In the last article on planning, The Big Idea, we walked through the general steps involved in crafting the concept, rallying point, and value proposition that will be at the center of your movement.  That’s right, we found your Big Idea.  Now we need to change it.

I know, you worked hard on it so why make changes already?  Because your Big Idea is the center of your movement and so we need to get it perfect.  Answering the questions below will help you tweak your Idea to get a better fit.

Has this Big Idea been taken yet?

With the overwhelming number of organizations competing for attention today, it is easy to overlook some of the less successful ones.  So even though you know your field well, take the time to run a few more Google searches and make sure no one else is trying to market the same Big Idea.  If they are, consider whether you can tweak the idea to carve out your own territory or whether the field is still open enough for competition.

Can our current organizational structure be aligned behind this Big Idea?

Just because this is a great idea doesn’t mean that it is a great idea for your organization.  Be realistic here.  What changes will be required for your organization to truly embrace this Big Idea and a new movement?  Are these changes that the organization can get excited about, or are they changes that staff or volunteers will fight tooth and nail (or even worse, by doing a half-hearted job)?  If the necessary changes can’t be implemented effectively, can the idea be tweaked slightly so that the organization can embrace it?

Does it play to our strengths?

The most successful organizations are those that recognize and capitalize on their strengths.  Invest the time to take an inventory of your strongest areas and then make sure that you can fully leverage your strengths behind this Big Idea.

Does it address our weaknesses?

Just as each organization has its strengths, each organization also has its unique weaknesses.  Success comes from knowing and playing to your strengths, and so that is what we will focus on most when building this new movement.  But it is also important to recognize weaknesses and make sure that this Big Idea won’t be handicapped by relying on areas where your organization under-performs.  If it does play to your organization’s weaknesses, how can the idea be adjusted so that it is supported by your organization’s strengths?

How does it match the interests of our funders?

This consideration applies primarily to nonprofits and political campaigns.  There are times that the Big Idea able to excite your broader audience may not excite your current funders.  This dilemma needs to be faced squarely.  Will you be able to effectively pitch the Idea and — with the demonstrated success of your new movement — be able to secure continued funding from the same sources?  If not, are there other sources where you can secure the same (or additional) funding?  If not, how can your Big Idea be tweaked to allow you to obtain the needed funding and still engage your audience’s passion?  Money usually follows success, so chances are you will be able to overcome this obstacle.

Is this an idea that the media cares about right now?

Media coverage is just one component in building a movement, and as such probably won’t make or break your movement.  But if a little tweak can get you POSITIVE stories in a few more newspapers, talk shows, and 6 o’clock news programs, then all the better.

Does our current base care about it?

If your current audience base (members, customers, coalition partners) differs from the audience you identified when creating your Big Idea (which is fine), then how will your current base react to this Idea?  Is there any way to tweak the Idea to still appeal to much of your current audience while simultaneously engaging the passions of your new audience?

Are there other opportunities to be had?

Launching a new movement is an outstanding opportunity to create coalitions, expand your brand recognition, recruit new customers or volunteers, and create a buzz.  Will this Big Idea allow you to take advantage of all available opportunities, or could a small tweak allow you to greatly increase your organization’s gains?

Are there threats we can avoid?

Threats will be part of building any movement, but we should do what we can to minimize them.  Consider whether a small tweak to the idea can help you sidestep some of the troublesome potholes ahead.

As you have gathered, tweaking is more of an art than a scientific process.  Revising your guiding Big Idea to make sure that it is a perfect fit for your organization, your audience’s passions, and the current playing field will offer large rewards in the future.  In the next article on planning we will discuss the first steps to turning your Big Idea into a concrete plan.  In the meantime, put in the comments below anything else we should be considering during the tweaking process.