Focus on Mission

How can you focus others?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-10-23T17:40:19+09:00

By asking questions like:

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

Leaders, focus on the mission

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-10-23T17:39:43+09:00

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”

How can you use key performance indicators to achieve your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2011-04-14T22:17:00+09:00

You feel good about the past several months. Your organization has identified its God-given mission, identified the goals it needs to achieve to carry out its mission, decided to use key performance indicators to monitor mission achievement, and is now field-testing its key performance indicators. Wow! Real progress.

You want to use the progress you’ve made to close the gap between the words of your mission statement and the reality of your situation. So, you talk about the mission, discuss the goals, tell success stories, and analyze survey results. Good. And you’re thinking about using key performance indicators.

Question: How can you use key performance indicators to close the gap?

I use key performance indicators to help me focus on what to do next. For example, to achieve my mission during this school year, I need to have 30 coaching clients who are making progress toward their goals. Right now, I have 26. So, I know I need to help 4 more clients make progress.

Here’s another example: To achieve my mission during this school year, I need to help 40 leaders build capacity and/or get better results from using resources I provided. So far, I have helped 55 leaders in this way.

By using my key performance indicators, I know I need to help 4 more coaching clients, and I know that I don’t need to focus on using resources to help leaders build capacity and/or get better results. Using key performance indicators helps me know what to do next.

Question: How could using key performance indicators help you close the gap?

Focus on using key performance indicators to close the gap. Today.

How can you identify key performance indicators?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2011-02-16T10:16:21+09:00

You want to monitor how well your organization is achieving its God-given mission. You’ve thought about collecting examples, doing surveys, and monitoring key performance indicators. You share your thinking with others, and then get a team to talk through what would help you monitor progress on your mission. The team decides to monitor key performance indicators and plans to take steps to identify key performance indicators.

Question: How can you identify your key performance indicators?

Here’s what I did:

I reflected on my mission statement and the 5 goals I need to achieve in order to carry out my mission (coaching, consulting, networking, resourcing, and training).
Then I asked myself, “What’s success look like?” I brainstormed things that would indicate success. For example, one key performance indicator I identified for coaching was the number of clients who took action on their goals.
After brainstorming indictors for each of my 5 goals, I selected 1 indicator for each goal and figured the best way to know if I had picked useful indicators was by field-testing them.
And that’s exactly what I did—I field-tested my key performance indicators.
Later, I reviewed the usefulness of each indicator, asking myself questions like the following: What did I learn from field-testing this indicator? How helpful is this indicator? How easy is this to monitor? Is there another indicator that would be more helpful?
I refined my key performance indicators.
Finally, I decided to repeat the process I had used.

Here’s the process: Reflect, Brainstorm, Select, Test, Review, Refine, Repeat.

Your turn:

What’s your mission? What goals do you need to achieve to carry out your mission?
What are some key performance indicators for each of your goals?
What 1 or more key performance indicators do you want to use for each goal?
How long do you want to field-test your indicators?
What did you learn from field-testing your key performance indicators?
How can you refine your indicators?
How often do you need to repeat the process?

Focus on identifying your key performance indicators. Today.

How can you measure mission achievement?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-12-15T10:15:09+09:00

Use examples, surveys, and indicators to measure mission achievement.

What’s it take to achieve your organization’s God-given mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-10-14T21:13:33+09:00

God has given your organization its mission. Maybe it’s to equip student to impact the world for Christ. Or maybe it’s to make Jesus known and to empower His disciples to build up His Church.

Now staff members are asking, “What’s it take to achieve our mission?” That’s a good question and one that deserves an answer. And knowing the answer can help staff focus on achieving the mission.

How can your organization define what it takes to carry out your mission? By identifying 3-7 areas in which your organization will be involved, for example, coaching, consulting, networking, and training (see below* for further examples).

Once you’ve identified 3-7 areas, transform each area into a goal for each area, for example: Coaching—Provide the support, encouragement, and accountability Christian leaders need to pursue God’s calling. These 3-7 goals are the answer to the question “What’s it take to achieve our mission?”

Here’s how this plays out in a Christian school with a mission to equip students to impact the world for Christ. The school has determined that to achieve its God-given mission, the school must:

Have students who are achieving the student objectives (schoolwide learner outcomes)
Have an exemplary, sustainable, replicable Christ-centered educational program
Have an organizational culture, sensitive and responsive to current and changing demographics, which reflects the board-approved values (faithfulness, caring, collaboration, diversity, excellence, and stewardship)
Have qualified Christian staff working to achieve board ends
Have a sound financial base
Have a safe physical plant facilitating student learning

Focus on what it takes to achieve your organization’s God-given mission. Today.

*Sample areas
Administration
Age-group ministry
Board
Camping
Church planting
Coaching
Communications
Community development
Consulting
Counseling
Curriculum
Discipling
Education
Evangelism
Facilities
Finance
Fine arts
Fundraising
Leadership development
Member care
Mentoring
Music
Networking
Pastoral care
Personnel
Program development
Public relations
Publishing
Research and development
Resource management
Sports
Strategic planning
Technology
Training
Worship

What’s your organization’s God-given mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-08-16T21:12:44+09:00

If you and your fellow staff want to further understand what God wants your organization to achieve, ask Him. Get together and ask Him. Relentlessly. Then, listen. And when God answers, reflect on what He’s saying.

Then as a group capture what God is saying in a short, memorable, easy-to-memorize statement. A statement that helps everyone remember what God is calling your organization to do—your organization’s God-given mission statement. Here’s an example: Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ.

And when you’ve finalized your mission statement, keep the focus on what God is calling your organization to do by talking about the mission, asking people what excites them about the mission and how their work contributes to the mission, and maybe even encouraging everyone to memorize the mission.

Focus on your organization’s God-given mission. Today.

Want to serve more effectively? Get focused!

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-06-14T21:11:20+09:00

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:

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

Encourage others to connect their proposals to the mission

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-04-15T21:58:00+09:00

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.

How focused are you on your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-10-07T10:53:14+09:00

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

To learn more about achieving your mission, explore these 4 questions

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-08-04T07:46:27+09:00

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

Your mission
What it takes to achieve your mission
How you’re doing on achieving your mission
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?

What is a mission statement?
What makes a good mission statement good?
How important is your God-given mission?
How can you unleash the power of your mission statement?
How focused are you on your God-given mission?
How can you be a good steward of your God-given mission?

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

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

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

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

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

Are you a player or a spectator?
How focused are you on closing the gap?
What can you do to close the gap?
How can getting coaching help you close the gap?
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:

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

How can you learn more about developing student objectives?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-29T10:43:43+09:00

You want your school to achieve its mission. You know you need to define what it takes to achieve your school’s mission. You’ve hear that developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes) might help. So, you want to learn more. Good.

Question: How can you learn more about developing student objectives?

Answer: By exploring the following 7 questions:

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
Are student objectives right for you and your school?
What's developing student objectives look like?
What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
What makes good student objectives good?
What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

Focus on your mission. Use student objectives to define the achievement of your mission. Today.

