By asking questions like:

1. What’s your mission statement?
2. What excites/concerns you about the mission?
3. How does your work help achieve the mission?
4. What helps you achieve the mission? What gets in your way?
5. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being high), how focused are you on your mission statement?
6. What can you do to increase your focus?
7. What will you do?

Lack of energy. I don’t like it. You don’t like it. And lately, you’ve noticed that you and your team have less energy for carrying out your team’s ministry. You take some time to pray and reflect, and you conclude that both you and your team have gotten involved in good activities that aren’t central to moving your ministry forward.
 
You, for example, serve on the board of a church ministry. You enjoy helping. You like talking with other board members. As a result of your participation, you have less energy for your primary ministry—this concerns you.
 
You should be concerned. Why? Because God called you to carry out your primary ministry. And because as a leader, your job is to focus your team’s energy on its primary ministry.
 
You want to lead more effectively, so you take more time to pray and reflect. You decide that you’ll focus more on your ministry’s God-given mission statement and that you’ll focus your team more on its mission. Sounds good.
 
What can you do? To achieve your first goal of being more focused, you can do what leaders I know do: They talk about their mission statement daily. They explain how their activities contribute to achieving their mission. And they use the mission to guide their decisions about what to invest energy in.
 
What can you do to achieve your second goal of helping your team focus more on its mission? You can ask your team what excites them about your team’s mission statement. You can have your team prioritize current activities in terms of achieving the team’s mission. And when a team member is considering whether or not to take on a task, you can ask, “How effectively will this ___ (meeting, project, task, proposed change) help us accomplish our team’s mission?”
 
Bottom line: Focus on the mission.
  

Learn more about getting focused:

• Watch videos
• Take a self-assessment
• Read “To learn more about achieving your mission, explore these 4 questions”

You want to serve God more effectively. So do I. God has done great things for me, and out of gratitude, I want serve even more effectively.
 
One thing that helps me increase my effectiveness is focusing. Focusing on God, on what He’s calling me to do, on what’s going on, and on action steps I need to take so I can serve effectively.
 
Questions help me focus. Questions like:

1. What’s your organization’s God-given mission?
2. What’s it take to achieve your organization’s God-given mission?
3. How can you measure mission achievement?
4. How can you identify key performance indicators?
5. How can you use key performance indicators to achieve your mission?

To get started, how about discussing the above questions at a team meeting?
 
Get focused. Reflect on some questions. Today.

You're in a meeting. You're listening to an intriguing proposal on staff training. But something is bothering you—the presenter has not connected the proposal to your organization's mission.

Question: What can you do?

Answer: You can ask questions, for example:

• How does your proposal support our mission?
• How will you help others understand how your proposal supports our mission?
• What revisions can you make to your proposal so is explicitly supports the achievement of our mission?

Encourage others to connect their proposals to the mission. Ask questions. Today.

Want to achieve your mission? If so, focus even more on your mission. Why? Because the more you focus on your mission, the more you will get it done.
 
3 questions:

1. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), how focused are you on your mission?
2. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), how focused on your mission do you want to be?
3. What will you do?

Focus on achieving your mission. Today.

Tomorrow, you’re presenting a proposal to the Leadership Team. The proposal is about how to orient new staff better. You feel good about the proposal.
 
But something is bothering you.
 
Then you realize what is bothering you. When developing your proposal, you didn’t think about your organization’s mission. You didn’t ask yourself, “In terms of the mission, what do new staff need to understand, be able to do, and value?”
 
As you consider this question, other questions come to mind:

• How can we help new staff understand the mission?
• How can we help new staff understand where we are in terms of achieving our mission?
• How can we help staff understand how they contribute to the mission?
• How can I help the Leadership Team see how this proposal supports the mission?

Good news! The presentation isn’t until tomorrow. So, you have time to revise it. You have time to make clear how the proposal supports the mission.
 
Consider 4 questions:

1. What proposal are you working on?
2. What do you hope to accomplish through your proposal?
3. How does your proposal support the mission?
4. How will you help others understand how your proposal supports the mission?

Connect your proposals to your mission. Today.

Your team is on a mission. First team to make the puzzle wins. Your team has found the edge pieces and has connected them to make a rectangle. And now your team is at a loss.
 
There’s a gaping hole inside the rectangle.
 
Unfortunately, this puzzle did not come with a picture. You wish it had. Everyone on your team wishes it had. Why? Because knowing what the picture looks like would help your team work more effectively and efficiently to finish the puzzle.
 
Point: In an organization, the mission statement is like the puzzle border. Daily activities are like the pieces that fill in the gaping hole. Knowing how the daily activities are connected to the mission and to each other can help you work more effectively and efficiently.
 
Consider 3 questions:

1. What do you do each day?
2. If you didn’t do your job, what would happen?
3. So, how does your job contribute to achieving the mission?

Find out how your daily activities contribute to the mission. Today.

Leaders who are focused on their mission do 5 things. To what extent do you do these 5 things?

