Our approach is multi-pronged because we’re dealing with different kinds of research. We break that broader annual plan down into quarters. For instance, we might plan to host a certain number of webinars in Q1, each with a specific focus, depending on what we’ve already covered and where we want to go next. We also consider our grantees if someone has made a significant discovery in their research, we want to get them involved and ensure they’re a part of our plan moving forward, especially in terms of providing updates to our community.”
She also added, “We know it’s important to break our plan down into bite-sized pieces. So, while we enter everything into our plan for the year, we also know that we’ll be revisiting, refocusing, and adjusting our approach as we progress throughout the year. This flexibility is key to staying on track while being able to adapt to new developments in the research.”
How long have you been using spreadsheets to manage your OKRs? What were the real challenges you faced with this approach?
Catherine Pelton exclaimed, “ Oh my gosh, using spreadsheets for OKRs was such a mess! We had already been using them when I joined the team three years ago. It was incredibly difficult for everyone to figure out where they were supposed to put their updates. The updates would get long, so we tried breaking it down into quarterly spreadsheets to manage the volume. But then, when you needed to refer back to what was done in the last quarter, it became confusing you’d have to dig through old spreadsheets to find the notes or remember why a certain decision was made.”
She added, “The more people we had on the team, the messier and more confusing it got. You can’t measure progress effectively in a spreadsheet. Sure, you can list tasks completed, but there’s no clear measurement no percentages or easy way to track actual numbers. For example, with social media, I had my section where I’d track things like follower growth or engagement percentages. But everything would get jumbled up, and sometimes data would even get erased. It just wasn’t an effective way to manage OKRs, but at the time, it was the best method we knew to organize everything.”
You mentioned that you present to the founders in London every month. How has that process changed with Profit.co compared to the spreadsheet days?
Catherine Pelton: Oh my gosh, it’s been wonderful! One of our favorite features in Profit.co is the ability to create a PowerPoint presentation directly from the platform. Exporting these presentations has saved us so much time. As a small team with limited resources, time management is crucial for us, and this feature has been a game-changer.
Before using Profit.co, we were creating our monthly presentations in a Word document. Each department would add their relevant information under the OKRs, but these documents would become incredibly long and cumbersome. It took a lot of time to compile everything, and it wasn’t easy for our co-founders to get a clear overview of all our objectives for the year. Even though we might be focusing on specific tasks at any given moment, they need to see the big picture.
Now, with Profit.co, we can go in every Friday, update the numbers, and when it’s time for our presentation, we simply export the slides. We can easily show our progress, cover the key objectives we’re focusing on, and project where we’ll be by the end of the year. It has streamlined the entire process and made our presentations much more effective and less time-consuming.
You were initially using spreadsheets and then decided to adopt a technology solution. How did you end up choosing Profit.co?
Catherine Pelton explained how they chose Profit.co
Initial experiments with other tools
- “Before Profit.co, we tried a couple of other platforms that worked well for me, particularly because I’m deeply involved in project management.”
- “However, these platforms didn’t fully meet the needs of our entire team, especially for teams that focus more on strategic and qualitative aspects.”
- “The issue was that while we could track tasks (e.g., “I completed 12 tasks this month”), there was no clear picture of overall progress or a way to measure it effectively.”
The decision to Switch to Profit.co
- “We reached a point where we were considering going back to using spreadsheets because the tools we had just weren’t working.”
- “Then, I stumbled upon Profit.co. It felt like I had typed into the computer exactly what we needed:
- A platform that supports both qualitative and quantitative measurements.
- A solution that allows us to input overall OKRs and roll them up into the big picture.
- A tool that can generate presentations for our founders and show how individual progress aligns with our end-of-year goals.”
- “When I found Profit.co, I was blown away. It was exactly what we needed almost like it came out of nowhere!”
- “We had been struggling to find something that wasn’t just project management-focused.”