How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-29T13:37:31+09:00

You’re considering developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). Before doing so, you’d like to get clear on the big picture. You’re wondering, “How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected? Is there a framework that connects these?”

Yes! The MOSAIC framework helps you connect mission, student objectives, and curriculum:

Mission
Objectives
Standards
Assessments
Instructional strategies
Children

Mission: A school mission statement is a 15- to 25-word statement that identifies the school, its purpose, and possibly its constituency. Here’s an example: Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries working in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ.

Objectives (also known as student objectives, expected student outcomes, schoolwide goals, and expected student learning results): Student objectives define your school mission in terms of measurable student learning. An example of a student objective is, “Communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts.”

Standards define what students must achieve within a given subject in order to achieve the student objectives (and consequently the mission). If your student objective is, “Communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts,” one of your English standards might be, “Create clear, purposeful texts.”

Assessments are ways students show their achievement of the standards (and consequently the student objectives and mission). Assessments include writing, projects, presentations, labs, and discussion. An example of a unit assessment for 10th graders is, “Write a 750-word persuasive essay on the following: What is wrong with the world? Support your answer with references to the Bible and to stories we studied during this unit.”

Instructional strategies are ways teachers prepare students for assessments. For example, when students are preparing to write their 750-word essays on “What’s wrong with the world?”, they could brainstorm their ideas in small groups before writing their rough drafts.

Children: In class, teachers teach children (not course content). They help children prepare for assessments so they can demonstrate achievement of the standards, and, consequentlythe student objectives and mission.

*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
Are student objectives right for you and your school?
What's developing student objectives look like?
What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
What makes good student objectives good?
What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

What are some reasons for developing student objectives?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-29T13:16:18+09:00

You’re thinking about developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). It’s going to take time and energy. You have limited amounts of these—so, you know that developing student objectives means other things won’t get done. Now you’re wondering, “Is it worth it? What are some reasons for developing student objectives?”

Here are 5 reasons why you might want to invest time and energy into developing student objectives:

(1) Because you want to close the gap between your rhetoric and your reality. Your mission statement defines your school’s overall purpose, but it doesn’t define what a student must know, be able to do, and value. This results in a gap between the rhetoric of your mission statement and what your teachers and students are accountable to achieve in the reality of the classroom. Student objectives define your mission in terms of specific, measurable student learning. Consequently, they help you close the gap.

(2) Because you want to know how well you’re achieving your mission. To do this, you need to define what achieving your mission involves—which is what student objectives can help you do. How? First, you align your student objectives with your academic standards. Then, when you assess your standards you can get data on your student objectives and, consequently, on how well you’re achieving your mission.

(3) Because you want to connect mission, student learning, curriculum, and school improvement planning:

To do this, you need to define your mission in terms of student learning—which is what student objectives do.
Next, you need to develop a curriculum that is designed to help your students achieve your student objectives. Student objectives clarify what your students must learn in order to achieve the mission, which in turn clarifies what your teachers must teach—and must no longer teach because it does not result in mission achievement.
Finally, you can use student objective assessment data as the basis of your school improvement planning. You can use it to increase student learning.

(4) Because your want your parents to better understand and support your mission. Mission statements are global. This results in parents not having a specific handle on what their children will learn nor on how that learning is connected to your mission. Student objectives define the mission in terms of student learning—so, they give parents a specific handle on what their children will learn and how that learning is connected to your mission.

(5) Because you want your students to catch your vision of Christian education. A key reason your students don’t catch the vision of Christian education is because you haven’t defined in terms of what they have to learn. When you do, students will be better able to catch the vision.

Define the achievement of your school’s mission. Develop student objectives. Today.

*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
Are student objectives right for you and your school?
What's developing student objectives look like?
What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
What makes good student objectives good?
What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

What makes good student objectives good?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-29T13:08:11+09:00

You want to define your school’s mission in terms of student learning. So, you’re working to develop student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes).

Question: What makes good student objectives good?

Answer: Good student objectives...

Define the mission in terms of measurable student learning
Are Christ-centered, promoting the development and application of a biblical worldview
Are based on sound, current research and practice
Are for all students
Address the whole person
Are interdisciplinary
Are attainable

Define the achievement of your mission. Develop good student objectives. Today.

*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
Are student objectives right for you and your school?
What's developing student objectives look like?
What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
What makes good student objectives good?
What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-29T12:56:15+09:00

Before developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes), do some reflection. I encourage you to reflect on the 8 questions below:

(1) Who initiates the development of student objectives?
The administration. Says David Wilcox, international director for the Association of Christian Schools International, “This is just the norm, rather than a philosophical issue. The educational leadership of an educational institution is usually more informed about…research issues including the importance of student outcomes.”

The administration should research student objectives:

What they are.
How they help close the rhetoric/reality gap.
The criteria used for developing them
What student objectives other schools use.
Suggested processes for developing them.

(2) Aren’t student objectives the province of the board?
Yes and no. Student objectives define the mission in terms of measurable student learning. They resemble “ends” statements, and the development and approval of “ends” statements is generally the province of the board.

However, student objectives are also overarching curriculum standards. Given this, and that curriculum standards are the province of the administration, and that curriculum training and experience are needed to develop effective student objectives, I recommend the board rely on the experts it has hired to carry out the mission—that is, the administration.

(3) What is the board’s role in the development and approval of the student objectives?
Policy. Rather than playing a direct, hands-on role, I recommend that the board develop a policy for student objectives and hold the administration accountable to this policy.

Here’s a sample policy:
A. The administration will develop and revise the student objectives.

B. Student objectives must:

Define the mission in terms of measurable student learning
Be Christ-centered, promoting the development and application of a biblical worldview
Be based on sound, current research and practice
Be for all students
Address the whole person
Be interdisciplinary
Be attainable

C. If the administration’s proposal:

Addresses the criteria, the board will approve the proposal as submitted.
Does not address one or more criteria, the board will indicate which criteria were not met and ask the administration to make revisions.

(4) Who should the administration involve in the development of student objectives?
Students, parents, staff, and board members. This is what the Western Association of Schools and Colleges suggests.

Wilcox explains, “The broader the involvement of the various segments of the school community, the more likely the outcomes will be comprehensive and representative of the community served. This response assumes a situation where the leadership of the school and the parent community are fundamentally unified as a believing community….The reality is that the administration (including curriculum coordinators) and the faculty are the primary developers of the outcome statements.”

(5) What process can the administration use to develop student objectives?
Roundtable discussion. This is an effective way for students, parents, staff, and board members to collaborate on developing student objectives. Use these 5 steps:

Use examples to explain what student objectives are, the role they play, and the criteria that will be used for developing them. Check out student objectives from other Christian schools
Ask each group to brainstorm answers to the following question: “Given our mission, what do we want all students to know, be able to do, and value?”
Pair up groups. Have each paired group collaborate to develop one set of student objectives. Post the results and have a whole group debriefing.
Explain that an administration-appointed committee will use the results and criteria to develop a proposed set of student objectives. This set will be field-tested for at least a semester and then revised (using community input).
Have the administration approve the student objectives and submit the student objectives to the board for approval.

