How can you build a mission-driven program team that achieves results?

Mission is all about purpose. You need to understand meaning first. Why do people what to achieve the goals? How does that intersect individual interests and strengths to build a common goal that matters. This is key. Along with that - all members understand their role, their value and how they contribute daily to achieving tasks related to the mission. Don't be realistic, challenge the norm (Bock, 2018). You don't achieve anything great if you can't go above and beyond what is possible. That is where the crux of inspiration and motivation lie. Establish a proper game plan related to goals that is distilled into work plans for each individual and how they interrelate. Use collaboration tools to manage and celebrate progress (Motion).

Focusing on outcomes, fostering a collaborative culture, hiring the right people will not matter if the supervisor or leadership micromanages, takes credit for someone else's hardwork, is lacking empathy, lacks vision, to name a few. This is why a supervisor or leader who comes from a place of support and guidance, establishes trust, uses a strengths based approach, and builds capacity is important to the success of a company.

To build a mission-driven program team that achieves results, focus on aligning the team's core values with the overarching goals of the project. Cultivate a culture of open communication, accountability, and continuous learning. Empower each member to take ownership of their roles, while fostering a collaborative environment where collective intelligence outshines individual brilliance. The synergy of a united, mission-focused team is the ultimate catalyst for transformative success.

Defining Program Outcomes: A Human-Centric Perspective In building mission-driven programs, defining outcomes is key, but how we do this matters. It’s about more than metrics - it’s about aligning our goals with the human impact of our mission. Our objectives need to resonate deeply, addressing the needs and aspirations of those we serve. In tracking and reporting progress, we look beyond numbers, seeing stories of change and impact. This human-centric approach ensures that every goal reflects real needs, and each achievement tells a human story. By focusing on the ‘who’ and ‘why,’ we make every step of our project meaningful and impactful. #ProjectManagement #HumanCentric #MissionDriven

I believe that the key is in setting clear and realistic outcomes for each mission. Balancing the desired outcome with the strength of the team helps keeping the team engaged and helps the team's morale high. i also find that in tracking the progress is alway useful to show what the starting point was.

It all begins from the first touch opportunity of each team member. Whether they are new hires, or part of previous teams, they must be groomed and ready to perform based on their unique skillset. Aligned with their mission driven goals and left to be themselves and flourish, the concept of teams is a vast array of pieces like a puzzle. But in its simplistic approach, most people perform at the top when they feel safe and trusted and are left to be the best version of themselves.

A good team is always a mixture of personalities as well as skills. Having the more experienced people in the key roles, would allow the development of junior team members. When the balance between experienced/unexperienced team members is correct, a team grows incredibly throughout the journey.

In my experience, it's more important to find candidates with the right attitudes and levels of EI. It's why going outside of specific set of skills and experience can be dynamic. Of course, this has to be wthin reason but many skills are tranferrable and can be taught. But high EI and how to function as team member isn't as easy to teach can be very destructive to team cohesion.

Understanding what the team lacks should be considered when selecting a new member. Most that apply meet the qualifications. Also, understand the "why did they apply to this role". Are you interview number 10 for them or is this a true role in their career path.

My focus is on identifying candidates who truly resonate with our mission and the communities we serve. But it doesn’t stop at hiring; equipping these team members with comprehensive training, resources, and support is crucial to empower them in their roles. In this process, a human-centric approach is my guiding principle. This means going beyond technical competencies to embrace emotional intelligence, empathy, and a collaborative spirit. Providing an environment that fosters continuous learning and growth. Each member's development and well-being are central to the collective success, driving impactful and sustainable outcomes. ---

Wouldn't it be a shame, though, if all your efforts to foster a collaborative culture were negated by other messages to the contrary? Dictatorial or condescending language in policies, directives, and other rules documents reinforces barriers. Wording along the lines of "All employees must..." or "... is not tolerated," sends messages promoting a parent-child dynamic. Your organization can’t demonstrate that it values cooperation, teamwork, inclusiveness, and respect when the wording of its policies makes it clear that the real objective is obedience and control. It might be time-consuming to review all those documents to eliminate the overly-authoritarian language, but it's worth it if the alternative is sounding hypocritical.

Daniel Coyle talks about the "Bad Apple" experiment which points to how damaging one person can be to a culture. One individual can infect a culture with negativity that ripples into gossip, damaging mindsets, and toxicity. At the same time, it illustrates how important leadership is, to modeling, and addressing negativity. Leaders who have the courage to face strong, negative personalities in ways that are constructive, kind, and productive, will shift to engage all individuals towards strength-based approaches. This shapes culture and teams to focus on solutions, healthy relationships, and moving forward in a good direction together. We need each other and diverse opinions... but we DON'T need them to bring us all down.

Real time support can help build a culture of collaboration. Text chats, Teams site channels etc. where workers can ask important questions in real time and get helpful, consistent feedback and answers can foster a collaborative culture.

For me, the ultimate sin is lack of support of your co-workers and teammates. You must be willing and desire to step in and support each other while at the same time valuing each other's opinions even when they differ. If you have ever known the feeling of doing something for someone because you knew they would do it for you, then you know the importance of this principle. It's why we are stronger together.

As a leader, my focus is on nurturing a workspace where respect and positivity aren't just ideals, but daily practices. I encourage open communication, idea sharing, and collective problem-solving within my team. I leverage regular team meetings, efficient project management systems, and recognition programs as tools to bolster and acknowledge teamwork and cooperation. But more than the tools, it's the human-centric ethos that drives us – valuing each individual's contribution, encouraging diverse perspectives, and learning from each other. This collaborative spirit is about building a community of professionals who thrive together, elevating our collective potential.

A LIVING strategy with Key Performance Indicators and metrics tied to operational teams and individual performance is key. People need to know on a weekly basis that their talents are valued and they are contributing to making a difference - and working towards a better tomorrow together. Start with Why (see Simon Sinek) to get to the heart of why people might care about the common purpose. Ask them how their talents can contribute and energize each individual/team to "show up". Strategy requires a thoughtful and deep process of thinking, engaging each person that matters. It takes time and a concentrated effort to make it come alive - every day.

To come up with a mission driven program team that achieves results in the near future needs planning & implementation that needs to go hand in hand with one another. Here are some key points to remember while building a team that stands to be a ruthless executioner of anything that comes their way. 1. Definition of Mission-Without proper direction & instruction any plan would just fade way ,hence it's important to align them with the organization's objectives. 2. Set clear goals-Establish measurable goals that align with the mission & communicate them effectively. Concisely explain roles & responsibilities. 3. Recruitment of the right people-Seek individuals who are skilled & passionate about the program's mission.

Data should be someone's explicit role on the team, in addition to several others that contribute to that objective. Everyone collects data, a system can be set up to process it efficiently, a portion of the team sets the strategy for analysis, and data gets reported to the team and community of stakeholders at tiered levels. Referring back to this data supports mission-aligned, data-driven decision making and the loop continues.

In my experience it starts with the mission. People need to understand the mission, buy into and own the mission, and feel passionate about the mission. Another key to success is developing and nurturing a network/coalition of individuals, organizations, policymakers, donors, and others who can work together to move the mission forward.