Breakout: Start with the End: A Different Way to Reach Outcome Goals Large & Small
How can we create the most meaningful positive impact for our communities? Libraries large and small are driven by this question. To be of the most service to our communities, we need to move towards our goals intentionally. You probably already know that, and that’s why you’re at RIPL!
This session will help you think through what outcome goals matter most to your library. What impact do you hope to have on your users? Outcome goals should address the “why” behind all our decisions. After identifying one outcome for your library users, you will refine the outcome goal, determine evidence for reaching it, and design activities aligned with that outcome.
This strategy, called “Backwards Design,” is borrowed from the world of education. It has just three steps and is designed specifically to align activities to reach outcome goals for users. This process can be used to design a single event or an entire program, and guides you to build in the assessment tools from the beginning of the project.
Backwards design cannot magically create more time in your schedule. But it will help you be a more efficient and effective creator with the time you do have, and organize your team’s resources around clear outcome goals for your users so you can avoid the “Oh, man—we gotta plan something!” approach we are often pulled into in the fast-paced world of libraries.
Most of the ideas for creating meaningful impact will come from you—you are the expert on your library and community. I’m here to teach you how to approach the challenge in a different way. Come prepared to think creatively and backwards!