How much of your time is dedicated to your “mission”? How often are you considering it when making decisions? Does it surface every day or once a year?
Answers to mission-based questions may lead to more questions. Do you make compromises on how you execute your mission because of funding? How challenged are you when it comes to mission delivery because of capacity? When (if ever) does mission need to be set aside to drill down on operations? Is everyone committed to the same mission? If you’re thinking that you’re the only organization asking these important questions, be assured, you’re not the only one considering this tough stuff.
Every organization is different. However, a regular mission check-in can be helpful. That doesn’t mean that it has to be a formal, daily procedure, but allocating time to weigh your mission and the operations will create a system of checks and balances and incorporate necessary reflection. We know you’re busy; so if you’d like to try out allocating time for your mission, start slow. Maybe it’s a topic once a month at a staff meeting. Perhaps it’s a carefully crafted digital conversation among your team every quarter. Whatever it is, we just encourage to be something manageable and worthy of commitment.
