What are Rotary International's Targeted Results?

            Now that Rotary has chipped away at the Mound of Basic Factors hindering membership growth by clarifying “What business Rotary is in”, “Who Rotary’s customers really are”, and "What Rotarians value", it is vital that Rotary International (RI) defines the results it wants to achieve.  The lack of defining results has been a major membership impediment because, since 1996, the number of Rotarians has hovered just over 1.2 million.  This proves one of two realities:  RI's desired result was to sustain membership at just over 1.2 million or, if RI's desired result was to grow membership, it has not dedicated sufficient leadership and resources to the effort.

         There should be no question that RI's desired result should be to sustain a healthy growth rate.  To think anything has a higher priority is irrational because RI's existence depends on income from dues-paying Rotarians.  To achieve a continuous growth rate, RI must dedicate sufficient leadership and resources to the effort.

        The Rotary Foundation's (TRF) results should be changing lives of beneficiaries while helping RI to grow membership by honoring what its customers - its donors, most of whom are dues paying Rotarians - value.  TRF's results should not be centered on addressing needs.  TRF should take the more business-like approach in its endeavors by defining needs and achieving results as demonstrated by its polio eradication campaign.  In this arena, results become moving targets because TRF should ensure that its plans are designed in such a way that results can be measured.  TRF must avoid the temptation to only undertake challenges that can be easily quantified.  Results should be TRF's goals as well as its test, but often results require time to realize their effectiveness.  A commonality to all TRF's results is that its undertakings must change beneficiaries lives while delivering to its donors what they value.
     RI's growth and appeal depends on local Rotarians connecting and improving lives in their community and worldwide by resourcefully utilizing Rotary's many attributes including, but not limited to, TRF.  

• This is what will strengthen local Rotary clubs;
• This is what will make it easier to start new clubs;
• This is what will grow RI and TRF;
• This is what will sustain Rotary's legacy.

Next in chipping away at the Mound of Basic Factors hindering membership growth is developing plans to achieve desired results.  Skipping any step discussed in this Sisyphus series will render planning time and resources useless and wasted.