- “Profit.co offered the project management functionality I needed, but it also provided the robust OKR capabilities essential for our broader objectives.”
- “With Profit.co, we can now assign tasks, track progress, and see how everything contributes to our overall goals and mission.”
- “Watching everything come together, from bottom-up tasks to the overarching strategy, has been incredible.”
- “This level of integration and insight is something we’ve never found anywhere else and certainly couldn’t have achieved with a spreadsheet.”
I understand that your mission is quite long-term, but at the same time, you also need to measure progress periodically. How do you plan and focus on both the quarterly and annual bases? How do you approach the planning process?
Catherine Pelton replies, “ We start by creating an annual strategic plan each year. Even though we’re a virtual office, we make it a point to meet in person to review what happened the previous year and to discuss our goals for the coming year. Most of our planning is driven by where the research stands at that moment and where it makes the most sense to invest our grant dollars moving forward.
Our approach is multi-pronged because we’re dealing with different kinds of research. We break that broader annual plan down into quarters. For instance, we might plan to host a certain number of webinars in Q1, each with a specific focus, depending on what we’ve already covered and where we want to go next. We also consider our grantees if someone has made a significant discovery in their research, we want to get them involved and ensure they’re a part of our plan moving forward, especially in terms of providing updates to our community.”
She also added, “We know it’s important to break our plan down into bite-sized pieces. So, while we enter everything into our plan for the year, we also know that we’ll be revisiting, refocusing, and adjusting our approach as we progress throughout the year. This flexibility is key to staying on track while being able to adapt to new developments in the research.”
How often do you check the progress on your OKRs, and how does the execution process work?
Catherine Pelton explained, “Within our team, we have weekly meetings where we review everything we’re working on. These meetings ensure that projects are on track, deadlines are being met, and if something is off track, we discuss why and what we need to do to fix it. This regular check-in helps us stay on top of our day-to-day tasks.
Our monthly meeting with the co-founders is when we revisit the OKRs more thoroughly. We ensure that we’re on the right track and that the objectives we set are still aligned with our overall goals. For the most part, we stick with our plan and work hard to meet our deadlines. However, if we realize that an OKR isn’t quite what we thought it would be, that’s okay we can adjust.
One of the great things about using Profit.co is that we can easily revisit and adjust our OKRs. Everyone has access to both their individual OKRs and the organization’s OKRs, so it’s easy to see where we are and what needs attention. For instance, if we decide that we won’t be able to focus on a media relations OKR this year because we need to prioritize promoting new research and growing our patient community, we can put that OKR on hold. It stays in the program, so no one forgets about it, and when the time is right, we can bring it back and refocus our efforts on it.”
How do you keep yourself and your team motivated? Do you have little celebrations when you achieve milestones? How do you maintain that drive towards your purpose and cause?
Catherine Pelton replied, “Staying motivated is key, especially in a field like ours where the work is so mission-driven. Part of our motivation comes from the fact that all three of us are very Type-A personalities we’re always striving to achieve the best we can. But we also make sure to celebrate our achievements, both big and small.
Our co-founders are great about recognizing our hard work; they often send us little gifts through the mail to show their appreciation. We also have team happy hours online via Zoom, where we can connect on a personal level, not just about work. These moments are important because they allow us to talk about what’s going on in our lives, reinforcing that we care about each other as people, not just as colleagues. We’re a very close-knit team, and maintaining that personal connection is crucial, especially since we’re a virtual office.
I think this is something a lot of businesses are realizing, especially after Covid, with so many teams going virtual. It’s essential to keep those personal connections alive to keep everyone engaged and motivated. After all, our work is a marathon, not a sprint, and those moments of celebration are vital for re-energizing and keeping us moving forward.”
How has your experience been with Profit.co as a tool, and how would you describe your interactions with the company and its employees?