(6) Is it mandatory that we develop our own distinct set of student objectives?
No, nor is it necessarily wise to do so. Christian schools have finite resources and so rely on a variety of outside resources—ACSI, curriculum organizations, textbook publishers, state agencies, and consultants. Using an established set of student objectives from another school is an example of relying on an outside resource.

(7) Doesn’t using another school’s student objectives diminish our distinctiveness?
No, I don’t think so, anymore than using denominational creeds, hymns, and procedures diminishes your church’s distinctiveness. Where and how you go about achieving the student objectives (your staff and students, facilities, location, standards, assessments, and instructional strategies) will continue to reflect your distinctiveness.

For example, two Christian schools could both focus on helping their students be “productive collaborators who respect themselves and others as being created in God’s image.” Alpha Christian School might, for example, focus in social studies on helping students avoid the self- centeredness that marks cultures. Beta Christian School might focus in social studies on helping students consistently demonstrate a healthy self- respect based on an appreciation for Christian beliefs, Japanese culture, and homeland culture. Same student objective, distinctive local focus.

Remember, the goal is to close the gap between rhetoric and reality—not to develop a set of student objectives. Given this, and that it took us 5 years to figure out how to use our student objectives to improve student learning, you may want to begin by field-testing an established set.

(8) If we start with another school’s student objectives, do we need to modify the process?
A little bit. If you do this, remember to:

Verify that this set meets your board’s criteria.
Train community members in the nature and function of student objectives.
Explain why you chose the set.
Use community feedback to revise the field-tested set as appropriate.

You may invite an administrator from the school that developed your chosen set of student objectives to help you with the process.

*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
Are student objectives right for you and your school?
What's developing student objectives look like?
What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
What makes good student objectives good?
What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

What's developing student objectives look like?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-29T12:28:49+09:00

School Year 1: Panic—we started in a state of panic. And panic is not a good place to be. I sat in my office, looking Focus on Learning, the reaccreditation manual from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). I liked the title. I liked that the reaccreditation process had been boiled down to two questions: (1) “How are students doing with respect to the [student objectives]…?” and (2) “Is the school doing everything possible to support high achievement of these [student objectives] for all its students?”

I didn’t like it that I couldn’t answer the questions. “Great!” I thought. “This reaccreditation process is predicated on student objectives. We don’t have them. What are they? I don’t get it.” At this point, I did an understandable thing—I panicked, got to work, and tried to unsettle everyone as little as possible.

But where do you begin when you don’t understand what student objectives are? I knew what department objectives were, but our students were learning without student objectives—so why develop student objectives? One part of me answered, “Because the board says we have to be accreditated with WASC, and in order to be accredited with WASC, we have to have student objectives.” Another part of me answered, “This will be good for us. It’ll help us close the rhetoric/reality gap.”

I moved from panicking to working. Then I noticed that Focus on Learning had a section on student objectives—a definition, a set of descriptors, a sample procedure for developing these, and sample student objectives. I learned that student objectives were schoolwide, interdisciplinary, measurable student learning outcomes that define what a student should know and be able to do.

I read the words. I didn’t really understand them. They didn’t sound like department objectives. Department objectives were more like non- measurable ideals. I read the words again, but still couldn’t fully grasp the meaning. So I kept rereading while I collected samples from other schools.

I felt better. I remembered that during a recent philosophy review committee meeting we had talked about focusing on implementing the philosophy (instead of revising—wordsmithing—it). I had an inkling that student objectives could help us implement our philosophy.

Given that student objectives seemed related to the philosophy, student objectives sounded like the province of the board. However, the process outlined by Focus on Learning didn’t indicate this. Instead, the Focus on Learning process said students, parents, staff, and board should participate in developing student objectives.

I thought, “Parents aren’t even involved in curriculum development. Neither are students. Why are they involved in developing student objectives?”

Again, I did an understandable thing. I panicked, got to work, and tried to unsettle everyone as little as possible. Focus on Learning suggested roundtable discussions and brainstorming sessions involving students, parents, staff, and board members. A good process. But it was already early December, and I didn’t want to spring such a process on people just before Christmas vacation.

Surveys seemed like a good alternative, so in December I asked secondary students, parents, and staff to select 5 student objectives from a list of 22 that I had compiled.

In January of School Year 1, I published the results in student and school publications. Faculty used the student objective survey results to talk with student council representatives, reviewed the philosophy statement, and then developed an initial draft. “Things are moving!” I thought.

The teaching staff adopted a set of student objectives for field-testing, with the understanding that during the spring, school community input would be sought and that revisions could be made in June.

As a result of field-testing, we shortened the list of objectives, made them more readable, and mailed them to parents in June. I was feeling good. And I felt even better as we used our student objectives to successfully complete the reaccreditation process.

We finished student objective development—then I learned we were just getting started. Documentation completion = start implementation. And implementation is at least 90% of the work. I was feeling too good to realize this—we had survived reaccreditation, received a 6-year term and were implementing our strategic plan.

School Year 2 - School Year 5: Something was wrong. Maybe I should have clued in when a teacher said, “Student objectives describe what I do”—instead of saying, “Student objectives guide what I do.”

Maybe I should have clued in when we continued asking, “How well do the student objectives reflect our departmental objectives?”— instead of asking, “How well do our student objectives determine our department objectives?

Maybe I should have clued in when I couldn’t figure out the connection between our strategic plan and our student objectives. Certainly I should have clued in when wordsmithing these during the board approval process did not result in increased implementation. But I didn’t.

School Year 6: Finally at the start of School Year 6, it clicked. We had a corporate “aha” experience. We understood what student objectives were, that they defined mission achievement. The result? A flurry of implementation.

First, we used the student objectives to revise department standards. We developed a chart that showed the alignment between the student objectives and each department standard. We used the chart to revise department standards and to require all departments to have standards on helping students understand a Christian worldview and on helping students use a biblical perspective.
Second, we developed assessments designed for students to demonstrate their achievement of the student objectives. We scored the assessments using rubrics that were explicitly based on standards (and consequently on the student objectives). We used student assessment data to monitor student achievement of the student objectives (and consequently the achievement of the mission).
Third, we required secondary students to use the student objectives to assess their learning and to use their findings to develop a growth plan. They presented their plans to their parents during student-led conferences.
Fourth, we developed a SMART goal for student learning: 90% of high school students will score above standard on all student objectives, scores being taking from rubric-scored assessments. We used this goal to drive school improvement.
Fifth, we used publications to describe how, for example, chapel and writing help students achieve the student objectives and, consequently, the mission.

In January of School Year 6, we started the reaccreditation process, which stipulated that we review our student objectives. So, students, parents, and staff contributed to the effective revision of our student objectives. How?

First graders, for example, voted 20 to 2 to keep the category “caretakers” instead of changing it to “stewards.” Students in grades 4, 6, 7, and 11 confirmed that suggested changes reduced difficult vocabulary; for example, in the original draft, 6th graders identified 6.53 difficult words and in the proposed draft, they identified 2.2 difficult words.
Parents said they preferred placing the distinctively Christian statements at the top of each category instead of at the end, as this emphasized that we are a Christian school; for example, “Discerning Thinker” category now lists “Use a biblical perspective” first.
Staff offered suggestions to make the document shorter and more user-friendly; for example, we changed “Generate creative ideas, products, or performances” to “Make creative projects and presentations.”

