How Do You Measure Success

How Do You Measure Success?

by Sr. Pamela Falter, OSF, Director of Case Management Services

In child development, every tiny step is recorded and celebrated by a baby’s parents. In adults, small, progressive steps often go unnoticed by others. They are hardly ever celebrated. Nevertheless, these small changes can often be key turning points in one’s life.

Think of something new you have tried to achieve lately, or a new goal you have set for yourself. Think of the steps it takes to reach it. Does it sometimes seem like a daunting process? Who do you involve in your journey? Is the success only at the end, or do you recognize the little successes along the way?

A major dilemma for us as case managers at FOA is defining “success” in a way that will genuinely reflect the effort and work of our clients and of ourselves. We are often asked by interested parties such as benefactors, friends, board members and volunteers about our clients’ success rate. The question usually indicates an interest in how many clients obtained a job or their own apartment.

My first response is to talk about the difficulty of quantifying the full spectrum of success. There are often many smaller, progressive goals that lead toward a final goal. We recognize that each step along the way can be a challenge for our clients. Therefore each achievement is a success.

Let me tell you about “Thomas.” I’m actually using some details from two of our clients in order to protect their confidentiality.

Thomas recently lost his job. Without sufficient savings, he eventually lost his small apartment. While staying at a shelter, his bag was stolen - along with the small amount of cash he had and all his identification.

Thomas had a goal of getting an apartment before Winter set in. He had job skills and experience, but no identification.

His first success was coming to our office to talk through his options and plans. He learned that we can begin by sending off for his out-of-state birth certificate. When the birth certificate arrived 6 weeks later, he used it, along with a few other documents, to get his state ID. Another success.

In the meantime he looked for job leads and found a few. It was particularly challenging for him to interview and apply for the jobs because he had no means of transportation. Since he continued to stay in contact with us, we are able to help with bus fare. Because he had ambition, work experience, and much luck, he found a job in his field with reasonable wages.

Then there’s the housing issue. One month of rental assistance from the Chicago Department of Human Services was available to help – but he had to apply, be accepted, and find a landlord who would take the voucher. We helped with a list of apartments, but he had to do the footwork. That was difficult because he had a new job. After much searching, he found an apartment. Then we were able to help with referrals for furniture and banking resources. His successes continue to this day.

This example is only an outline of what it actually takes to reach such a major goal as independent living. Even if a client such as Thomas commits to a full effort, progress can be hindered by the concerns of daily survival, the encounter of trauma, situational depression, chronic illness, poor social skills, substance abuse, or a variety of other problems.

Another factor that makes success difficult to quantify is the homeless lifestyle itself. Consider life on the streets or on someone’s couch. Many times homelessness is not an acute situation, but a way of life formed through years of coping with disadvantage. A homeless person is sometimes a nomad in a city setting, traveling from shelter to shelter to avoid further crisis.

Every person takes his or her own steps in a different way, at a different pace. We are sometimes privileged to walk with a person for part of that way. It may mean encouraging her when a new employer makes the dream job less then pleasant. It may mean visiting an elderly former client in a nursing home that we helped him get into. It might be helping a 45-year old find a program that will teach him how to read.

Successes abound. They come in as many shapes and sizes as our clients. So, the question is: “How do you measure success?” Our answer is: “We measure success wherever we find it, whether great or small."

Back to What's New