Want to focus on your mission? If so, talk about it. Why? Because talking helps you focus. The more you talk about your mission, the more you’ll focus on it.
 
Want to find out how focused you are on your mission? If so, find out how often you talk about it. If you regularly talk about your mission each day, you’re focused on it. If you don’t talk about your mission each day, you’re not fully focused on it.
 
Consider 5 questions:

1. What do you talk about with others?
2. What priorities do your daily conversations reflect?
3. How does talking impact what you focus on?
4. If you talked more about your mission, what might happen?
5. What will you do?

Talk about your mission. Today.

You want to learn more about achieving your God-given mission. You want deepen your understanding of:

1. Your mission
2. What it takes to achieve your mission
3. How you’re doing on achieving your mission
4. How you can close the gap between the words of your mission and the reality of your situation

Question: How can you learn more about achieving your mission?

Answer: By exploring the following 4 questions:

(1) What’s your God-given mission?

1. What is a mission statement?
2. What makes a good mission statement good?
3. How important is your God-given mission?
4. How can you unleash the power of your mission statement?
5. How focused are you on your God-given mission?
6. How can you be a good steward of your God-given mission?

(2) What’s your definition of mission achievement?

1. If you don’t define the achievement of your God-given mission, how effectively can you work?
2. What does it take to achieve your mission?
3. To achieve your God-given mission, what has to be accomplished? To what degree?
4. How does defining the mission help?
5. What do you need to do to effectively define mission achievement?
6. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?

(3) To what extent are you achieving your mission?

1. What do you need to know?
2. If you don’t measure the achievement of your mission, how effectively can you lead?
3. How does measuring the mission help?
4. How can measurement help you increase your focus on your mission?
5. How can a scorecard help you increase your focus on your mission?

(4) What will you do to close the gap?

1. Are you a player or a spectator?
2. How focused are you on closing the gap?
3. What can you do to close the gap?
4. How can getting coaching help you close the gap?
5. How can you maintain and increase commitment, participation, and accountability?

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn more about achieving your mission?" The real question is "What will you do to achieve your mission?"

Resources:

1. Video: To achieve your God-given mission, make sure of 4 things
2. Self-assessment: How focused are you on your God-given mission?
3. Tutorial: Empower others to strategically pursue God’s calling
4. Define mission achievement in terms of measurable student learning
5. Know where you are and where you want to go
6. Measure mission achievement
7. Measure and report achievement of schoolwide objectives
8. Want to achieve your goals?

To close the gap between the words of your mission statement and the reality of your current situation, do 4 things: focus on your mission, empower others, work smart, and pursue excellence.

Imagine asking 3 Christian leaders what their God-given organizational mission is. Imagine you got the following 3 responses:

1. To look busy.
2. To be busy.
3. To be productive.

How would you feel? I'd be stunned. And I'd feel discouraged and sad. Why? In part, because these Christian leaders have confused indicators of carrying out the mission with the mission itself. That's dangerous.
 
It's true that carrying out your God-given mission involves action:

• This means you might be busy. But being busy isn't the mission. God's ultimate goal for your organization is not to look busy or to be busy. If you fall into the trap of wanting to look busy or thinking that busyness equals your God-given mission, you can end up being overloaded.
• This means you will need to be productive. But God's mission for your Christian organization is not simply about being productive. What your productivity targets matters a great deal. If you fall into the trip of striving for productivity (instead mission), you might be doing a lot of good things that don't target your God-given mission.

Remember, your God-given mission is not:

1. To look busy.
2. To be busy.
3. To be productive.

Bottom line: Don't equate your God-given mission with busyness or productivity.

You developed a mission statement. You feel good about it. It reflects how God has been leading you.
 
Question: Now what?
 
Answer: Focus on getting your mission done by focusing on closing the gap. How? By doing 4 things:

• Defining what it takes to achieve your mission in terms of measurable goals.
• Measuring current mission achievement. How? By measuring progress on your goals.
• Closing the gap between current and targeted levels of mission achievement.
• Staying focused on closing the gap.

Consider 5 questions:

1. What’s your mission?
2. What’s it take to achieve your mission?
3. What’s already been accomplished?
4. What are your options for closing the gap?
5. What will you do to close the gap?

Focus on closing the gap. Today.

You and I want to achieve our God-given missions. To do so, we know we need to focus on our missions.
 
Question: How can training increase focus on the mission?
 
Answer: For me, training helped me understand what’s involved in achieving my God-given mission. And knowing what’s involved in achieving my mission has helped me focus on it. My mission is to empower Christian leaders and organizations to close the rhetoric/reality gap. As a result of training, I developed a set of goals I need to accomplish in order to achieve my mission. (For example, I need to provide 15 workshops in a given year.)
 
Training also prepared me to carry out specific aspects of my mission. And when I’m prepared to carry out specific aspects of my mission, I can better focus on it. For example, training helped me learn how to more effectively use face-to-face communication, referrals, and written communication to networking. As a result, I’m getting more training contracts.
 
