by Carlo Cuesta
In the social sector, our work is driven by our mission, vision, and values. These are important touchstones that we feature prominently on our web pages and in our grant proposals. Some of us boldly paint them on the office wall for all to see and be reminded.
But I believe there is one more touchstone that’s often overlooked—the promise. This is the specific meaningful value we seek to create and deliver for the world.
When I started teaching this concept, a skeptical leader stopped me and asked, “Are you saying we now have to write another statement on top of everything else?” I completely understand that response, but a promise isn’t something you craft. It’s something you listen for and learn from your work.
In the early days of Creation in Common, more than two decades ago, I would evangelize about this to our nonprofit, foundation, and government clients because without a promise, our mission, vision, and values lack relevance.
Over the years I’ve seen many different bold promises emerge through our work together:
- A theater company that cures loneliness
- A food bank that puts food on the table to take fear off
- A senior services agency that reimagines aging
These might sound like slogans (and some are) but they’re more than that. When harnessed to our mission, vision, and values, these are visual reminders or shared metaphors that help provide context for the work itself.
A good promise compels us to position our work from the perspective of the people and communities we seek to serve. A good promise helps us sharpen how we bring people together to solve the most intractable problems. A good promise helps us develop a reference point for the meaning of our work as it continues to grow and evolve. Listen to your clients to discover what meaningful value your work brings to them and their community.
That’s where you’ll find your good promise.