Monica's Closet

My son Dalton’s bedroom was always a hot mess when he was a kid. Whenever my little nieces would come over to visit, the first thing they would do is ask to borrow my phone so they could go take a picture of the disaster and show it to anyone who would think it was as despicable as they did. Truth be told, I used to play along and intentionally make the ‘crime scene’ a little worse a time or two by throwing a t-shirt on the ceiling fan or putting up some of my police-officer husband’s legit yellow and black caution tape just for good measure. Each time they would run back to his room, I couldn’t control my snickering as the two girly girls express how repulsed they were by gross boys. Neither of them had reached double digits at that time, so I didn’t tell them that one day they would fall madly in love with one of those uncivilized blokes and maybe even give birth to one or two of their very own. (Fun Fact:  They are currently both around the age that Dalton was at that time and I’ve seen their rooms. The description hot mess could be used without question—it’s a teen thing!)

We all have our ‘thing’. That unorganized mess that you just live with because you never get around to it. Remember in the sitcom Friend's where Monica had her special closet that was off limits to Chandler because it was her mini-mess behind closed doors? Others might have a junk drawer, a laundry room, or even an entire garage. But it’s fine. Our lives can still function relatively smoothly with a mess or two in the background. What you don’t want is the chaos of caution tape blocking the view of your bullseye!

This is where the The Dawn Brown Theory of The Bullseye comes in. It postulates this…you can’t hit The Bullseye unless you’re aiming at the target. I know, I know, Mensa has probably already added me to their mailing list or put me on speed dial for that little gem. However, common sense isn’t always common, is it?

As much as I’d like to say I’m only kidding…I just can’t. In fact, you’ve probably seen much good in your community. A school district improving. A non-profit being recognized. A business growing. Maybe even a team winning big! Yet, you likely still hear your fair share of bad. School grades fluctuating. Businesses closing. Unemployment rising. One step forward, two steps back.

So, how can so much good be happening, yet the good is never enough to offset the bad? Say it with me…it’s The Bullseye. No matter how good a community, an organization, a business, a school, or an individual is doing, your nonprofit will never be great until you all start aiming at the same target. I think leadership guru John Maxwell calls it The Big Mo as in Momentum. Unless and until you and everyone affiliated with your organization decides on a specific goal and vows to bombard that target with all the resources you have, it will be difficult for you to achieve The Big Mo. Good will always be the enemy of great, just ask Jim Collins! And the needle on whatever your biggest issue is won’t move nary as much as needed.

Knowing this, you need to begin asking yourself difficult questions like:

• What are the highest and best uses of your resources?
• What, but for us, will fail to occur in the quest for community solutions?

What if you did pick one target with a beautiful bullseye and made a pinky promise to your Board, your donors, each other? You could promise to work together and agree to fill in the blank below.

We will work together to help _________________ (List your bullseye here) better than anybody else in ________________________ (List your service area here) because __________________ (State your why here).

Left Brain and Right Brain Applications:  This is an enterprising level of collaboration to be sure. These shared aspirations can stimulate action and lead to achieved aspirations. Sure, you will need to communicate a clear and compelling vision—that’s what your left brain can do so well. Plus, you’ll need to be creative in how everyone can be a part of the solution by generously donating their time, talent, treasure, knowledge, and networks to that same end—your right brain was made for this clever work! It won’t be easy, but few things with great value are. Besides, it’s got to be easier than trying to get teenage boys to clean their rooms--because, well, teenage boys are just gross.

All My Best,

Dawn
[email protected]
dawn brown creative, llc.