Year 7: It’s fall, and we continue to use student objectives to close the rhetoric/reality gap. In response to student assessment data from last school year, we are using questions (e.g., What is true?) to help 90% of high school students score at or above standard on the following student objective: understanding a Christian worldview.

We are also implementing the following schoolwide improvement plan: By June 16, use a complete set of student objective baseline data to make decisions for getting 90% of high school students to score at or above standard on a given student objective.

*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
Are student objectives right for you and your school?
What's developing student objectives look like?
What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
What makes good student objectives good?
What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

Are student objectives right for you and your school?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-29T12:18:52+09:00

“There’s a gap.” Helen sits in her office, mulling over the gap between her school’s mission statement and the reality of her program. “This is a Christian school—Christian teachers, devotions, Bible class, chapel, a positive environment. These are good, but only take us so far in achieving our mission. We need more. I need more. I need an additional way to close the gap.”

Helen leaves her office and heads for the staff room, wondering if defining the mission in terms of student learning would help. “We need to move from activities to goals, goals that help us increasingly do the mission in the classroom.” On the bulletin board she sees an announcement about a workshop on student objectives. She reads, “Use student objectives to close the rhetoric/reality gap.”

Helen thinks, “Student objectives. That sounds familiar. Something like schoolwide outcomes. Wasn’t that what Henry called expected schoolwide learning results?” She keeps reading: “Student objectives define your mission in terms of measurable student learning. They are overarching curriculum standards that are attainable.”

“That’s what I need,” thinks Helen. “Something attainable. Something measurable. Something connected to student learning—that’s what school is about.”

Ever feel like Helen?

Are student objectives right for you and your school? Find out by answering 6 questions:

Yes/No: I want to close the gap between
our rhetoric (our mission) and our reality.
Yes/No: I want to know how well we’re achieving our mission.
Yes/No: I want to connect mission, student learning, curriculum, and school improvement planning.
Yes/No: Using student objectives would help our parents better understand and support our mission.
Yes/No: My students would catch our vision for Christian education better if they understood what it meant in terms of student learning.
Yes/No: Collaborating with other ACSI schools would help urhetoric/reality gap. developed our student objectives, outline a process and a set of criteria that you can use to develop yours, explain how student objectives have helped us, and close with a vision for the future.

If you answered “Yes” to any of the 6 items above, read on! I’ll start with the story of how we developed our student objectives, outline a
process and a set of criteria that you can use to develop yours, explain how student objectives have helped us, and close with a vision for the future.

Are you ready? At Christian Academy in Japan, we weren’t. Read more...

*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
Are student objectives right for you and your school?
What's developing student objectives look like?
What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
What makes good student objectives good?
What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-07-29T12:08:24+09:00

You’re working at a Christian school. Your school’s mission is to equip students to impact the world for Christ.

Question: How can you define what it takes to carry out your mission? How can you define what it takes to equip your students to impact the world for Christ?

Answer: By defining the “equipment” students will receive. In other words, by defining student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes). Here’s a sample set:

Understand Bible stories, the plan of salvation, and a Christian worldview
Understand subject content and skills
Integrate content and skills from different subjects
Value learning
Use appropriate learning strategies
Use a Biblical perspective
Solve problems
Organize and use information to support conclusions
Make creative products and presentations
Respect themselves and others as being created in God's image
Work with others
Communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts
Integrate different forms of communication
Serve God and others, and care for God's creation
Value and maintain physical, social, emotional, moral, and spiritual health

Define what it takes to achieve your mission. Today.

*This blog entry is part of a 7-part series:

How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
Are student objectives right for you and your school?
What's developing student objectives look like?
What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
What makes good student objectives good?
What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

What can you do to close the gap?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-06-23T08:32:54+09:00

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.

How focused are you on achieving your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2010-02-08T08:20:00+09:00

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:

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

Focus on achieving your mission. Today.

How are proposals related to your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-12-12T08:18:00+09:00

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:

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

Connect your proposals to your mission. Today.

How focused are you on closing the gap?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-06-02T11:14:46+09:00

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:

What’s your mission?
What’s it take to achieve your mission?
What’s already been accomplished?
What are your options for closing the gap?
What will you do to close the gap?

Focus on closing the gap. Today.

Do you equate your God-given mission with busyness or productivity?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-06-19T08:06:13+09:00

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

To look busy.
To be busy.
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:

To look busy.
To be busy.
To be productive.

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

How do your daily activities contribute to your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-10-13T08:03:00+09:00

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:

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

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

How often do you talk about your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-08-14T08:00:11+09:00

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:

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

Talk about your mission. Today.

To achieve your God-given mission, make sure of 4 things

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-04-02T08:49:18+09:00

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

To achieve your mission, what 3 things should you focus on?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-02-23T17:54:25+09:00

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

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

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

What’s your organization’s God-given mission?
To achieve your mission, what results do you need?
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:

Your mission statement
The results you need to achieve your mission
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.

How can a scorecard help you increase your focus on your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-12-12T08:51:35+09:00

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.

How can measurement help you increase your focus on your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-10-08T08:11:32+09:00

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.

How can training help you increase focus on your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-04-06T08:01:15+09:00

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.

How can storytelling & celebration help you increase focus on your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2009-02-13T08:58:43+09:00

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.

To increase your focus on your mission, what do you need to KeepStartStop doing?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-08-15T08:56:21+09:00

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.

How can you increase your focus on your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-06-10T10:41:17+09:00

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:

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.
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.
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.
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?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-04-09T10:04:09+09:00

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:

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

Identify, measure, then take action

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-03-14T07:43:19+09:00

As a leader, you want pursue excellence in order to achieve your organization’s mission. Good.

These 3 steps can help:

Identify 5-15 measurable key organizational indicators. How? By reflecting on what it takes to achieve your mission. For example, if your mission is to equip students to impact the world for Christ, a key indicator is student learning.
Measure your organizational indicators. In the school setting, you can use common assessments to measure student learning.
Use your measurement data to design action steps. Use data from common assessments to design action plans. For example, to increase student application of a Biblical perspective, have teachers design a Biblical perspective unit.

Reflect on 3 questions:

What are your 5-15 measurable indicators?
How can you measure each indicator?
How can you use your measurement data to design action steps?

Get your staff involved: In addition to identifying organizational indicators, ask each staff member to identify 2 or more key personal indicators, measure each indicator, and use the data to design action plans.

Bottom line: When leadership and staff focus on measurable indicators, they increase the likelihood they will pursue excellence and, consequently, achieve the mission.

Pursue excellence. Identify and measure your key indicators. Today.

How do you contribute to mission achievement?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2008-02-12T11:52:29+09:00

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:

By completing your assigned work, how do you help your organization achieve its mission?
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.

