Consistency & Mission drift

In this blog we would like to talk to you about your organisation’s mission and about consistency. As we see it, consistency and staying true to your mission go hand in hand. Both are very important for your social enterprise! As an organisation it is important to be consistent in order to flourish. Let’s try and untangle the term consistency. In our opinion  consistency includes three major factors.
 
First, it's about your organisation being consistent in what is does and whether what it is doing is consistent with its purpose. You should always check that what you are actually doing is consistent with your memorandum and articles of association (or mem and arts for short). Especially when new opportunities turn up - ask yourself does it fit with your mem and arts, or not? If it doesn’t, you need to ask yourself whether your mem and arts should be changed and if you are willing to do so? This part of consistency which is all about your purpose, and the actions you undertake to fulfil your purpose, are closely intertwined with staying true to your mission. Initially, be clear about what your purpose is and make sure that it is understood by everybody in the organisation, and that you all sign up to it. Always make sure that your purpose is appropriate for the organisation. Because what is appropriate for one organisation is not necessarily appropriate for another. Therefore, work out what it is that is appropriate for where you are and who you are. And then - stick with it! Don’t get distracted by the latest trend, the latest fashion, or what your funder wants. If it doesn’t fit you, if it doesn’t fit what your community needs, then you shouldn’t be doing it. Also, if it doesn’t fit the talents that you’ve got in your team, then don’t be drawn into something that’s new simply because a funder may want something innovative and creative. Do what you’re good at!

This brings us to the second pillar of consistency: delivering consistent quality. For example, if making coffee is your business, make sure that your coffee is consistently good. Applied to our business – which is giving business advice – one way that we provide consistency is that we always work in pairs. And that helps us to provide consistent quality through the four-eye-principle. 
 
And finally, consistency is also about making sure that the rules according to which you live your life, reflect the sector you are in. It's not enough to be doing something good for your clients, you also need to be doing that for your staff, your colleagues and your board. That positive attitude should be running throughout your whole organisation.