Today, let’s talk about business goals and business mission.
As an entrepreneur or nonprofit leader, it’s important to take the time to measure how your organization is performing. Often, that means pulling together data or running reports. Many leaders dig deep into the quantifiable metrics -- sales, clients, classes, operating expenses. But success is more than just numbers. You won’t have a full understanding of performance if you’re not also considering the “why?” -- your business mission.
We’re human beings, and that means that our decisions are influenced by more than just the hard data. Some of the most powerful influences on our decision making processes have little (if anything) to do with numbers at all. We’re influenced by our need to be part of our community, by wanting to make a difference, by our desire to be of service. That’s what makes running an organization fulfilling.
One exercise we use at B.O.S.S. Consulting involves having leaders handwrite their business mission and current business goals in the same place -- on a whiteboard or a single sheet of paper. Reflecting on these statements side by side can lead to a real set of “aha!” moments.
So it’s time to pose the questions to you. What IS your business mission? Do the quantifiable goals you’ve set align with that mission, or are they currently working in opposition to one another?