Hello Reader!
✨I'm so glad you're here!✨
Here are some things I think you should check out before we dive into the nerd-party!
- Listen to this album by my new favourite artist. In fact, it would be the perfect soundtrack to this email in fact! You should put it on right now! SO GOOD!
- Macklemore is showing us again that he is, and always has been, a real one by releasing Hind's Hall 2 that features anees, Amer Zahr and Mc Abdul. And it is an absolute BANGER! Every download supports Palestinian liberation.
- Lastly, in another life I considered myself a poet, and I'm courting a relationship with Rachel The Poet again... so, I give you "What is going on?" (more to come, I think?)
And now on to the Dark Night of the Soul....
We’ve all been there. You’ve adopted new software with high hopes, and at some point, it just doesn’t do what you need it to do. Frustration sets in, and you might start wondering if you’ve made the right choice.
At Alignment Ops, we call this phase the Dark Night of the Soul.
It feels like you have made a SERIOUS mistake in your software choice. Seemingly every process you are trying to setup has a huge brick wall in the middle of it, and you start questioning ALL of your life choices...
But here’s the thing: all software sucks at some point. 100% of all software products ever created will have SOMETHING that sucks about it. And you will only ever find these areas of suckage when you are trying to set something up!
Why? Because no software, no matter how sophisticated, can perfectly adapt to your complex needs and processes.
That's why having a clear digital strategy in place is critical. Without it, you risk wasting time, energy, and resources jumping from one tool to the next.
Why You Need a Holistic Digital Strategy
Think of a digital strategy as your business structure roadmap. Without it, you might adopt tools like a donation management platform, only to later realize it doesn't integrate well with your financial management system. A mismatch that is guaranteed lead to data silos, redundant processes, and hours of extra work—problems that could have been avoided with the right strategy.
A holistic digital strategy ensures that all your technology investments work together, supporting your mission seamlessly. It helps you avoid the trap of implementing tools in isolation and gives you the confidence to stick with your system, even when things aren't perfect.
When Your Software Sucks, Stick to the Plan
It's tempting to give up on a platform when it feels like it's falling short. But here’s why you shouldn’t be so quick to jump ship: you need time to master your processes. In most cases new processes need about a year to completely settle out.
You need time to refine your workflows, figure out what’s working, and optimize how the system fits into your organization. Which means you need to see them in action across all the seasons of your business.
The Catch 22 (did you see it?)
The kicker here is you have to be confident that you have made the right software choice.
But how can you be that confident in your decision to adopt any software platform? There are so many options, features, price points and discounts that it can make your head spin! right?
Want to know how me and my team make sure we are making the best choice possible for our clients?
We use a Decision Matrix of course! And now you can too!
Here is a handy dandy video of what a decision matrix is and how we set up a matrix for each of our client projects.
The best thing about this matrix is it can adapt to any decision you're up against! In fact, one of my clients told me they now use a matrix to gain collective agreement on the values based decisions they need to make!
(Shout out to Nadia and Morgan who NERDED out with me in my Structured Decision Making book club way back in the 2010s!! ... yes, I held an SDM book club for fun, what of it?!)
Want to have someone do that all for you?
Book a call with me! We've got a bunch of ways to meet you where you are to help you to get where you want to be.
Until next time, stay nerdy!
R*