What does it take to achieve your mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-12-07T10:42:58+09:00

I have a mission: Empowering Christian leaders and organizations to close the rhetoric/reality gap.

I have defined the achievement of my mission in terms of 5 measurable goals:

Coaching: 50 Christian leaders I have coached reporting achieving their coaching goals.
Consulting: 10 Christian leaders/organizations I’ve consulted with reporting increased capacity to achieve goals.
Networking: Participating in 5 communities of practice and developing 5 communities of practice.
Resourcing: Christian leaders having needed coaching, productivity, and Christian education resources, as measured by having 10,000 hits on Close the Gap Now’s web site.
Training: 10 Christian organizations reporting increased results in terms of participants using coaching, being productive, or teaching from a Biblical perspective.

To achieve these 5 measurable goals, I schedule and complete various activities. This means that I complete activities that help me achieve my goals, and, consequently, my mission.

Your turn: What’s your mission? What does it take to achieve your mission?

How important is your God-given mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-10-03T07:10:16+09:00

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

I believe the mission God has given our organization is important.
I focus on achieving the mission.
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.

What makes a good mission statement good?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-08-17T08:40:49+09:00

A good mission statement is usable. When it comes to mission statements, an effective organization:

Uses the mission statement. It doesn’t just hang the mission on the wall.
Shares the mission statement verbatim with interested parties. It doesn’t have interested parties read the mission.
Talks about the mission statement at meetings. It doesn’t have meetings where the leadership reminds the staff what the mission is.
Makes the mission statement the rallying cry. It doesn’t make the mission a display of fragile artwork.
Focuses its staff on achieving the mission. It doesn’t primarily focus on staff working hard.

To increase the likelihood that your mission statement will get used, make sure your mission statement:

Identifies what God is calling you to do.

Identifies the organization’s name, purpose, and target population.

Is compelling.

Is easy to say.

Is easy to memorize.

Uses active verbs.

Uses precise wording.

Is free of jargon.

Is 25 words or less. Remember, the goal is to have a mission statement that is used—not just to have a mission statement. Make your mission usable. (A mediocre mission statement that gets used is better than a wonderful mission statement that doesn’t get used.)

How does measuring the mission help?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-08-04T06:38:31+09:00

Quick Answer: At Christian schools, measuring the mission helps…

Staff to focus, stay on track, know how to improve the program, and enhance unity.
Parents to understand and support the school.
Alumni, donors, and community members to understand the school and see how the school is staying true to its mission.
The school board to concentrate on the mission, focus policy, and allocate resources.

Question: How would measuring the mission help you and your school?

Real Question: What will you do today to measure your school’s mission?

What is a mission statement?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-06-13T13:37:15+09:00

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?

Use a scorecard to “budgetize” your God-given mission

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-05-03T10:34:28+09:00

Your organization’s budget system works:

Your organization uses common categories and common line items.
Individuals track expenditures.
Individual data is compiled into the overall budget.
Your organization uses budget data to make decisions.

What if your organization could do the same with its God-given mission?

What if your organization “budgetized” its mission?

What if your organization used a common definition of mission achievement, complete with common goals?
What if individuals tracked progress on goals?
What if individual data was compiled so that it showed progress on goals and, consequently, on the mission?
What if your organization used mission achievement data to make decisions?

A scorecard can help you “budgetize” your mission. Use a scorecard today.

How can you maintain and increase commitment, participation, and accountability?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-01-10T07:00:46+09:00

“God has given us a mission, and we’ve got to get our mission done. I’m committed to this. It’s a big goal. To achieve it, every staff member needs to be involved. Every staff member. Definitely me. What do I need to do to get all staff members, including me, involved?”

Answer: Maintain and increase your own and your staff’s commitment, participation, and accountability. (This is a key organizational standard.)

So, what can you do to maintain and increase your own and your staff’s commitment to, participation in, and accountability for getting the mission done? Here are 15 options:

Pray.
Tell stories of the mission getting done.
Publish articles about the mission and getting it done.
Put your mission at the bottom of each email you send.
Make an attractive computer screensaver that incorporates your mission statement and images of your mission statement getting done. Install the screensaver on as many computers as possible.
Ask questions like, “How will this help us get our mission done?”
Listen to the responses to your questions.
Design job descriptions so that they are a function of mission achievement.
Empower 100% of staff to recite the mission, explain the definition of mission achievement, and explain the current level of mission achievement.
Provide the support and encouragement your staff needs to get the mission done.
Use SMART goals.
Use scoreboards to track progress on SMART goals.
Take a self-assessment regarding your level of commitment to, participation in, and accountability for getting the mission done. Use your self-assessment results to develop a SMART goal, and share your goal with your staff. Next, ask each of your staff to complete the self-assessment and to develop a SMART goal.
On the annual evaluation, include a section on commitment to, participation in, and accountability for getting the mission done.
Invite your staff to respond to the following: “To increase my commitment to, participation in, and accountability for getting the mission done, I need ____.” Review the input, and then implement it, as appropriate.

3 questions:

What are some other options you can think of?
Which options are you already using?
Which options will you use today…? To increase staff commitment to getting the mission done? To increase staff participation in getting the mission done? To increase staff accountability for getting the mission done?

Steward what God has given you. Do something. Today.

How can you demonstrate commitment to your God-given mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-09-08T06:59:27+09:00

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:

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

Use 1 option. Today.

To what extent do you and your staff focus energy on achieving your God-given mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-10-27T06:57:42+09:00

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:

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

consistently and systemically focus
consistently focus
focus (meets the standard)
somewhat focus
rarely focus

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

consistently and systemically focuses
consistently focuses
focuses (meets the standard)
somewhat focuses
rarely focuses

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

Pray daily.
Memorize your mission statement.
Tell stories about achieving the mission.
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?
Listen to the responses to your questions.
Use SMART goals and scoreboards.
Coach leaders.
Provide support, encouragement, and accountability.
Design job descriptions so that they are a function of mission achievement.
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:

Pray daily.
Memorize the mission.
Learn to explain the definition of mission achievement.
Learn to explain the current level of mission achievement.
Learn to explain how their job contributes to mission achievement.
In each meeting, ask “How will this meeting help us achieve our mission?”
When developing proposals, ask “How will this proposed change help us achieve our mission?”
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?”
When pursuing professional development, ask “What type of professional development will most effectively help me contribute to mission achievement?”
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.

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.

How can you unleash the power of your mission statement?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-10-26T06:53:42+09:00

Christian school staff know answers, know what the answers mean, and use the answers appropriately. Just ask Christian school staff, and you’ll find out:

Who is Jesus?
What’s the budget process?
What’s a noun?
What’s the room cleaning schedule?
What’s the water cycle?

Christian missionaries know answers, know what the answers mean, and use the answers appropriately. Just ask missionaries, and you’ll find out:

Who is Jesus?
What is sin?
How can I be saved?
What’s the name of your church?
When are the worship services?

Answers are tools. Knowing answers, knowing what the answers mean, and using the answers increases the effectiveness of Christian school staff and Christian missionaries.

A mission statement is a powerful tool. Your mission statement is a powerful tool. To unleash its power, you need to:

Know your mission statement word for word.
Know what your mission statement means.
Use your mission statement.

