DISCERN GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO AVOID DRIFT
Where will you be in 5, 10, or 50 years from now? Will your organization still be advancing its Christ-centered ambitions? Whether your organization has been around for 10 years or 110, the reality is the same: Mission drift is only a matter of time without intentionality and accountability.
Mission-focused guidance and guardrails help align leaders and board members while preparing the organization to stay on Mission going forward. On Mission’s North Star process walks leaders through a progression of discernment to design guiding principles for the organization. Once implemented, the North Star Guidance & Guardrails equip the organization to remain on mission for generations of leaders to come.
PROCESS
On Mission’s North Star process is tailored for each client, but typically includes the following steps:
This process lasts 4-6 months but may be adjusted to accommodate existing board or leadership meetings.
NORTH STAR GUIDANCE & GUARDRAILS CONTENT
While each organization’s North Star will vary, the following illustrates the core areas discerned during this process along with the typical content of the final North Star document.
- Organizational history
- Identity statements and organizational artifacts
- Guidance and guardrail policies related to: 1.) People (Leadership & Team); 2.) Metrics: Measuring Mission fulfillment; 3.) Partnership (including funding partners/investors) & Acquisition; 4.) Ownership; 5.) Board Governance; 6.) Culture & Spiritual Formation
- Drift defined
- Changes that are not drift
CLIENT EXPERIENCE: SPRINGS RESCUE MISSION
“As we began looking for a consulting firm to help us avoid mission drift and engage our board in mission-critical issues, we didn’t necessarily have a concrete idea of what success would be, but we knew we needed to do something to avoid mission drift and we knew we needed a Kingdom-minded partner.
On Mission’s thoughtful process was well executed, from the early stages of exploration to the final, actionable deliverables. On Mission helped to cultivate and challenge our thinking on how we might further integrate our faith in this work. The pre-workshop surveys gave us insight into staff and board perspectives to inform discussion. The workshop package curated key organizational information, which along with workshop sessions, deepened our board’s understanding of the organization’s history. This was a critical foundation for us to discern forward-looking principles. The workshop facilitation was excellent and successfully guided our board and leaders to engage in difficult topics, ultimately discerning our North Star guiding principles to remain Gospel-centered for decades to come.
Not only did the engagement exceed expectations in term of outcomes, but it was also incredibly valuable in developing and uniting our board around our founding mission to advance the Gospel as we care for individuals facing chronic homelessness. With this guidance, we will be equipped to plan for future scenarios and expedite decision making in unity around what is central. This will guide future hiring, board recruitment, fundraising, and partner engagement. We look forward to engaging On Mission again and would recommend them to other leaders of organizations that seek to keep the Gospel central in their work.”
Jack Brigg, Maj Gen (Ret), EdD
Former President & CEO, Springs Rescue Mission
“As a new board member, it’s refreshing to see how Springs Rescue Mission has invested in creating its North Star. I believe that investment will pay off tremendously. This document gave me the opportunity to ‘read the room’ and understand what the organization believes from the outset. It’s amazing that they have it in place and invested the time and resources to do that.”
Katelyn Swiatek
Founder of Savour Clothing, Springs Rescue Mission Board Member
CLIENT EXPERIENCE: ARKOS GLOBAL
“After 25 years at the largest Wall Street firms, our team felt led to start a boutique wealth management firm, Arkos Global Advisors. Arkos serves generous business owners in a unique and holistic way that we couldn’t do at the large firms. From the beginning, we wanted Arkos to honor God as it scales. Mission drift is my worst nightmare. We don’t want future leaders or owners to ever curtail the Biblically-imbued wisdom and financial management practices we provide today.
While our current leadership team is united around a clear mission, vision and values, how do we make sure things don’t drift after we are gone? As the founder, I tell stories and I think people have a clear sense of our vision and values, but we know what happens in the telephone game. Things get watered down.
On Mission’s North Star process provided the exact structure we needed. During the process, they asked the hard questions that raised the critical issues we had to work through. I can’t emphasize enough how important this was.
I liked getting it all out on paper. The North Star policies guide how we make decisions about ownership, governance, and funding as well as leadership, hiring, and culture. This document provides the necessary clarity to help us honor God, preserve our culture and values, and avoid mission drift. It will help us navigate nuance, while not trying to control from the grave. To empower and be helpful, but not restrictive. And to promote growth in a healthy way.”