Purposeful Abandonment
As the CAE Candidates near the end of the May exam period, they are wondering if they passed, or nervous about taking it by May 15. No matter how many times a Candidate has seen the exam, the consistent comment I hear is: “I will be so happy to be done with all this studying!”
While I understand and agree with the sentiment (I felt the same way when I earned the CAE), it is also an example of purposeful abandonment. Time dedicated to studying can now be focused elsewhere as the need for the committed study time is gone. This topic is on my mind as it is discussed during study groups and CAE Prep courses, and it is something we should all do more often in our lives and our organizations.
Abandon is a word that tends to have negative connotations, like “abandon ship!”; the car was abandoned by the side of the road; a spouse abandons their family for a new life. But in all these cases, someone decided that what they had was no longer working for them. They let go so they could move on to something that might work better.
They say with age comes wisdom. While I’m not quite sure how wise I’ve become so far, I do know that I have learned a few things about letting go of that which no longer works for me, supports me, sparks joy in me, or provides value to me.
Purposeful abandonment is the act of assessing what you have, or are hanging onto, and then determining if you should let it go. Basically, abandoning that which doesn’t work and keeping that which does.
Examples of purposeful abandonment include The Kondo Method of letting go of objects that are no longer bringing you joy, leaving professional networks that are not supporting your goals, and ending a program at your organization that just doesn’t deliver, whether its value or revenue.
This sort of assessment requires individual consideration as only the individual can determine value, which is a subjective determination. Return on investment (ROI) is objective as it can be measured using some sort of equation. For example: Consultants measure ROI of membership dues in associations by whether they get enough work to cover those dues. That is ROI; whether or not the membership provides value is another matter altogether.
When it comes to organizations, both value and ROI must be assessed when it comes to letting go of programs or services. For value, members can be surveyed or interviewed in focus groups to gather their opinions on value. It’s much easier to measure ROI since you can run the numbers (“how much are we spending on this program? How much is it bringing in?”)
Questions to ask when doing a Purposeful Abandonment assessment:
When was the last time anyone used this service or benefit?
How much is it costing to sustain it in money, time, and staffing?
Is it bringing in revenue to cover its expenses?
Are we, or a member or volunteer leaders, emotionally attached to the program? Is that why we haven’t abandoned it?
What will happen if we purposely abandon this program or service?
Purposeful abandonment is the act of assessing and choosing. If something no longer works, abandon it. It is only by letting go that we can grab something else that might better serve us. Choose what works, not what is comfortable.
