We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits · We Are For Good

671. Shift 1 — Metrics With Meaning: Make Better Decisions With Less Noise - Ori Carmel

·33 min·2 clips

Ori says dashboards, new processes, and even McKinsey-style solutions fail if they do not solve a specific problem.

1. We Are For Good Podcast episode 671 focuses on “Shift 1 — Metrics With Meaning” with Ori Carmel and nonprofit measurement. 2. Ori Carmel is the founder and CEO of Soin, and he says his work sits at the intersection of nonprofits, government, academia, and the private sector. 3. The episode asks what leaders should measure when “budgeting and funding sources are tightening” and decisions can “make or break” an organization. 4. Ori says impact has become a buzzword, and many organizations still publish performative reports that count dollars, meetings, and emails. 5. He argues that the harder task is understanding stakeholders first, then choosing metrics that reflect what those stakeholders actually need. 6. Ori says many teams face data overload, where there is a “massive amount of data” but little information and even less clarity about the question. 7. He uses the example of trying to define the health and well-being of an average 19-year-old undergraduate student in the city of Chicago. 8. Ori says there is no single lexicon for broad impact concepts, so different organizations define the same outcome in slightly different ways. 9. He describes a process that starts with vision, mission, and purpose, then moves to stakeholder mapping and prioritization. 10. He says organizations must decide which needs matter for a year or a project, then build an action plan and stand behind it with data. 11. Ori says Soin has narrowed its own work over the past few years so the team can be “really, really, really good” at fewer things. 12. He says many organizations fall into performance theater by copying annual report metrics from other groups instead of asking what makes them unique. 13. Ori gives the number that only about 1% of data may be relevant to the decision or question being asked. 14. He says teams should triangulate surveys, focus groups, and opinion data against what actually happens in reality. 15. Ori warns that leaders can get stuck “falling in love with the problem” and waiting for perfect certainty before acting. 16. He uses the “aspirin test” to show that leaders can make a reasonable decision without ruling out every unlikely possibility. 17. The conversation stays direct and practical, with Becky and John interrupting, reacting, and pushing for examples. 18. The style is interview-based and fast-moving, with Ori giving long answers and the hosts steering toward concrete next steps. 19. Leaders at nonprofits, foundations, and social impact teams will get the most value from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting celebrity interviews or light entertainment will probably skip it.

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