Three Ways Mission-Driven Teams Hurt Their Mission
And the 5-minute gut check to come back
Recently, some organizations have fired staff who publicly condemn fascism and white supremacy. This betrays their values, staff, and communities. I want you to re-commit to your values and lock into your mission even harder right now. That starts with closing the gap between your values and your reality.
Mission-driven teams care deeply about their work. But that passion can make them move too fast and hurt relationships with their staff. Moving without clearly defined core values can lead to staff resentment and turnover. I’ve seen this when working with teams under pressure from leaders to deliver impact quickly.
Here are three common ways mission-driven teams hurt their mission…and one question you can ask today to stay on track.
Compromising on everything – even your values.
Most leaders know they can’t say “yes” to everything. But few recognize that half-yes compromises drain staff energy.
Years ago, I worked with an organization that encouraged staff to always find a way to make it work. That seems admirable, right? Wrong. Staff felt pressure to accept all requests in a half-baked way, leading to confusion and burnout down the line. Worse, this led to leadership cutting corners on inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability. The solution is not to stop compromising, but to allow your core values to serve as a compass to guide your staff.
Fearing change – even good change.
Whenever I hear a leader say “We’ve always done it this way,” I pause. I know that legacy processes and systems usually have a purpose behind them. But as an organization grows, that purpose grows too. As new staff onboard, they need systems that enable smooth collaboration for everyone. When you cling to tradition, you miss the opportunity to imagine a more purposeful, inclusive, way of working. Worse, you move from a place of control and insecurity. You hired new people, let them work their magic!
Not listening to your most vocal staff – at the expense of your values.
Your frontline staff are your experts and know your constituents very well. Yet I’ve seen leaders ignore staff expertise at a cost to program quality. When staff challenge the status quo, they invite you to re-commit to what's important – your values. You can count on your most vocal staff to lead the transformation your program needs. Listen to them!
It’s not easy. But it pays off in program quality and staff retention.
Take 5 minutes this week to ground your team with one question
When you feel pressured to do more, avoid change, or react to criticism, take a 5-minute break and ask yourself (and your team) one question: What core value will my response uphold?
If this post resonated, you might need a values audit. Look out for my next post to learn how to audit your organization’s values.
Which of these traps does your team face most often? Hit reply and let me know.
-Dr. Danielle Lemi, PhD
Founder & Principal of Kapwa Sol Insights