Do you want to increase shared understanding and focus? If so, develop, document, and discuss your organization’s philosophy. Below is Christian Academy in Japan’s philosophy statement which school staff discuss in meetings.

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Our vision for education is to equip students for a life of loving, obedient response to God and of care for and restoration of His creation. Through education, students are equipped to discover God's grace and truth, to embrace their identity as human beings created in His image and for His glory, and to develop their God-given potential.

To this end, we aspire to be a school where, in reliance upon the Holy Spirit: 

Parents assume the primary responsibility for their children's education, with CAJ assisting them in providing Christian education. CAJ exists to educate children of evangelical missionary parents, and also welcomes other families desiring their children to have a Christian education. 

Students are valued as persons created in God's image, are responsible for their learning, and can influence it by diligence, prayer for wisdom, and the application of God's Word to their lives. We recognize and value student diversity seen in ways of learning, abilities, and cultural backgrounds and identities. We believe that students mature spiritually, intellectually, aesthetically, physically, emotionally, and socially. 

Teachers model a Christ-like lifestyle; teach all subjects from a Biblical perspective; implement CAJ's school philosophy in order to inform, motivate, direct, encourage, and discipline students; and avail themselves of resources and training opportunities for ongoing professional growth. 

Learning occurs as students are equipped with knowledge, skills, and attitudes so they can love and serve God and others. Students learn best within a nurturing environment which fosters an enduring joy in learning and the desire to honor Christ through learning; and where teachers pray for students and use Biblical principles and sound, current educational research and practice to determine what students learn, how they are taught, and how they show what they know. 

Our program fosters the development and application of a Biblical worldview to all of life by grounding students in Biblical practices and values; training them to use Biblical discernment as we expose them to selected non-Christian worldviews and ideas; and encouraging them to apply God's truth in daily life. Our program is communicated in the English language and is based upon an American approach which uses United States educational standards, course sequences and options (college preparatory and career), instructional materials, standardized tests, educational research, and co-curricular activities.

Your organization believes. Your organization believest that…

• Our purpose is to glorify God
  
• God is a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
  
• All people are sinners and need salvation
  
• Jesus, fully God and man, died for our sins, rose from the dead, is in heaven, and is coming again
  
• We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus
  
• The Bible is God’s Word
  
• Christians are part of the Church and should obey God’s Word

Your organization identifies a mission consistent with its beliefs, for example:

• Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ
  
• The Japan Evangelical Mission Association exists to network and equip its members to make disciples for Christ

Your organization works to achieve its mission, using operational values to drive mission achievement. Your organization’s operational values address 2 things:

1. Who you are. For example, your organization is caring and collaborative.
   
2. What your organization needs to become in order for your mission to be achieved. For example, to achieve its mission, your organization needs to increasingly value diversity, excellence, stewardship.

My question: To what extent does your organizational environment reflect your organizational values? To answer this question, complete 3 tasks:

Task 1: To answer my question, take your values statement (see sample draft below) and rate each value in terms of the extent to which that value is reflected in your organizational environment. Be brutally honest. Use the following scale:

• 5: Exemplary
  
• 4: Good
  
• 3: OK
  
• 2: Developing
  
• 1: Starting

Task 2: Use your answer to develop an action plan that targets having each value having a rating of 4 (Good). If each of your values has a rating of 4, target having each value having a rating of 5.

Task 3: Use your action plan.

Pursue excellence. Use your organization’s operational values to achieve your God-given mission. Ensure that your organizational environment reflects each of your organizational values at level 4 (Good). Do this so that your organization can be itself and can become the type of organization it needs to become in order to achieve its mission.

Here’s a draft of a values statement

Faithfulness

• We serve Jesus Christ (Matt. 22:37, Matt. 25:14-21)
  
• We use a biblical perspective (II Tim. 3:16)
  
• We walk our talk (James 1:22)

Caring

• We help and encourage others to succeed (I Thess. 5:11, Heb. 10:24)
  
• We maintain a nurturing learning environment (Mt. 22:39)
  
• We communicate the truth in love (Eph. 4:15)

Collaboration

• We function as the body of Christ (Cor. 12:12-31)
  
• We work in partnership with parents, who are primarily responsible for their children’s education (Deut. 6:6-10)
  
• We believe that success comes from group effort (Eccl 4:12. Eph. 4:16)
  
• We help and encourage others to succeed (Luke 10:25-37, I Thess. 5:11, Heb. 10:24)

Diversity

• We, the body of Christ, come from many nations (Mt. 28:19)
  
• We respect ourselves and others as God’s image bearers (Gen. 1:27)
  
• We recognize and value diversity seen in ways of learning, abilities, and cultural backgrounds and identities

Excellence

• We develop exemplary, sustainable, replicable programs
  
• We use biblical principles and sound, current research and practice

Stewardship

• We carefully use the resources God has provided to educate missionary children through day-school and extension programs (Gen. 1:28)
  
• We provide affordable Christian education for evangelical missionary parents