How well do you know your mission statement?

Can you recite it word for word? Practice until you can.
Can you say smoothly? So that it sounds like it does when you read it? Practice until you can.
Can you say it in the same number of seconds it takes you to read it? Practice until you can.

How well do you know what your mission statement means? In 30 seconds:

Can you tell me 5 things it means and 5 things it doesn’t mean? Right now? If not, identify these things. Practice sharing them until you can share them in 30 seconds.
Can you tell me an interesting story that illustrates your mission? Right now? If not, write down a story. Practice telling it until you can effectively tell it in 30 seconds.

How well do you use your mission statement?

Do you routinely use your mission statement to cast the vision and inspire others? If not, at the next meeting you attend, use your mission statement to remind everyone of the real purpose of the meeting.
When developing a proposal, do you routinely ask, “How will this help us accomplish our mission?” If not, do this when developing your next proposal.
When deciding whether or not to take on a task, do you routinely ask, “How effectively will this help us accomplish our mission?” If not, start when considering your next task.

Remember: Success is you effectively using your mission statement on a routine basis. Success is not knowing your mission statement or knowing what it means. But remember, in order to effectively use your mission statement on a routine basis, you need to know it and know what it means.

Imagine you and everyone on your church staff, tentmaking staff, mission staff, or school staff reciting your mission statement, telling 30-second stories that illustrate your mission statement, and routinely using your mission statement to focus energy on achieving your mission. If this happened, how might it impact the achievement of your mission?

Work smart. Know your mission statement. Know what it means. Use it. Unleash its power. Today.

Kim Essenburg, Christian Reformed missionary and English 10 teacher at Christian Academy in Japan, uses her school's mission statement:

Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ.

This means we emphasize:

Equipping students to impact the world for Christ, not equipping students for college and career (although we do this)
Students applying a biblical perspective to course content they have mastered, not students mastering course content
Students using knowledge, not students having knowledge
Using real-world and classroom assessments, not using just classroom assessments
Being student-centered, not teacher-centered

I get excited when students get equipped to impact the world for Christ. Recently, I was looking at student essays on Cry, the Beloved Country. I was excited to read, “Arthur's goal is for black people and white people to treat each other fairly, which is exactly what God requires of us: ‘...to act justly and to love mercy...’ (Micah 6:8).”

Our school’s mission statement is a useful tool. I use our school mission statement to define the purpose of my teaching, shape the assessments I use, screen changes to the content I teach, and determine the professional development I’ll pursue.

Christian teachers and accreditation agencies, target mission achievement

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-04-24T12:43:11+09:00

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:

Identify the content that students are to learn.
Design an assessment, being sure it requires your students to connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.
Provide engaging instruction, including using models of student work, explaining rubrics, and giving direct instruction on vocabulary.
Provide effective tools that your students can use to prepare for the assessment, including templates and web sites.
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.
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:

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).
Design an assessment that requires schools to demonstrate the identified content (see #1).
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.
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”).
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.
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.

What would happen if...?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-01-13T15:28:43+09:00

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?

What 4 questions should you consider?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-04-28T15:27:32+09:00

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

What’s your mission?
What’s your definition of mission achievement?
To what extent is your school achieving its mission?
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:

Mission: To equip students to impact the world for Christ.
Definition of mission achievement: 90% of students at or above standard on all schoolwide learning outcomes.
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.
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.

If you don’t measure the achievement of your mission, how effectively can you lead?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-05-24T15:27:15+09:00

You’re coaching a game. You're not sure of the score (because there’s no scoreboard). You don’t have game stats. And you don’t have a handle on how well your players should be performing, given the team you’re playing. Meanwhile, you’re pleased that the crowd is cheering.

You call for a time out. You have 60 seconds to talk with your players.

What will you tell them?
What will you tell them to do to reach success? Remember, you don’t know the score, the stats, or how well your team should be doing.
Well, what are you going to tell them? Your players are waiting.

Not a good situation. And one that may play out in life more often than we think. For example, to what extent is it similar to what happens in Christian schools?

You’re leading a Christian school. You’re not sure how well you’re doing because you have not defined the achievement of your God-given mission or measured the current level of mission achievement. You don’t have disaggregated student assessment data. Meanwhile, you’re pleased that the parents are happy with the education their children receive.

You schedule a staff meeting. You have 60 minutes to talk with your staff.

What will you tell them?
What you will you tell them to do to achieve the mission? Remember, you have not defined mission achievement or the current level of mission achievement.
Well, what are you going to tell them?

Your staff is waiting.

Rally around mission achievement

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-05-26T15:26:53+09:00

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.

How can you be a good steward of your God-given mission?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-05-31T15:26:33+09:00

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:

Commit to focusing on the mission and to responding to crises as a function of achieving your mission.
Commit to investing 5 or more minutes during each staff meeting in discussing and celebrating progress toward mission achievement.
Commit to investing 30 or more minutes each week in assessing progress toward mission achievement and planning next steps.
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?
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).

How does defining mission achievement help?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-06-13T15:26:08+09:00

At Christian Academy in Japan, we define mission achievement in terms of achievement of our student objectives, accreditation standards, and core values.

How has defining mission achievement helped us? Here’s what two staff members had to say:

“As a teacher, having mission achievement stated in quantifiable terms lets me know if I am achieving the mission or how close I got to achieving the mission. It gives me a direction in my work (I know what I need to do with my students), and it gives me a way of knowing if what I'm doing is effective.” —Math Teacher
“In the Technology Department we continually keep the school's mission in mind as we make decisions. We feel strongly that everything that we do in technology should relate back to our mission of equipping students to impact the world for Christ. Decisions such as what hardware to buy and what services to provide all should relate to that mission. We are also concerned about how we meet student objectives. We look at how computers and related technologies relate to our student objectives. How can we use technology to help students become responsible learners, discerning thinkers, productive collaborators, effective communicators, and faithful caretakers? It is exciting to us to look at our student objectives and to see ways that the technology we provide here at CAJ will help our students achieve the student objectives.” —Educational Technology Coordinator

How can you increase your mission intelligence quotient (MIQ)?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-07-13T15:25:54+09:00

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.

What is a mission statement?
What makes a good mission statement good?
How do you develop a mission statement?
What is your mission?
How important is your mission?
How well can you explain your mission statement?
What does your mission mean? What does your mission not mean?
What’s it take to achieve your mission?
How do you contribute to mission achievement?
To what extent are you mission driven?
How can you promote being mission driven?
To be increasingly mission driven, what do you need to keep doing, stop doing, and start doing?

How can you achieve your God-given mission—without feeling hurried?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-09-01T15:25:30+09:00

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:

What’s your organization’s mission? (What is not your organization’s mission?)
What does it take to achieve your organization’s mission? (What is not involved in achieving your organization’s mission?)
In your job, how do you contribute to mission achievement? (What does your job not require you to contribute?)
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?
How will you monitor progress on #4?
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.

Are you a player or a spectator?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-09-08T15:25:05+09:00

The game is achieving your God-given mission. Are you a player or a spectator?