Question: How can training help you focus on your mission?
 
Focus on your God-given mission. Get training. Today.

Make sure you ask God for help, define mission achievement, measure mission achievement, and take action.

Want to achieve your God-given mission? Then focus on 3 things:

1. Your mission statement.
2. The results you need to achieve your mission.
3. The measures that tell you if you’ve achieved the desired results.

To focus on these 3 things, respond to 3 questions:

1. What’s your organization’s God-given mission?
2. To achieve your mission, what results do you need?
3. What measures will you use to determine if you’ve achieved your desired results?

Here are sample responses:
 
(1) What’s your organization’s God-given mission?
To plant reproducing churches in Japan.
 
(2) To achieve your mission, what results do you need?

• Evangelized Japanese
• Discipled Japanese Christians
• Developed Japanese Christian leaders

(3) What measures will you use to determine if you’ve achieved your desired results?
Evangelized Japanese:

• # of evangelistic contacts
• # of new believers

Discipled Christians:

• % of groups with body life rated at 8+ (10-point scale)
• # of disciples sharing the Good News with 1 or more Japanese
• # of adult disciples participating in non-formal Christian education

Developed leaders:

• % of projects with stage 3+ local leadership (5-stage scale)
• # of participants in formal pastoral and theological training
• # of participants in non-formal leader development program

Remember, achieving your God-given mission involves focusing on 3 things:

1. Your mission statement
2. The results you need to achieve your mission
3. The measures that tell you if you’ve achieved the desired results (and, consequently, your mission)

 
Bonus: What kinds of measures should you use? Use measures that:

• Address the specific content of the goals.
• Address quality and quantity.
• Are reasonably easy to measure.

I like telling stories. I also like celebrations. You know, parties. Food, fun, fellowship. And the good news is that storytelling and celebration can help you and me increase our focus on the mission
 
Question: How can stories and celebration increase focus on the mission?
 
Answer: Stories put flesh and bone on the mission—and that helps me focus on the mission. My mission, for example, is to empower Christian leaders to close the rhetoric/reality gap. As I tell a story about how providing encouragement for a frustrated leader resulted in the leader not quitting, I focus on what my God-given mission is.
 
Celebrations also help me focus on the mission. When I achieve a key mission-related goal, I celebrate. I celebrate the privilege I have of serving God, the blessings God provides, the help I’ve received, the progress that’s been made—all of which helps me focus on my God-given mission.
 
Question: How can storytelling and celebration help you focus on your mission?
 
Focus on your God-given mission. Tell stories and celebrate. Today.

You and I both know that focusing on the mission is vital and challenging. It’s vital because if we don't focus on the mission, we get off track. It’s challenging because mission statements are broad and because we face distractions.
 
Here’s some good news—a scorecard can help!
 
Question: How can a scorecard increase focus on the mission?
 
Answer: A scorecard states what the goals are, current progress for each goal, and consequently, what needs to be focused on to achieve each goal. For example, my scorecard tells me that my goal is to have 220 people in my network list, that I have 209, and that I need to focus on getting 11 more. Or, for example, my scorecard tells that my goal is to publish 12 monthly newsletters, that I’ve published 7, and that I need to focus on publishing 5 more.
 
Question: How could using a scorecard could help you focus on your mission?
 
Focus on your God-given mission. Use a scorecard. Today.

Like you, I have a mission. Here’s mine: Empowering Christian leaders and organizations to close the rhetoric/reality gap. And like you, I want to increase my focus on my mission.
 
Question: How can measurement increase focus on the mission?
 
Answer: For me, measuring my mission provides with me specific goals I can focus on. For example, to achieve my mission during this school year, I need to provide 15 workshops. Right now, I’m scheduled to do 8 workshops. So, I know I need to get contracts for 7 more workshops.
 
Here’s another example: To achieve my mission during this school year, I need to have a total of 20 new coaching clients. I have 15 clients, so I need 5 more.
 
By measuring progress on my mission, I know I need 7 more training contracts and 5 more coaching clients. Measuring progress on my mission provides me with specific goals I can focus on—and focusing on these goals helps me focus on my mission of empowering Christian leaders.
 
Question: How could measuring your mission could help you focus on it?
 
Focus on your God-given mission. Measure progress. Today.

To pursue God’s calling, you want to increasingly focus on your mission. Good.
 
Question: To increasingly focus on your mission, what do you need to keep doing, start doing, and stop doing?
 
Answer: Personally speaking, what I need to keep doing is measuring progress and getting training that helps me carry out the mission. I need to start telling stories on progress about the mission. So that I have time to tell stories, I need to stop reading so many books.
 
Need some suggestions regarding what to KeepStartStop doing? Keep doing or start doing things like:

• Putting the mission statement on publications.
• Explicitly linking meeting agenda items to the mission.
• Requiring that proposals identify how they promote the achievement of the mission.
• Using a scorecard.
• Celebrating progress on achieving the mission.

