1. Avoiding Mission Creep
Planning Year Session I
Raleigh, NC
September 25, 2019

2. Agenda Session Objectives Aligning on Mission
Setting Mission-Based Goals
Defining Mission Creep
Avoiding Mission Creep

3. Session Objectives
Understand the link between the organizational mission and goals
Identify the common causes of mission creep and how to avoid them

4. Aligning on Mission Write down: Your school’s mission. (From memory!)
What it means to you.
Your mission is the driving force of your entire organization
In a non-profit corporation, it is the BOD’s duty to prevent mission creep. Safeguards:
Review the mission statement regularly (look at your charter agreement, your charter application, your bylaws, your strategic plan). Your mission statement must be focused, memorable and tells someone why you exist, your raison d’être.
Ensure that goals and budgets are aligned with mission; i.e. if we meet these goals, will we be closer to fulfilling our mission. Budget is more than numbers, it reveals a non profit’s priorities. As you review your annual budget, you have the opportunity to sync your organization with your mission.
Learn to say no: No, you can’t be all things to all people and you may end up saying no to great opportunities that do not align with your school’s mission.

5. Setting Mission-Based Goals
Set aligned S.M.A.R.T. goals:
Specific: A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal.
Measurable: A clear criteria for measuring progress toward attainment of each goal set should be established.
Attainable: Goals that are important to the organization are easy to figure out how to make them come true.
Realistic: Realistic goals represent an objective toward which the organization is both willing and able to work.
Time-Bound: A goal should be time-bound. Deadlines too far in the future are easy to put off, goals set too close tend to be unrealistic and have little success.

6. Defining Mission Creep
What is mission creep?
Mission creep is when your organization expands its mission beyond the original goals that were set.
Why should you avoid mission creep?
How do you know when to adjust your mission?
There is a difference between mission creep and making strategic adaptations to a mission statement to evolve as needs change around us.
No, mission creep is not a disparaging characterization of a member of the board. Mission creep usually does not involve the weighing, organization wide, of changes, nor does it involve a critical thinking process. Mission creep usually occurs as a rash decision or during a crisis situation. Why should you avoid it: It can stretch your organization thin, it can sabotage a non profit’s ability to reach its original goals or increase the time needed to achieve them. If you expand your mission, it may involved additional training, resources, stress on your thin budget and stress on your staff. Potential impact to your reputation: blurring communication with stakeholders, your stakeholders may not agree with the change nor may they feel they had a voice in it, donors may question the use of their donation.

7. Avoiding Mission Creep
Be clear about your mission
Let your mission guide your decision-making
Leverage your people
Learn to say “no”
Consider your stakeholders, make sure you communicate clearly and frequently your mission, goals and vision.

8. Avoiding Mission Creep
Be clear about your mission
Make it clear and concise
Dedicate it to memory
State it at every board meeting
Make sure everyone understands it

9. Avoiding Mission Creep
Let it guide your decision-making
Stay laser-focused on mission
Filter all decisions through the mission
Always ensure alignment between decisions, goals, and mission
Remain guided by your governing documents and your goals. Review your bylaws, which describe the purpose of your organization and how it must operate. Your purpose are to establish governance policies, approve an annual budget , hire the building leader.
Curbing mission creep:
Awareness: make sure your BOD understands the mission and can communicate it clearly.
Squirrels: Don’t get distracted, before pursuing new ideas, check them against your mission statement and goals.
Discipline: It requires discipline not to expand the mission. Read the mission at the start of each meeting, or share a mission moment to demonstrate how the school has recently carried out its mission. It is better to be really good at a few things than to try everything and become diffuse.
Diplay your mission statement everywhere you can
Resources: Limited resources should help to restrain mission creep.
Strategic plan: A strategic plan is built upon the mission statement, within the plan are goals and strategies.

10. Avoiding Mission Creep
Leverage your people
Use your unique skills to reach your mission
Energize your teams and inspire your stakeholders
Get everyone behind the mission

11. Avoiding Mission Creep
Learn to say “no”
Not every great idea is best for your organization
Be very intentional about what you do and don’t do
Don’t try to do more than your mission

12. Mission Creep vs. Mission Change
How do you know when to adjust your mission?
Changes to your customers, environment, or purpose
Lack of clarity in mission
No longer reflects your organizational values and vision

13. Questions?