TEAMS Newsletter – Mission Edition
In a world marked by rapid change—new technology, policy shifts, funding uncertainties, and evolving community needs—why are our program models often built for a world that no longer exists? The reality is that organizations frequently fall prey to defending old programs because of past investments and familiarity, even when they no longer deliver the most impact. True mission fidelity today requires accepting that program models are replaceable, while the core mission remains sacred. We must design for agility, not permanence.
Executive Summary: From Static Models to Strategic Iteration
To keep mission impact relevant in a fast-changing environment, leaders must build continuous iteration and learning into program design. Agility starts with questioning deeply held assumptions about how services should be delivered. This shift requires adopting a "Beginner's Mindset" to challenge old methods and committing to small, contained pilots that quickly gather data and community feedback.
Here are the three key takeaways for driving Mission Agility:
- Mission is Sacred: True commitment to your mission requires the courage to view existing programs as temporary methods, not permanent structures, constantly challenging the status quo.
- Beginner's Mindset Set the Framework for Strategy: Adopting curiosity and humility (like the Beginner's Mindset) is the precondition for agility, allowing teams to question current services and discover new possibilities.
- Iteration Reduces Risk: Small, contained pilot projects are the safest way to innovate, enabling organizations to learn from setbacks and improve programs based on actual community needs before expanding.
The Agility Mindset: Liberating Program Design
A Beginner's Mindset helps drive agility—approaching program design with Curiosity and Humility. It's about letting go of ego and staying open to radical, sometimes uncomfortable questions and new ideas.
To break free from static program designs in a changing world, leaders must also apply First Principles Thinking. This means asking: What is the fundamental, elemental program we are trying to deliver? We must question and challenge every assumption.
- Challenging the Group Model (First Principle): For years, the traditional approach to community integration in the developmental disabilities service sector focused on large-group outings. Applying the First Principle approach to inclusion shows that true inclusion is built on reciprocal relationships. AbilityPath recognized that this model, while offering some benefits, was limited in what it could achieve. It encouraged social proximity but did not foster genuine connections. Our team is now piloting a 1:1 community-based program to meet this unmet need, shifting the mission from managing groups to creating truly meaningful relationships.
Three Pillars of Mission-Agile Program Creation
Pillar One: Pilot, Iterate, Document: The Strategy of Small Bets
Stop planning monolithic programs that take years to launch. Instead, launch small, contained "pilot projects" (Minimum Viable Programs) to test core assumptions quickly. Measure learning velocity, not just outcomes.
- Research Example: The Build-Measure-Learn Loop: The idea of rapid testing and iteration is essential to the Lean Startup approach, popularized by Eric Ries. This cycle helps prevent wasting resources on large projects based on unverified assumptions, lowering risk and increasing learning—an essential strategy for resource-limited nonprofits.
- AbilityPath Example: Innovative Cooperative Living Home Design: We started with a specific pilot to test design elements that promote agency and independence—the first principle of all our adult services. This small, contained pilot allowed us to gather data on what genuinely increases self-determination in a cooperative living setting before expanding the design. We will soon open a third cooperative living home, with a fourth home planned to open in 2026.
Pillar Two: Design for Continuous Feedback
Treat program design not as a one-time launch, but as a living ecosystem constantly informed by those you serve and by direct care staff insights. This is central to Engagement.
- Actionable Advice: Use the principle of Don't Make Assumptions from the Four Agreements by inviting broad participation from staff, families, and those served to rebuild your understanding after breaking the problem down.
- Research Example: Psychological Safety: Feedback and iteration thrive only in environments with high psychological safety. When leaders model curiosity and comfort with "not knowing," teams are more willing to admit gaps and propose untested ideas, which is essential for service design.
- AbilityPath Example: Relaunching the Art Program: Based on initial collaborative learnings from the "Creative Spotlight" partnership, we realized the method was not meeting the mission. Instead of assuming participants simply wanted to "create art," feedback revealed the deeper need for purpose, validation, and social connection —the same First Principles that drive our employment programs. The relaunched program is being designed around these deeper desires, focusing on creating vocational pathways and exhibits that validate the artists' creativity.
Pillar Three: Decoupling Mission from Method
Challenge every element of the program delivery method. The mission is what you achieve; the method is how you achieve it. Never confuse the two.
- Actionable Advice: Model fundamental questioning: Ask, "Why are we doing this?" If the answer is "because we always have," pause and dig deeper.
- AbilityPath Example: Learning Links Preschools: We challenged the idea that the classroom is the only place for learning. The core truth is that every child learns through rich, diverse, meaningful relationships and environments. This shift led to the adoption of new offerings and models for learning, including new communication tools for parents, breaking the “hard” link between early learning and the physical classroom.
Building a Mission That Cannot Fail
The most impactful organizations aren't the ones with the biggest budgets, but those with the strongest commitment to continuous improvement and adaptation. Agility represents structural resilience. By developing programs aimed at learning, adapting, and evolving, we ensure that our core mission—the commitment to the people we serve—remains constant.
The future is uncertain, but how we choose to think, speak, and act is always within our control. By becoming students of possibility, we build organizations that are designed for transformation.
How to Get Started Now:
- Surface and List Assumptions: Convene a team and list every assumption currently guiding your flagship program (e.g., "Clients only want service X during hours Y," or "Our service must be delivered in building Z"). Make it safe to ask, "Is that actually true?".
- Define the Fundamental Truth: For each assumption, use the First Principles method to drill down: Ask "Why?" repeatedly until you cannot go further, and only the core need or goal remains.
- Launch a Micro-Pilot: Choose one minor assumption you can test safely and quickly. For example, if you assume services must be delivered on a Tuesday, pilot a small virtual group on a Saturday morning. Try one. Iterate. Learn.
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Brilliant Bryan, so proud of your contribution to humanity on multiple levels. Bravo! Tom