Stop doing things like:

• Talking about everything but the mission.
• Thinking of the mission as a piece of art to be displayed on the wall.
• Leaving the accomplishment of the mission undefined.
• Focusing on other good things in addition to the mission.
• Leaving the mission for someone else to think about so you can get on with the real work.

Question: What are some other things you need to KeepStartStop doing?
 
Focus on your God-given mission. Identify what you need to KeepStartStop doing. Today.

You have a mission statement, and you want focus on it. Good.
 
Question: How can you increase your focus on your mission?
 
Here are some options:

1. Tell stories. Suppose you work at a Christian school that has the following mission: Equipping students to impact the world for Christian. To increase your focus on the mission, tell stories about students demonstrating godly character and about students connecting what they study and Biblical principles.
2. Talk about what your mission means and doesn’t mean. If your mission is to coach Christian leaders, talk about how asking questions helps your mission and how giving advice hinders your mission.
3. Set goals. Set 3-7 goals you’ll work on in order to carry out your mission. Reflect on these goals on a weekly basis.
4. Celebrate progress on your mission. Imagine your mission involves developing networks of missionaries. When you develop a network, celebrate! Have a party!

Take action: Pick an option or develop one. Then take action.
 
Focus on your mission. Today.

How focused are you on your God-given mission? To find out, take the following self-assessment (download). Rate each item in terms of how it describes you and your situation. Use the following scale:

4: Definitely • 3: Usually • 2: Sometimes • 1: Rarely

___ I’m comfortable reciting the mission verbatim in casual conversation.
___ Each day I talk with others about the mission.
___ I tell stories about the mission being implemented.
___ I provide opportunities for others to tell stories about the mission being implemented.

___ I know what it takes to achieve the mission.
___ I can readily explain how each of my daily activities contributes to achieving the mission.
___ I help others understand how they contribute to achieving the mission.

___ I know the current level of mission achievement.
___ I measure the achievement of my mission.
___ I use a scorecard to to measure the achievement of my mission?
___ I use meetings to celebrate progress on achieving the mission.

___ I focus on closing the gap between current and targeted levels of mission achievement.
___ I get the training I need to carry out the mission.
___ I provide others with the training they need to carry out the mission.
___ When making proposals, I explain how the proposal targets mission achievement.
___ When others make proposals, I ask, “How will this help us achieve the mission?”

___ To increase my focus on my mission, I know what I need to keep doing, start doing, stop doing.
___ I’m focused on achieving the mission.


Now, ask yourself 5 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What’s satisfying/unsatisfying about the data?
3. What helps me increase my focus on my God-given mission?
4. What hinders me?
5. What will I do?
   

Increase your focus on your God-given mission. Today.


Resources:

• Video
• Tutorial: To learn more about achieving your mission, explore these 4 questions
• Know where you are and where you want to go
• Want to achieve your goals?

You’re working for a Christian organization. You believe in the organization’s mission. And you want to help the organization achieve its mission.

2 questions:

1. By completing your assigned work, how do you help your organization achieve its mission?
   
2. If you don’t complete your work (and no one else does, either), how would this hinder your organization from achieving its mission?

Example: You’re on the maintenance staff of a Christian school whose mission is to equip students to impact the world for Christ. You’re responsible for maintaining the facilities, including keeping classroom temperature comfortable.

• By keeping the school facilities running smoothly, you enhance student focus on learning.
  
• If you don’t keep the facilities in good repair and if the classrooms are too hot or too cold, students will get distracted from learning.

Benefits: Determining how you contribute to mission achievement helps you see how your work contributes to the whole and what you need to focus on.

Michael: How important is the mission God has given your organization?

Bob: It’s really important. God gave it to us, asked us to carry it out, and used it to impact the lives of others.

Michael: How does knowing that your God-given mission is really important impact you?

Bob: It helps me intentionally focus—on mission and only on the mission. This means saying “no” to certain requests. Saying “no” can be a challenge, but saying “no” is saying “yes” to the mission.


Your turn: Take a 3-item self-assessment, using the following scale:
4: Strongly agree • 3: Agree • 2: Disagree • 1: Strongly Disagree

1. I believe the mission God has given our organization is important.
   
2. I focus on achieving the mission.
   
3. I say “no” to certain requests in order to say “yes” to the mission.

How can you use your self-assessment data?

Focus on your mission. Today.

A mission statement is your answer to…

• Who are we?
  
• What do we do?
  
• Whom do we serve?

A mission statement is your…

• Point.
  
• Purpose.
  
• Goal.
  
• Thesis.
  
• Destination.

It’s…

• The rallying cry that promotes focus and unity.
  
• The pair of glasses that helps you see clearly.
  
• The rudder that steers your ship.
  
• The filter that lets in what you want and keeps out what you don’t want.

---

3 follow-up questions

(1) What percent of those in your organization…?

• Understand what a mission statement is?
  
• Can recite the mission statement?
  
• Can explain what it means and what it takes to achieve it?
  