A player plays, knowing 3 things:

To win, you have to play.
If you play, you will lose. (No one always wins).
What you learn from losing will help you win.

A spectator watches, never doing 3 things:

Never winning.
Never losing.
Never learning to win.

Don't be a spectator. Be a player. Play today. Achieve your mission.

Remember, the real question isn’t “Are you a player or a spectator?” The real question is “What step will you take today toward achieving your God-given mission?”

How can you lead effectively?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-09-15T15:24:48+09:00

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:

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

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

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

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

If you don’t define the achievement of your God-given mission, how effectively can you work?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-10-12T15:24:34+09:00

You: God has given me a mission. Knowing my mission is important. It gives me a goal. I don’t really want to define what it takes to achieve my mission. I just want to get at it. There’s so much work to do. And yet, I’m starting to wonder, “If I don’t define mission achievement, how effectively can I work?”

Me: I’ll answer your question after you answer a question for me, OK? Here’s the scenario: You’re CAJ’s coach. The scoreboard reads: CAJ 25 • YIS 20. The clock reads: 1:00.

In this scenario, which 1 of the following 5 options is what you should say? (There is a right answer.)

Volleyball: We’ve got 1 minute to talk, so listen up. We won the first set. You started out strong, and they came on strong at the end. In the next set, concentrate on serve-receive. Their ace server is up. Also, vary who spikes. When too many sets went to Kim, they blocked and caught up. OK? Focus!
Golf: We’re 5 strokes behind. We’ve played 5 holes and have 13 more to go. It’s 1:00. When you finish around 3:00, our goal is to be 2 strokes behind. Then we’ll be set to catch up and beat them tomorrow. Our short game is better than theirs, so concentrate on beating them on the short holes. OK? Focus!
Cross-country: Great race. YIS has a good team. Our goal was to be within 7 points, and we were within 5. And 3 of you set personal records! Last week’s hill work paid off. We’ll continue it next week as we prepare for our race against ASIJ. Based on today’s times, we would have beaten ASIJ by 1 point. The guys’ race starts at 1:15. Be sure to cheer them on. OK? Focus!
Track: We’re ahead by 5. Long jump is the last event. And their strongest event. If we place 2nd and get 3 points, we’ll win. So, target 2nd place. Remember to count off your steps, reach for your toes, and land on your feet. Your event starts at 1:05. OK? Focus!
Basketball: The full-court press worked well. We stopped them from scoring. Great way to end the first half. Second half we need to concentrate on defensive rebounding—they scored 8 points on offensive rebounds. And we need to concentrate on making free throws—we were 1 for 5. We start the second half in 1 minute. OK? Focus!

You: This is silly. If you’d tell me what sport I’m coaching, I could pick the right answer. If you don’t tell me the sport, how do I know what to say? How can I coach effectively?

It’s not one of the options, but if you don’t tell me what sport I’m coaching, about all I can say are things like, “Focus!” “Concentrate!” “Work hard!” That helps, but not really, because it’s not specific. It doesn’t say what to focus or concentrate on. Working hard is good, but working on crucial things is better.

Get real. Tell me what sport I’m coaching, and I’ll select the most effective thing to say.

Me: You’ve answered your own question. If you don’t know the game, you can’t coach very effectively. If you don’t know what achieving your mission means, you can’t work very effectively.

You will focus, concentrate, and work hard—but you won’t know if you are focusing on, concentrating on, working hard on crucial things.

Want to coach effectively? Know the sport you are coaching. Want to work effectively? Know your organization’s definition of mission achievement.

Still want to know which option would have been best to tell your team? It’s 1 of the 5 answers you didn’t pick, but I’m not sure which.

What do you need to know?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-10-18T15:24:08+09:00

You’re a basketball coach. Your team is playing in the tournament finals. It's halftime.

As you enter your basketball team’s locker room, what’s the single most important piece of information you need? Pick 1:

Shooting percentage, yours and theirs
Number of rebounds, yours and theirs
Number of turnovers, yours and theirs
Players in foul trouble, yours and theirs

Did you pick “shooting percentage”? Shooting percentage can make the difference in the game. If you increase your shooting percentage and decrease their shooting percentage (by stopping them from taking shots from where they are comfortable), you increase your chances of winning. I didn’t pick shooting percentage.

Did you pick “number of rebounds”? Controlling rebounds can result in control of the game. If you get more offensive rebounds and stop them from getting offensive rebounds (they have scored 8 points on second-shot attempts), you increase your chances of winning. I didn’t pick rebounding.

Did you pick “number of turnovers”? Mistakes can cost you the game—or them the game. If you decrease your turnovers and increase their turnovers, you increase your chances of winning. I didn’t pick number of turnovers.

Did you pick “players in foul trouble”? You need your key players on the floor—not on the bench, due to foul trouble. You need to know if their 2 key players are in foul trouble. You need to know so you can increase your chances of winning by getting their 2 key players in foul trouble. I didn’t pick players in foul trouble.

The single most important piece of information you need to coach your team is not shooting percentage, number of rebounds, number of turnovers, or players in foul trouble.

What is?

The score.

To coach effectively, you must know the sport, what constitutes winning, and the score. Then you can implement an effective second-half game plan.

The same is true for leading a Christian organization. To lead effectively, you must know your God-given mission, what constitutes achieving your mission, and your current level of mission achievement—the score. Then you can implement a strategic improvement plan.

What’s the score?

(If you’re not sure, call “time-out.” Define what constitutes the achievement of your mission. Then determine your current level of mission achievement.)

Calvin Johnston, Christian Academy in Japan, headmaster
Knowing the score is essential. When I know the score, I can more effectively focus our school’s energy on the right things, things that will help us achieve our mission. When I don’t know the score, it is hard for me to say no to good ideas. We can’t do all the good ideas so knowing the score helps me make tough choices

Do something now, collaboratively

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-11-17T15:23:33+09:00

You: I want to close the gap between the words of our God-given mission and the reality of our situation. How can I close the gap?

Me: Before I respond to your question, let me first describe a process Christian organizations use that really works. It involves doing something—tracking vital data with charts, graphs, and tables. It involves doing something now—determining and monitoring goals. It involves doing something now, collaboratively—the administration, the board, and a certifying agency working together.

What is it? The budget. So now back to your question, “How can I close the gap?”

Shortest answer? Do something.

Shorter answer? Do something now.

Short answer? Do something now, collaboratively.

Longer answer? Do something. Learning, planning, and committing to using your plan don’t equal closing the gap. Doing your plan does (provided it targets closing the gap). What are you going to do? Ask your business manager, and he’ll tell you what he’s going to do to ensure sound fiscal practice.

Do something now. You can’t change the past. But what you do now creates the future. Your business manager understands this. So, he takes action. Now. By monitoring the budget and reducing spending appropriately. Remember, if you don’t act now, you aren’t moving toward a future of achieving your mission. If you act now, you are. The choice is yours. The clock is ticking.

Do something now, collaboratively.

