Why do they have to make it sooo complicated!?

Why do they have to make it soooo complicated!I’m gonna hazard a guess you’re one of these people who hates making things complicated, yes?

Of course you are, we all are, and yet, it’s astonishing just how many social enterprises create spaghetti out of lasagne sheets.

Case in point: Impact measurement and management (IMM). My goodness, do people make it complicated.

Which is why I’ve devised a new method, a lean method. A lean, mean, simplified and green method!

Introducing the “Lean Social Impact Method”.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing the 5 stages of the Lean Social Impact Method in the hope it untangles some of the needless stress created by consultants who don’t know how to just keep it simple.

My 5-stage approach actually enables you to just get on with it…

…and I mean ‘get on with it’, as it takes what you know and what you have already in place and builds from there.

No more making excuses about not having enough time, not understanding what impact measurement or management is, it being too complicated, not having the know-how or skill-set to do it, or even just thinking that it isn’t relevant to your organisation because you don’t measure performance by outcomes or impact.

In fact, no more complication. End of.

So…the 5 stages then…what are they?

In super simple terms, they’re:

Define, Plan, Measure, Analyse, Learn.

Each stage is focussed on 3 key things you need to do to give you structure, whilst enabling you to make the IMM process really specific to your organisation.

…And, because it’d be not keeping it simple if I didn’t, here’s stage one for you now…

Stage 1: Define your ultimate goal

This is often called your vision and is the big picture view of what the world looks like if you are successful.

What problem are you trying to solve?  What difference will solving this problem make to people and/or the planet?

Once you’ve answered these questions, write it out as a statement – ideally around 15 words.


  • A world where all businesses are social enterprises that positively impact people and the planet (that’s our vision at Make an Impact CIC)
  • A world without poverty
  • Equal rights for everyone
  • People live happy and fulfilled lives

This is by far the most important part of the Lean Social Impact Method, as it sets us up nicely to put all our ducks in a row to make serious, simplified impact.

Look out next week for stage 2!