• Understand how they contribute to achieving the mission?
  
• Are focused on achieving the mission?

(2) To achieve your mission, what percent of those in your organization need to…?

• Understand what a mission statement is?
  
• Be able to recite the mission statement?
  
• Be able to explain what it means and what it takes to achieve it?
  
• Understand how they contribute to achieving the mission?
  
• Be focused on achieving the mission?

(3) What are you going to do?

Christian teachers, your mission is to equip students to impact the world for Christ. To achieve your mission, you need to increase your students’ understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content. So you:

1. Identify the content that students are to learn.
   
2. Design an assessment, being sure it requires your students to connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.
   
3. Provide engaging instruction, including using models of student work, explaining rubrics, and giving direct instruction on vocabulary.
   
4. Provide effective tools that your students can use to prepare for the assessment, including templates and web sites.
   
5. Use a rubric to assess each student’s work, and provide each student with specific feedback designed to increase performance as described on the rubric.
   
6. Give your students repeated practice on using a biblical perspective of course content.

Christian school accreditation agencies, your mission is to equip Christian schools to achieve their missions. So you:

1. Identify the content schools are to learn (the definition of mission achievement, the current level of mission achievement, and the strategic steps needed to close the gap between targeted and current levels of mission achievement).
   
2. Design an assessment that requires schools to demonstrate the identified content (see #1).
   
3. Provide instructional support, (1) including sample documents (that come with a standards-based rubric ratings), rubrics for accreditation standards and benchmarks, and vocabulary lists; and (2) through workshops, conventions, teleclasses, videoconferences, coaching, and online interactive tutorials.
   
4. Provide effective tools for schools to use to prepare for the assessment, including an online survey and an online database (see “Christian school accreditation agencies, please help”).
   
5. Use a rubric to assess each school’s work, and provide each school with specific feedback designed to increase performance as described on the rubric.
   
6. Give your schools repeated practice by requiring them to use the online database (see #4) to update current levels of mission achievement on a semesterly or annual basis.

To achieve the mission, teachers and accreditation agencies must target mission achievement. Using the 6-step process can help.

Christian school accreditation agencies, please help. Measuring current mission achievement is both challenging and worthwhile. If Christian school accreditation agencies provided 2 tools, the task would be easier and schools could spend less energy on measuring current mission achievement and more energy on achieving the mission:

(1) A password-protected, customizable, online survey (a paper version would also be available):

• That has survey items that are aligned with accreditation standard.
  
• That tabulates, disaggregates, and graphs the data.

(2) A password-protected online database (complete with templates and data analysis tools):

• That can be used to monitor task completion.
  
• Into which report narrative can be inputted by standard and benchmark.
  
• Into which documented evidence can be submitted.
  
• From which the current level of mission achievement can be determined.
  
• From which a scoreboard of the current level of mission achievement and a self-study report can be published online, as a PDF, or on paper.

15F, 16F, 17F, and 18F—my family and I are all in window seats on UA7590, traveling from Grand Rapids to Chicago. We boarded on schedule (gate B1 at 11:00 a.m. on July 17, 2006), we departed on schedule (11:20 a.m.), and we’re now soaring across Lake Michigan. I’m glad we’re flying, not swimming or sailing. That would take too long, and we might get lost.

The crew is focusing on getting us to Chicago, both safely and on time—that’s clear. The pilot’s just come on the PA system, said that we’re 75 miles from Chicago, that we’ll land in the next 10-15 minutes, and that it’s 86 degrees in Chicago. Now the flight attendant is listing connecting gates: Tokyo, C10; Boston, B1; San Francisco, C17; Hong Kong, C16; and Minneapolis (our final destination), C11.

Now the lead flight attendant says, “Please check your seat pocket for trash. Please give it to the flight attendant who is coming down the aisle. Lock your tray tables, fasten your seatbelts, and put your seats in the upright position. Turn off electronic devices.” I’m glad she is giving instructions, instructions that will help us arrive safely and on time. We’ve paid for our tickets so we can visit my brother and his family in Minneapolis, and we want to make our connecting flight at gate C11.

I look at my watch: 10:45 a.m. As the plane banks left, I see Lake Michigan’s shoreline and Chicago. A few minutes more and we’ll be over dry land, descending as we go. My guess is that our pilot is using a compass, an altimeter, and a speedometer as he talks with Chicago about our approach and the runway we are to land on.

10:49—dry land. I see trees, houses, 3 golf courses, and a highway with cars speeding along it. We continue our descent. 10:52—our landing gear is in place. I can now read store signs. 10:53—touch down. We’re here, taxiing to our gate.

The lead flight attendant says, “Welcome to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The local time is 10:53. Please stay seated with your seatbelts fastened until we turn off the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign.” We taxi along Concourse C, arriving at C9 at 10:59. Ding—the “fasten seatbelt” sign is off.

Success. We have been transported on schedule from gate B11 in Grand Rapids International Airport to gate C9 at Chicago O’Hare in plenty of time to board our 12:00 flight to Minneapolis at gate C11.

