We work with a lot of small organisations.  One of the things that many of them struggle with is balancing the needs of their clients (and potential clients) with the resources they have.  Most of them do this really well – keeping their clients central to their work and making sure that clients are only offered what is manageable for the organisation to deliver.  I know this leads to frustration for many of the organisations, who would like to be offering so much more – but their clients receive a good quality service that meets (at least some of) their needs.  These organisations may want to support more people, and they may have longer waiting lists than they would like – but their resources are well used and their clients and those on the waiting list are clear about what they will get, how long for and in what depth. 

Some organisations however, get the balance wrong.  They may be great at promoting their organisation & their service – but the reality is not as great as the promise.  They may have poor systems which mean that calls aren’t recorded, people ‘get lost’, or they get passed around with no real solutions being offered.  Or they may just fail to respond to enquiries and emails, because staff are overwhelmed or systems aren’t working well.   

I have been trying to access support from one particular organisation this week.  So far, I’ve approached them in 3 ways, but I’m still waiting for the ‘right’ person to call me back.  This organisation is well resourced and have a clear remit… but my experience so far hasn’t been great.  

What do people get when they approach you?  Are you clear about what is on offer?  Do you respond quickly and clearly about what is available?  Do your systems support your work or make it more difficult (for you and/or your clients)?