When Mission Creep Includes Personnel
We talk a lot about mission creep in programs, but what about mission creep in our personnel decisions?
Mission creep, the expansion of activities beyond the mission, represents a constant temptation. It can start with good intentions, like when you go on a trip and offer to pack a little something extra for a friend. But when that little something extra becomes a little more, and a little more, before you know it you’ve taken on more than you ever intended and it’s causing a lot of stress and strain!
As nonprofit leaders, we face decisions that keep us awake at night. None is more difficult than when budget constraints force us to make cuts that affect the people we care about—our team members who've become colleagues, friends, and mission partners.
Let me be clear: This isn't about being heartless or viewing people as expendable. Every person on our team matters. Terry matters. Aspen matters. The relationships we've built matters. The human cost of difficult decisions is real, and acknowledging that isn't weakness—it's leadership.
But here's the uncomfortable truth we must sit with: Our primary obligation isn't to maintain employment. It's to serve our mission.
When we make staffing decisions based on personal relationships, comfort, or avoiding difficult conversations rather than mission effectiveness, we risk something bigger than individual job security. We risk failing the communities we exist to serve.
The families waiting for housing assistance don't care that Terry is nice. The students needing tutoring don't benefit from our desire to avoid making Aspen sad. The animals in shelters aren't helped by our reluctance to make strategic changes.
This doesn't mean being cavalier about people's livelihoods. It means:
Planning ahead when possible to minimize surprises
Providing support through transitions with dignity and resources
Making decisions based on data about program effectiveness and mission alignment
Communicating transparently about organizational priorities and constraints
Mission creep isn't just about adding programs outside our scope. It's also about letting secondary considerations—however well-intentioned—override our primary purpose.
The our communities we serve deserve leaders who make the tough calls with both compassion for our teams AND unwavering commitment to impact.
Additional Resources:
The Matrix Map - a tool to make budget decisions more objective and mission focused