I’m glad the crew got us to the right gate, in the right concourse, in the right airport—not the wrong gate, the wrong concourse (so far away from C11 that we have to run to make the connection), or the wrong airport (Midway is another airport in Chicago).

I’m glad the crew didn’t just have a mission to get us from anywhere in Grand Rapids (airport or otherwise) to anywhere in Chicago (any airport, land on a highway, have us parachute out over downtown...).

The crew had a defined mission: On July 17, 2006, safely transport the passengers on UA7590 from B11 at Grand Rapids International Airport to C9 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, departing 11:20 a.m. and arriving 11:15 a.m.

Now imagine: You and your staff are now a passenger airplane crew. I’m considering flying with you. Please answer 3 questions:

(1) Do you and your crew have a general or defined mission? Are you safely transporting passengers from somewhere in Grand Rapids to somewhere in Chicago? Or are you safely transporting passengers from gate B11 in Grand Rapids International Airport to gate C9 in Chicago O’Hare International Airport, departing 11:20 on July 17 and arriving at 11:15? Personally, I refuse to fly with a crew that doesn’t have a specifically defined mission.

What kind of mission does your organization have? If your organization has general mission (Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ), take the next step and specifically define what it means to achieve your mission. Take this step ASAP.

(2) To what extent do you and your crew focus on achieving your defined mission? What behaviors demonstrate that you are focused on getting from B11 to C9? Are there any behaviors that don’t demonstrate this? If so, do you want those behaviors to continue? As a passenger, I really, really want the crew to focus on achieving the defined mission. After all, I paid for the ticket.

To what extent do you and your staff focus on achieving your mission, your defined mission? To maintain and increase focus on your defined mission, what behaviors do you and your staff need to keep doing? Start doing? Stop doing?

(3) To what extent are you and your crew achieving your defined mission? Do you arrive safely, on time, at the correct destination? What is your success rate? As a passenger, I want to depart from the right place at the right time, and I want to arrive in the right place at the right time, preferably 100% of the time.

As an organization, to what extent are you achieving your mission, your defined mission? Can you give me a percentage? If you’re not sure, how can you find out? How would knowing this percentage help you and your staff?

Bottom line: I fly with airplane crews that have defined missions, that focus on achieving the defined mission, and that have a very high rate of achieving the defined mission. Should I fly with you?

Your goal? To meet or exceed the following organizational standard: The leader focuses organizational energy on achieving the mission.

To reach your goal, start by imagining. Imagine you and your organization focused. Imagine you and your organization consistently and systemically focused on achieving your God-given mission. If this happened, how would this impact the achievement of your mission?

To start making this vision a reality, answer 4 questions:

1. What does it take to meet or exceed this standard?
   
2. What’s the current performance level?
   
3. What can you do to increase your focus of organizational energy on achieving the mission?
   
4. What does your organization need to do to increase its focus on achieving the mission?

What does it take to meet or exceed the standard?
To meet the standard:

• Input: You need to focus organizational energy on achieving the mission.
  
• Output: Your organization needs to focus its energy on achieving the mission.

To exceed the standard:

• Input: You need to consistently focus organizational energy on achieving the mission.
  
• Output: Your organization needs to consistently focus its energy on achieving the mission.

(2) What’s the current performance level? Find out by answering a question on inputs and a question on outputs:

Inputs: I ___ organizational energy on achieving the mission.

1. consistently and systemically focus
   
2. consistently focus
   
3. focus (meets the standard)
   
4. somewhat focus
   
5. rarely focus

Outputs: My organization ___ its energy on achieving the mission.

1. consistently and systemically focuses
   
2. consistently focuses
   
3. focuses (meets the standard)
   
4. somewhat focuses
   
5. rarely focuses

(3) Input: What can you do to increase your focus of organizational energy on achieving the mission? Here are 10 options:

1. Pray daily.
   
2. Memorize your mission statement.
   
3. Tell stories about achieving the mission.
   
4. Ask questions: What is our mission? What does our mission mean and not mean? What’s our definition of mission achievement? What’s our current level of mission achievement? What can we do to close the gap? How effectively will this ___ (meeting, project, task, proposed change) help us accomplish our mission?
   
5. Listen to the responses to your questions.
   
6. Use SMART goals and scoreboards.
   
7. Coach leaders.
   
8. Provide support, encouragement, and accountability.
   
9. Design job descriptions so that they are a function of mission achievement.
   
10. Empower 100% of staff to recite the mission, explain the definition of mission achievement, explain the current level of mission achievement, and identify how their job and schoolwide improvement plans contribute to mission achievement.

Pick 1 option. Do it. Today. And ask someone to hold you accountable. Until you get it done. Then, if necessary, pick another option.

