Role of the Board
- Board of Directors = not only fiduciary responsibility but guardians of the mission.
- Their alignment with the mission is critical to prevent drift.
Challenge: Recruitment & Alignment
- Staff hiring process: intentional, structured, rigorous.
- Board recruitment: often less intentional, less clear, fewer screenings.
- This creates vulnerability for mission drift.
Keeping the Mission Central
- The board must view the mission as the North Star in all decisions.
Practical reinforcements:
- Read the mission statement at every meeting.
- Share a story highlighting mission impact.
- Pray before decisions to align with the mission.
- Small consistent practices help the board own their role as mission guardians.
Personal vs Organisational Drift
- Mission drift is not only an organisational issue but also a personal one.
- Organisational drift = downstream from personal drift.
Key questions:
- Are board members personally mission true?
- Are staff and leaders personally aligned with God’s calling?
Alignment for Mission Faithfulness
- Long-term mission faithfulness requires:
- Board alignment.
- Staff alignment.
- Leadership alignment.
- When all three align, the organisation can confidently remain mission true.