Growing and Nurturing Your Evaluation Business When Your Independent Consultancy Becomes an Employer

Abstract

AbstractLessons learned from 19 years building an evaluation consulting business can inform other business owners. The Improve Group has grown from a one‐woman consultancy to an employer of more than thirty people. Staying grounded in a mission and a clear set of values is a guiding principle that has guided and informed growth. Sharing power with staff—to operate democratically while also leveraging their great ideas—has also strengthened The Improve Group's evaluation practice and operations as an organization. Balancing short‐ and long‐term opportunities has helped the organization stay nimble and situate itself well for the future. Reflections on major organizational changes—including a team restructure and the addition of a more inclusive approach to evaluation—show the application of these guiding principles. Additional personal reflections on leadership shed light on what founder and CEO Leah Goldstein Moses has learned about her leadership style over nearly 20 years at the helm of The Improve Group.