can numbers on a dashboard capture the essence of the work that Save the Children does? I can hear the voice of a past adviser say, “Your assignment is a tall order.” 

This is work that will need to be done in stages so that the stakeholders can own the agency dashboard, from defining key performance metrics to agreeing on ways in which key messages are communicated. Thankfully, it is just the right time for this work. Save the Children offices are coming together across the global to form one united organization called Save the Children International.

A great example of what is possible through collaboration is Save the Children’s the current campaign, “I am going to be your friend.” It adopts Bob Marley's mantra of love, compassion, and giving to inspire fundraising for famine relief funds in East Africa. Many popular musicians, such Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Rihanna, have put their names behind the campaign. The song and accompanying video get right to the heart of the matter. My aspiration for the agency dashboard is also to tell a story with numbers that gets right to the heart of the matter.

Chapter 2: The Voice of the Customers

My assignment at Save the Children is to put a strategic edge on their agency dashboard that improves decision making capacity at the senior level.


I've begun a series of interviews to understand what's working and where improvement could be made.  There are several stakeholder groups: the board, senior leaders, direct reports to senior leaders, and dashboard contacts. Though each stakeholder group brings a different perspective, they all have a vested interest in a creating a strategic dashboard that helps accelerate the reach and impact of programs for children in need.


Within the first few interviews, it is clear that any change to the dashboard will require the support of all the stakeholder groups. To get their support, I will need to understand their diverse values, concerns and aspirations. Time to take put my organizational research "hat" on the side and wear on my  organizational development t-shirt from the GSK Accelerated Development program.