Understanding the Colors Behind the Six Segments

The Six Segments are the tactical half of the 6+4 System: six separate functions you must do to manage a thriving nonprofit business. You’ll notice that each has a unique color:

• Administration - Yellow

• Community - Purple

• Development - Blue

• Finance - Green

• Marketing - Pink

• Programming - Orange

This is quite intentional - and represents more than an aesthetically pleasing design feature.

For those using the companion 6 Segments sticker system, the stickers for each function align to the color of the function. All the Administrative Annual and Ongoing tasks are framed in yellow, the Community tasks are purple, and so on.

If you aren’t using the stickers, I encourage you to grab six highlighters from Office Depot or Target - one for each color. In your planner or calendar, highlight all the tasks you’ve written into your planner with the appropriate color.

Over time, you’ll realize two benefits. First, the color will subliminally put you in mind of the function. I know that I have to access a different part of my brain when I do finance work versus marketing, for example. I see the green and know it’s time to get out my calculator, fire up Quickbooks, and settle in for some numbers and spreadsheets.  I see the pink and know it’s time to put on some music and get creative. It’s helpful to be in the right frame of mind when you attack whatever tasks are on the agenda.

Second, when you put all of the color-coded tasks on your calendar that you think you need to do, you may notice a pattern.

Ideally, there’s a color balance - all six colors are represented, meaning that you’re planning to tackle all six functions. However, you may notice that one color dominates - or one color is missing entirely.

With so many types of tasks to manage, you’ll find yourself gravitating towards the one you like to do or the one you are good at. Without intentionality, it’s human nature to put off (or neglect entirely) the work you don’t like to do.

I just planned out my January for the nonprofit I manage, and noticed only one pink sticker on the whole month. Really? I plan to do marketing work only ONCE in January? Yet there are three orange programming stickers. What’s my plan for marketing three programming events if I only have marketing scheduled for a single day, mid-month at that?

That’s gotta change. The color imbalance pushes me to revisit my task list and add in whatever I’m missing. For this month, I now have to go back and figure out what my marketing plan is going to be for the month. Then, I set aside more time for the marketing work. Otherwise, no one is going to know about this programs that are so nicely scheduled.

Honestly, I don’t think I would have noticed it if not for the missing color pink. I might have smugly scanned my busy month, proud of all I planned to accomplish… never realizing that I was missing a core function. When left to my own devices, I tend to think finance and compliance / admin first, and then get to the other tasks. Others might schedule the marketing first, and unintentionally leave off finance. Community is an oft-forgotten function. Make sure there’s always a speck of purple somewhere!!

Six is a lot of functions, to be sure. And yet, you really do have to do or delegate all of them if you are to be successful. The color-coding system is one more way to help you balance all six.