Catherine Pelton was enthusiastic to answer, “Our experience with Profit.co has been fantastic, both with the tool itself and with the people behind it. When we first started, we had one of your team members who really helped us get started. He took our strategic plan and walked us through how to enter it into Profit.co. We were new to the platform and weren’t entirely sure how everything worked, but the team was incredibly patient and supportive.
They made sure we understood every step of the process, encouraged us to ask questions as many times as needed, and even allowed us to record the sessions so we could refer back to them later. Their guidance was crucial because setting up the system correctly is key to making sure the presentations and reports work the way you need them to.
There was definitely a learning curve, but I championed the implementation for our team. I took the lead on learning how to input everything, connect the different elements, and ensure that everything rolled up correctly into our OKRs. Our account manager checks in with me regularly to make sure everything is going smoothly. I also receive frequent emails about new features and updates that have been implemented. Profit.co is always ready to set up a training session if there’s something new that could benefit us.”
She also added, “What I really appreciate about Profit.co is its adaptability. Even though we’re a small nonprofit, the platform has been incredibly useful. There are so many features available and we don’t need all of them, but the ones we do use are essential for achieving our goals and keeping track of our projects. I can see how it would be incredibly helpful for a large company with many departments, but it’s also scalable enough to work perfectly for a small team like ours. The team at Profit.co has really shown us how the platform can be applied to any business, and it’s been a huge help for us.”
In terms of the impact on RUNX1 from using Profit.co, what do you think have been the most significant benefits and positive outcomes?
Catherine Pelton, “ When asked about the impact of Profit.co on RUNX1, several significant benefits come to mind:
Effective Progress Measurement
“Before Profit.co, we didn’t have an efficient way to measure our progress, especially for qualitative goals. Tracking key milestones, like securing one of the first clinical trials for our disease through the FDA, was challenging with spreadsheets or Word documents.”
Streamlined Progress Updates
“With Profit.co, it’s incredibly satisfying to update our progress and see how everything aligns with our overall mission. The tool has kept us on track in ways that other tools couldn’t.”
Improved Goal Alignment
“One of the biggest impacts has been the improved alignment of goals across our organization. With everyone on the same page, it’s much easier to stay focused and achieve our objectives.”
Daily Use and Organizational Efficiency
“Unlike using Google Docs, where strategic plans could be easily overlooked, Profit.co is something we use daily. It allows us to update tasks, take notes, and monitor progress consistently.”
Enhanced Collaboration
“The ability to update, assign tasks, and track progress in one place has been a game-changer for our small team, where everyone wears multiple hats. Profit.co keeps us all connected and working efficiently towards our goals.”
Have you looked at any quantitative metrics, like time savings in preparing presentations or overall productivity improvements?
Catherine Pelton,“I would say that our productivity has increased by at least 40% since we started using Profit.co. We’re no longer scrambling to figure out where we are, what we’re doing, or who’s responsible for what.” It’s all set up and taken care of in advance, so we don’t have to worry about it. Everything is very straightforward what we’re working on, the deadlines, and how it supports our overall goals.
This has made it so much easier to get started in the morning, especially when planning out the week on a Monday. We can see what’s important and what needs to be prioritized because it’s already laid out for us. This clarity keeps us focused, motivated, and on task. There’s no more panic about forgetting something, which used to be an issue when tasks would fall off the radar. Now, everything is in one place, so those problems are a thing of the past.”
It’s inspiring to learn about RUNX1’s mission and how Profit.co has been instrumental in helping you move forward with such an important cause.
Catherine Pelton, “Thank you! We’re truly grateful for the way Profit.co has supported us in achieving our mission. It’s been a game-changer for our team, helping us stay organized, motivated, and aligned with our goals.”
Conclusion
Catherine’s insights highlight the transformative power of using the right tools in a mission-driven organization. For RUNX1, Profit.co has not only streamlined operations but has also strengthened its ability to achieve its long-term goals, making it an indispensable asset in its fight against blood cancer.