(4) Output: What does your organization need to do to increase its focus on achieving the mission? Here are 10 things staff can do:

1. Pray daily.
   
2. Memorize the mission.
   
3. Learn to explain the definition of mission achievement.
   
4. Learn to explain the current level of mission achievement.
   
5. Learn to explain how their job contributes to mission achievement.
   
6. In each meeting, ask “How will this meeting help us achieve our mission?”
   
7. When developing proposals, ask “How will this proposed change help us achieve our mission?”
   
8. When considering whether or not to take on a task, ask “How effectively will this ___ (meeting, project, task, proposed change) help us accomplish our mission?”
   
9. When pursuing professional development, ask “What type of professional development will most effectively help me contribute to mission achievement?”
   
10. Track progress towards job completion and/or assigned improvement tasks. Share progress with a supervisor on a routine basis.

Ask each staff member to pick 1 option. Today. And hold staff members accountable. Until they get it done. Then, if necessary, ask them to pick another option.

Imagine you and your organization consistently and systemically focused on achieving your mission. Make this a reality by increasing your organization’s focus on achieving the mission. Target inputs (what you do) and outputs (what your organization does).

Steward what God has given you. Focus your organization's energy on achieving your mission.

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Martie Tarter, Christian Academy in Japan (Music/School Advancement), SEND International:
Focusing organizational energy on achieving the mission is central to achieving the mission. Ways I do this include praying daily and talking about how what we are doing is connected to the mission. To take it to the next level, I’m going to provide encouragement and ask organizational members to set personal goals related to achieving the mission.

Let me answer your question by comparing coaching and leading.

You’re coaching a sports team. Here are 7 tips that can help you coach effectively:

1. Know your sport.
   
2. Know what constitutes winning (high score as in soccer or low score as in golf)
   
3. Before the athletic contest, tell your team the plan.
   
4. Watch the athletic contest.
   
5. Know the score.
   
6. Use your timeouts to celebrate achievement of the plan, increase focus on the plan, and encourage players to win.
   
7. Use your players’ stats to improve performance.

You’re leading a Christian school. Here are 7 tips that can help you lead effectively:

1. Know your mission.
   
2. Know what it take to achieve your mission in terms of measurable student learning.
   
3. At the start of the school year, tell your staff what the plan is for increasing measurable student learning.
   
4. Watch students learning.
   
5. Know your students’ achievement levels.
   
6. Use your staff meetings to celebrate student learning, increase focus on student learning, and encourage your staff to achieve the mission.
   
7. Use your students’ assessment results to increase learning.

Remember, the real question isn’t “How can I coach effectively?” or even “How can I lead effectively?” The real question is “What am I going to do today to achieve our God-given mission?”

What can you do? Here are 7 options:

1. Memorize your mission statement.
   
2. Define the achievement of your mission in terms of measurable student learning.
   
3. Collaborate with staff to develop annual improvement plans that target mission achievement.
   
4. Schedule 30-60 minutes each week to do walkthroughs and/or to examine student work.
   
5. Use your definition of mission achievement and your student assessment results to determine your current level of mission achievement.
   
6. At your next staff meeting, ask teachers for examples of how students have increased their understanding and use of a biblical perspective.
   
7. At the end of each year, use your students’ assessment results to identify ways to increase your students’ understanding and use of a biblical perspective.

Steward what God has given you. Use 1 option today.?

Your goal: To be a good steward of what God has given you by pursuing excellence.

Your plan: To demonstrate commitment to your God-given mission.

Your question: How?

Here are 4 options:

1. Talk about your mission.
   
2. Target mission achievement through your job.
   
3. Participate in achieving improvement plans.
   
4. Make collaborative decisions regarding increasing student learning.

Use 1 option. Today.

Achieving your God-given mission takes work. Hard work. A lot of hard work.

You know that working to achieve your mission means you’ll be busy. Busy you can deal with—but feeling hurried is something you can’t deal with. You don’t like feeling hurried, rushed, a little out of control. When you feel hurried, you don’t feel peaceful. Not good. Jesus agrees. On earth, He was busy achieving His mission, but He didn’t hurry.

So, how can you achieve your organization’s mission without feeling hurried? Let me answer that question by asking you some questions:

1. What’s your organization’s mission? (What is not your organization’s mission?)
   
2. What does it take to achieve your organization’s mission? (What is not involved in achieving your organization’s mission?)
   
3. In your job, how do you contribute to mission achievement? (What does your job not require you to contribute?)
   
4. To contribute to mission achievement: What 1-2 measurable priorities will you target this year? (What measurable priorities will you not target this year?) What 1-2 “good things” will you stop doing? Remember, “good things” are the enemy of “best things.” What 1-2 ways will you model an unhurried work style?
   
5. How will you monitor progress on #4?
   
6. How will you get the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to move from being hurried to being unhurried?

Need a place to start? Get weekly coaching.

Increasing your mission quotient (MIQ) can help you achieve your God-given mission.

To increase your MIQ, answer the following 12 questions. Better yet, get a team together to answer the questions.

