[et_pb_section fb_built=“1″ _builder_version=“4.16″ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_row column_structure=“2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=“4.16″ background_size=“initial“ background_position=“top_left“ background_repeat=“repeat“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“2_5″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_image src=“https:\/\/intellerate.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tes200418_p68_hero.webp“ alt=“An image of water flowing down a stream with a tree trunk over it“ title_text=“tes200418_p68_hero“ _builder_version=“4.27.4″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“3_5″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.27.4″ background_size=“initial“ background_position=“top_left“ background_repeat=“repeat“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n
When I work with clients on strategic planning or launching new initiatives, I\u2019ve noticed a common tension between two types of thinkers:<\/p>\n
There are the process-oriented folks<\/strong>, who want to create the optimal system before doing anything else. They often fear taking flight before they\u2019re certain that the equipment will work without a hitch.<\/p>\n And then there are the mission-oriented people<\/strong> who are eager to get moving. When there is too much focus on process, they get bored, frustrated, and disengaged because \u201cwe\u2019re not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n The reality is that organizations need to work on process and mission at the same time. <\/strong><\/p>\n Challenging? Of course it is.<\/p>\n But once you get comfortable building the airplane midflight, your organization will be more effective and more sustainable.<\/p>\n In this post, I\u2019ll describe how and why this is the case.<\/p>\n Two years ago, my family and I had the opportunity to spend a full year in Berlin, Germany. We rented a furnished apartment, but it quickly became apparent that no one had truly lived there for any sustained period.<\/p>\n There were beds to sleep in, but no curtains to block out the 5:00 AM sunrise.<\/p>\n The cupboards contained two dozen (!) wine glasses, but only two coffee mugs.<\/p>\n The kitchen was stuffed with appliances, but lacked counter space to prepare food.<\/p>\n In short, the \u201cfurnished\u201d apartment was set up in a way that didn\u2019t meet the practical needs of the occupants.<\/p>\n Within days of moving in, we went to the nearby IKEA to purchase a few essentials. The rest of the apartment setup process was more gradual. Why? We wanted to spend time living there so that we could avoid unnecessary purchases and figure out how to set up our temporary home to meet our needs.<\/p>\n In an ideal world, the apartment would have had everything we needed on Day 1. But because it was incomplete, we were able to turn the place into a home that better suited our family\u2019s lifestyle.<\/p>\n The lesson? You can\u2019t design the perfect system from the outside. You have to live in it.<\/strong><\/p>\n Building and sustaining an effective organization is a lot like setting up a new home: once you have the bare essentials\u2014a mission, some people, and hopefully some money\u2014you can begin to take action. And by doing the work, it often becomes quite clear what other systems you need to be even more effective.<\/p>\n When working with clients, I aim to help them balance two types of work:<\/p>\n Building the airplane:<\/strong> Making sure that you have the people, the funding, and the infrastructure to keep everything running smoothly. This category includes active board governance (if you\u2019re a nonprofit), robust communication systems, transparent budgets, and clear processes.<\/p>\n Taking flight: <\/strong>Serving your mission by helping your stakeholders, clients, and constituents\u2014the reason your organization exists in the first place.<\/p>\n Perhaps because organizational leadership tends to draw a lot of systems thinkers, I\u2019ve found that many leaders want to complete the first step before moving to the second.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned: the best planes are built in response to actual flight conditions.<\/strong><\/p>\n When both sides are in balance, the magic happens. Your systems evolve to support your actual work rather than theoretical work. Your mission work becomes more effective because you’re continuously improving how you operate.<\/p>\n Bonus: By offering opportunities that appeal to both process- and action-oriented people, you\u2019ll engage a wider variety of people who can contribute to your organization\u2019s growth and sustainability.<\/p>\n In my next post, I\u2019ll provide some concrete tips and examples for how to build and fly at the same time.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Organizations need to work on process and mission at the same time. It’s a challenge, but once you get comfortable building the airplane midflight, your organization will be more effective and more sustainable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,17,11,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-capacity-building","category-leadership","category-strategic-planning","category-taking-action"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1178"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1190,"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178\/revisions\/1190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intellerate.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Lessons from my Berlin apartment<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Two kinds of work, one organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n