Mission Myopia: When Mission Vision Leaves You Blind
This is the fourth article in our ‘What’s the problem?’ series that explores problems and challenges faced by purpose-driven organisations. Purpose-driven organisations include any start-ups, small businesses, not-for-profits, NGOs, social enterprises, charities and foundations that are working towards making positive social and environmental impact.
We’ve talked about the importance of mission alignment elsewhere, but is there ever such a thing as too much mission? Is there a critical point at which devoting all of your resources to your mission begins to detract from other, vital areas?
When the Mission Takes Over
Here’s a refrain we hear all too often: Those workers love the work they do. They want to make a difference. It’s hard for them to step away. Within a purpose-driven organisation, the expectation of dedication, hard work and voluntary sacrifice for a just cause can make people lose track of their own health and well-being, resulting in stress, burnout, and myriad poor outcomes.
Our missions point our organisation, employees, and outcomes in a meaningful direction. But when we look only at the mission while remaining blind to the people who are responsible for making it happen - that is when mission myopia kicks in. This is the troublesome tendency to look towards the mission- but away from the team.
Burning the Trees to save the Forest
Most of us intuitively know that taking care of ourselves and others is important for organisational success. However, when we keep an intense focus on our mission above all else, we often forget to take care of ourselves, and perform below our best potential. This myopia can become contagious, extending to how we treat each other, and the environment we co-create in our organisations, and eventually the organisational culture that shapes each day.
It’s easy to slip from mission vision to mission myopia, and we all suffer when this happens, because - it turns out - our work environment and the people who bring it to life really matter. Common workday tension arising from how we work - from management, work dynamics or office relations - can cause as much stress as being in real danger, or under extreme duress. This then affects our work, leaning to a vicious cycle of turnover and negatively impacting outcomes. In order to save the forest, you burn down all the trees. In order to achieve your mission, you burn out your team.
Five Steps to Stay in Focus
Identify. Start by identifying your pain points and learning about best practices to connect with your people more effectively and build a strong team culture. Regardless of whether you work alone or lead a team, gain insight from peers and people in similar positions on how they manage their time and well-being, and how they support those who they are responsible for to take similar steps.
Have difficult conversations with your co-founders and colleagues. There are plenty of useful models for these tough talks to help you do so safely and productively.[1] Figure out your shared values, points of difference, and systems for feedback. By having these conversations upfront you’ll create a transparent platform for continual re-focus and improvement.
Change mindset. We are often surrounded by imagery of quick, comprehensive solutions that appear heroically and solve all our problems. However almost always, our missions require sustained attention. By focusing on and planning for the ‘long run’, we allow ourselves to put a premium on care, sustainability and longevity. We give ourselves the ‘luxury’ of acknowledging that care for ourselves and our teams is crucial to achieving the mission.
This could lead to creative and diverse ways of working, and cultivating a caring workplace environment, which both have positive effects on productivity. For example, a Melbourne not-for-profit recently made a mandatory weekly well-being hour. Employees took one hour out of their work time in a week to do something that they loved. Managers would then ask the following week what they did in their hour. Simple initiatives like this go a long way, especially during COVID-19 when we are all being asked to work remotely, flexibly, and with vision.
Clarify. Consider providing clarity around the rewards and recognition available for use at your organisation. The clearer and more widely understood your reward mechanisms are, the more your team will be held accountable to your values. What positive behaviours are recognised, and how do these help to cultivate a positive work culture? Understorey’s Rewards Resource Sheet and companion article outline some of the many different forms of reward and recognition.
Hold yourself accountable. Consider including people-related goals into your Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) at your next monthly or quarterly team meeting. Having these measures embedded in your strategic goals will compel you to actively work to take care of your team, and avoid mission myopia. Check out our handy OKR Toolkit, which provides strategic guidance and examples of OKR planning for your organisation.
Empower. Everybody benefits when they are aware of their own strengths, weaknesses and needs. Everybody benefits when people step up to advocate for these needs in the workplace. And that begins with individual action - what makes you stressed? What helps you to calm down? What does ‘taking a step back’ look like to you?
Help your team to explore when they feel the most productive, when they feel the most stressed, and what holistic well-being in the workplace looks like to them. It might be that some people work best in the early mornings, and need a break in the afternoon. It may be that one of your team needs an outdoor walk during lunch break. Empower your team to get to understand what makes them tick, and then empower them to make that vision a reality.
Particularly in the context of the current pandemic, there has never been a better time to move past myopia and towards a future of clear vision, good health, and sustainable change. Feel free to contact us directly to talk through some of your goals and growth points. We’ll help you determine how you can focus on your mission and your people, using the Understorey Leadership Framework developed specifically for purpose-driven organisations.