1. What is a mission statement?
   
2. What makes a good mission statement good?
   
3. How do you develop a mission statement?
   
4. What is your mission?
   
5. How important is your mission?
   
6. How well can you explain your mission statement?
   
7. What does your mission mean? What does your mission not mean?
   
8. What’s it take to achieve your mission?
   
9. How do you contribute to mission achievement?
   
10. To what extent are you mission driven?
    
11. How can you promote being mission driven?
    
12. To be increasingly mission driven, what do you need to keep doing, stop doing, and start doing?

God has given your school a mission. You are committed to it, you want to achieve it, and you believe that achieving it will impact the world for Christ.

But it’s Tuesday morning, and you have to get a sub for a teacher who is out sick, you have just been asked to attend a meeting at 9:30 regarding a student who is struggling, you have to talk with a 7th grader from a dysfunctional home who has been acting out in class, you learn that the father of your 6th grade social studies teacher has cancer, and 237 emails are sitting in your inbox.

Stop. Breathe. And remember that while Christian education is about responding to crisis and the parable of the Good Samaritan, it’s more about stewarding the mission and the parable of the talents.

Consider making one or more commitments regarding stewarding your mission. Here are 5 options:

1. Commit to focusing on the mission and to responding to crises as a function of achieving your mission.
   
2. Commit to investing 5 or more minutes during each staff meeting in discussing and celebrating progress toward mission achievement.
   
3. Commit to investing 30 or more minutes each week in assessing progress toward mission achievement and planning next steps.
   
4. Commit to getting 100% of your staff to be able to explain the answers to 4 questions: What is our mission? What is our definition of mission achievement? What is our current level of mission achievement? What strategic steps are we taking to close the gap between targeted and current levels of mission achievement?
   
5. Commit to developing an attention-getting scoreboard that measures your current level of mission achievement and your progress on strategic steps you are taking.

If you make one or more commitments, consider ways to get the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to carry out your commitment(s).

As teachers, we rally in crisis. This is good.

• A 6th grader has chicken pox. As her teachers, we work together to create a list of assignments (making modifications as necessary), send appropriate materials home, invite the student and her parents to check in—and the student keeps up and makes a reasonably smooth transition back into class.
  
• A 9th grader is struggling. As his teachers, we review assessment data and talk together, talk to the student and his parents, and collaborate to develop a support plan that includes tutoring sessions before school—and his performance improves.
  
• Exams are 5 days away, and a senior has to attend her grandmother’s funeral in another country. The senior was close to her grandmother, is disturbed by her death, and is concerned about finishing the year. We as her teachers, in collaboration with the principal and counselor, develop an effective plan that provides time for grieving and for taking exams—the student attends the funeral, completes the exams, and heads off to summer vacation knowing we care for her.

In crisis, we rally, we focus, and we collaborate at a high level towards a common goal. And while we don’t live in constant crisis and wouldn’t want to, we do want to collaborate at a high level towards a common goal—on a regular basis.

What can we do? Define a rallying point. Ask for God’s help in identifying what He would have our school do (mission), define mission achievement, and work collaboratively to achieve the mission—daily.

God wants our best, both in and out of crisis. Our students need our best, both in and out of crisis. Most of life is not a crisis, and collaboratively focusing on achieving our mission is an effective way to rally, to achieve great things for God, and to serve students at a high level.

Christian schools work hard to achieve their God-given missions. Four key questions to consider regarding the mission are:

1. What’s your mission?
   
2. What’s your definition of mission achievement?
   
3. To what extent is your school achieving its mission?
   
4. How will you close the gap between current and desired achievement?

Answers to these 4 questions are powerful tools in helping your school achieve its God-given mission.

Just imagine the impact of having 100% of your school’s staff understand the:

1. Mission: To equip students to impact the world for Christ.
   
2. Definition of mission achievement: 90% of students at or above standard on all schoolwide learning outcomes.
   
3. Current level of achievement on all schoolwide learning outcomes—for example, 69% of students at/above standard on applying a biblical perspective of course content.
   
4. Strategic steps they need to take to close the gap between current and targeted achievement levels—for example, giving students 6 assessments per year that require them to connect course content, life experience, and a biblical perspective.

Need a place to start? Start by defining mission achievement in terms of measurable schoolwide learning outcomes.

What would happen if...?

• Your school defined its God-given mission in terms of measurable student learning by developing student objectives (also known as expected student outcomes, school-wide goals, and expected student learning results)?
  
• Your board members asked your administrators to report for 15 minutes at each board meeting on student objective achievement?
  
• Your administrators used 15 minutes at each faculty meeting to analyze student objective achievement?
  
• Your teachers assessed student achievement of the student objectives?
  
• Your students assessed their learning in terms of the student objectives and used their assessment results to develop SMART goals?
  
• Your parents helped their children achieve their SMART goals?
  
• All your stakeholders focused on a SMART goal related to increasing student objective achievement?

If some or all of this happened, would you be closer to proving the value of Christian education? Would you be closing the gap between the rhetoric of the mission and reality of classroom?