Administration: As an administrator, your business manager sets goals, monitors progress toward the goals, and uses the results to determine next steps.
Board: The board determines the following policy, holding the administration (including the business manager) accountable for its implementation: “The administration shall not exceed the total operating expense budget nor the capital budget without board approval.” Additionally, the board asks the administration (specifically the business manager) to present the budget, using a schedule set by the board.
Certifying Agency: The certifying agency (aka the auditor) determines business and accounting best practices. The auditor holds the business manager accountable for implementing best practices, in part by rigorously analyzing the business manager’s work.

As a result of your organization’s use of this process, your budget works.

Imagine. What might happen if your organization did something now, collaboratively? What if you organization, for example worked to increase student application of a biblical perspective to course content?

Administration: The administration sets a goal of having 90% of students at/above standard on applying a biblical perspective to course content, scores being based on rubric-scored classroom assessments. The administration monitors implementation of assessments and uses assessment results to determine next steps.
Board: The board determines the following policy, holding the administration accountable for its implementation: “Ensure that the program fosters the application of a biblical worldview to all of life.” Additionally, at each board meeting, the board asks the administration to indicate the following fraction:
# of biblical perspective student assessments / total # of classes taught daily in the school
Certifying Agency: School accreditation agencies (like ACSI and CSI) hold the school accountable to the following standard: “Each student completes a biblical perspective assessment in each class a minimum of 4 times a year.”

What might happen…?

If your organization did something now, collaboratively?
If you applied the “do-something-now-collaboratively” process to church planting? Hunger relief? Christian publications?

Steward what God has given you. Close the gap. Do something now, collaboratively.

You and your staff are now a passenger airplane crew—how successful are you?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2006-12-14T15:23:14+09:00

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?

To achieve your God-given mission, what has to be accomplished? To what degree?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-01-24T15:22:55+09:00

Your goal is to run fast. You want to achieve your goal. Any questions?

I have 2:

How far? 1 kilometer? 10 kilometers? 100 kilometers?
How fast? 5 minutes per kilometer? 4 minutes per kilometer? 3 minutes per kilometer?

Get answers to these 2 questions, and you’ll have a clearer understanding of what you must do to achieve your goal. In other words, define achievement, and you’ll know what you need to do. If you don’t define achievement, you won’t have a clear picture of what to do. Consequently, you won’t be able to focus your energy with maximum effectiveness on achieving your goal. Nor will you be able to be certain when you’ve accomplished your goal.

And make sure your definition of achievement is specific, measurable, attainable, and relevant. For example:

Instead of “run fast,” run 400 meters in 51.2 seconds.
Instead of “plan better,” spend 60 minutes each Friday afternoon using calendar software to map out how to get next week’s goals done.
Instead of “do better on e-mail,” download e-mail twice a day (11:30 and 4:00) and work on it a maximum of 30 minutes after each download.

Defining achievement is useful for you—and for your organization. For example, imagine you’re working at a school, and your school’s mission is “Equipping students to impact the world for Christ.” You want to achieve your school’s mission. Any questions? I have 2:

For a student to be equipped to impact the world for Christ, what must a student understand, be able to do, and value?
For a student to be equipped, at what level must a student understand, do, and value?

Or imagine you’re working for a missionary network whose mission is to “Network and equip members to make disciples for Christ.” You want to achieve your network’s mission. Any questions? I have 2:

How must members be networked and equipped and networked in order to make disciples for Christ?
To what degree must members be networked and equipped in order to make disciples for Christ?

Now, here are 2 questions for you to start answering today:

For your organization’s mission to be achieved, what must be accomplished?
For your organization’s mission to be achieved, to what degree must it be accomplished?

God has given you a mission. To achieve your mission (and your goals), start by defining achievement.

What do you need to do to effectively define mission achievement?

learnmore@closethegapnow.org — 2007-02-21T11:21:59+09:00

God has given you a mission. To achieve your mission, you know you must define what it takes to achieve it.

To define your mission effectively, do 5 things:
(1) Get others involved. Actually, get as many as possible involved. Getting others involved increases the likelihood that you’ll develop an effective definition. Getting others involved means that more people will understand what you’re doing and that more people will reflect on what God is calling the organization to do. And getting others involved increases the likelihood that the definition will be implemented throughout the organization.

Don’t write this definition on by yourself. Don’t do it. While it’s possible that your definition might be better than one developed by a group, you forfeit group buy-in, something you can’t afford to forfeit.

(2) Make sure those involved understand the process. Make sure they know who is involved, what who does what, and what the timeline is. Clarifying this at the outset will make the process go more smoothly. Not clarifying this increases the likelihood that people will be confused about why they are participating, about who makes what decisions, and about when the job has to be done. Not good.

(3) Make sure the sure those involved understand the framework and vocabulary. Which framework are you going to use?

Values → Mission → Vision → Strategic Plan
Values → Vision → Mission → Strategic Plan
Beliefs → Values → Mission → Vision → Strategic Plan
Beliefs → Values → Vision → Mission → Strategic Plan
Beliefs → Mission → Vision/Values → Strategic Plan
Mission → Vision/Values → Strategic Plan
Other: ____________________________________________

Be sure to get others involved in determining the framework, and help all those involved understand the framework and the vocabulary.

(4) Make sure your definition is user-friendly. Before developing your definition, collaborate with those involved to develop criteria for user-friendly definitions of mission achievement. Developing criteria will help those involved to work together effectively and to develop user-friendly definition.

I recommend the following 4 criteria:

Specific: Instead of “run fast,” use “run 400 meters in 51.2 seconds.”
Measurable: Instead of “equip students to impact the world for Christ,” use “90% of student score at or above standard on each student learning outcome.”
Attainable: Instead of “every person on earth will hear the good news,” use “every nation on earth will hear the good news.”
Relevant: Instead of “buy ice cream for everyone to make them happy,” use “each organizational standard will have a rating of ‘above standard.’”

(5) Define mission achievement in terms of achievement of organizational outputs and inputs (standards and values). In other words, define mission achievement in terms of results, effective practices, and being Christ-like. Put another way, an effective definition of mission achievement answers the following questions:

Outputs: What do you want to accomplish? To what degree?
Inputs—Standards: What constitutes effective work practice? How effectively do you want to work?
Inputs—Values: What values guide your decisions and how you work together? To what degree must you implement your values?

What might a definition of mission achievement look like? Here’s an example from Christian Academy in Japan, a school for missionary children that equips students to impact the world for Christ:

Outputs: Each of our 15 student learning outcomes will have an achievement rating of 90% of 5th-12th graders at or above standard, scores being taken from a complete set of end-of-course common assessments.
Inputs—Standards: Each of our 14 organizational (accreditation) standards will have a rating of “above standard,” scores being based on a rubric.
Inputs—Values: Each of our 5 Christ-centered core values will have a rating of “above standard,” scores being based on a rubric.

Take action. To define your mission effectively, do 5 things:

Get others involved.
Clarify the process.
Make sure the sure those involved understand the framework and vocabulary.
Collaboratively develop criteria for user-friendly definitions of mission achievement.
Define the achievement of your mission in terms of organizational outputs and inputs (standards and values).

Start defining your mission. Today.