This is a sponsored post from Tim Peters, a Lead Navigator for Auxano. He navigates church leaders through growth challenges with vision clarity. In addition, Tim is the Director of Development with Auxano Design where he helps churches communicate vision visually. Connect with Tim at www.timpeters.org and on Twitter @timrpeters.
Singularity is the Power of Clarity: Take a 3-Minute Test
The power of singularity is narrowing the essence to one thing.
In organizational terms we refer to this one thing as mission. Yet most leaders never capture and lead from a defining, thoroughgoing sense of one thing. The big question is why? The answer is that they substitute strategy for mission.
Your one thing is your mission; your strategy is how you accomplish the mission. Mission is what we do, strategy is how we do it.
Most of the time I see a statement of mission, or talk to a leader about their sense of mission, they are speaking strategy, not mission. What about you?
Take a 3-Minute Test
Look at or write down your mission as a ministry.
- Count the number of “and” words in it.
- Count the number of commas.
- Count the number of words.
If you have any “and” statements, any commas or more than 15 words, most likely you are articulating strategy not mission.
Let’s Illustrate
The mission of Google is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. I think this is a clear, concise and compelling mission. Yet it does crack open the door to NOT having the power of singularity. The clue to this is the two “and” statements. Why did they introduce these?
They are introduced because they are important aspects of vision equity, but all the words of this mission do not answer the same questions. What is the core of this mission? What is Google’s one thing? I would suggest that their core is “making information accessible.” Their one thing is not organization; their one thing is not making information useful.
Now look at how knowing the one thing clarifies everything else. If their mission is actually, ”Making the world’s information universally accessible”, then “organization” is one step in how they do it (strategy). The idea that the information is “useful” is why they do it (values). Look at the new mission I am recommending for Google. Is it better?
Be focused and clear on your mission and see unbelievable results from singularity. You will begin to see the benefits of the tool we call the Vision Frame, which brings clarity to the essence of these defining questions.
If you are interested in receiving clarity on vision, values, mission and strategy, start a conversation with Tim Peters. Or connect with him at Exponential Conference on Wednesday, April 27 at 6 to 7:30 PM at the Doubletree Hotel in Orlando for a free “After Hours” event on leading your church with vision clarity.
