We’ve just gone through an election, and after such a massive effort it’s important to take some time to reflect. That might sound mushy and boring and all about feel-feels. It’s not. It’s an incredibly important part of improving upon tactics and creating more effective future plans.

So, this week take some real time to ask yourself the following questions. Please also do yourself a favor and write the answers down. You could either write yourself an email, or you could draft a 1-2 page summary document. Keep it short so it’s actionable and something you can refer to. The goal here is to document the things that are fresh in your mind now – and get your creative juices flowing for how to make the next cycle even better.

• What worked really well?
• What did not work that we expected to work?
• What did we need more of on or around election day?
• What did we say we wished we would have started earlier or amplified?
• What was the biggest win? What was the biggest disappointment?
• What volunteers or coworkers really impressed us? How can we work with them or help them in the future? (You can also ask yourself the inverse…)
• What partnerships were particularly helpful? Why? 
• What partnerships did you wish you had created – or started earlier? How can you start those conversations now?
• Where do you see yourself in two years? Where do you WANT to be in two years? 
  • What needs to happen NEXT year for you to get where you want to be in two years?
  • What can you do in the next SIX MONTHS to further that goal?
  • What challenges do you foresee? 
• What goals do you have for your organization in the next two years?
  • What needs to happen NEXT year for your organization to get where it needs to be in two years?
  • What can you do in the next SIX MONTHS to further that goal?
  • What challenges do you foresee?
• What electoral goals do you have for your community/region/state/country in the next two years?
  • What needs to happen NEXT year to make those goals realistic?
  • What can you do now, and in the next SIX MONTHS to facilitate those changes?
  • What challenges do you foresee?
  • I like to think of this as a mission statement or business plan for your next two years. If you sit down and really think through all of these questions, you’ll already have a good sense for what you can improve on in the next cycle, and a good blueprint for how and when to do the work.”

Credit: Michelle at Small Deeds Done https://smalldeedsdone.com/