Your Mission Has More Options than you Think
August 6, 2026 | By David M. Wagner
How do you bring about systems change?
That’s a lofty question – but it was a pertinent one, in the case of a conversation I had with a client team this week.
For their work, I pointed out that they were trying to straddle two big strategies for urging big players in one system to change: partnership and collaboration on the one hand, and (well-deserved) shame and public accountability on the other.
Our discussion centered on the risks of blending the two approaches in meetings with potential partners.
But the broader point is universal: there is more than one way to accomplish your mission.
Picking the “right” method can mean the difference between progress and perpetual frustration.
Thinking Expansively
When we’re used to doing things a certain way, it can be easy to forget that there are alternatives available to achieve the same result.
A client was concerned that her board was considering expanding their mission scope from predominantly adult education to also working with youth.
Directly applying the organization’s existing model to that new audience, the executive director feared, would be a poor fit for their instructors, their facility, and the overall design of their programs.
I think she was right – about that approach.
The more we talked, however, the more alternatives emerged:
Curriculum development, perhaps with a partner with more experience. Advocacy with the state department of education. Training for teachers. Awards for teachers who incorporated certain topics into their classrooms.
At least one or two of the options we discussed fit more easily with programs and capacity the organization already has.
If you find yourself wondering, “how will we do that?” when presented with a new or expanded mission outcome, consider:
What are all the different ways to bring about that outcome, or at least contribute to it indirectly?
What else are others doing to support similar outcomes?
How could work you’re already doing be adapted to serve this new objective?
Finding a Fit
Just because a program model “fits” the vision for a better world that drives your work, does not mean that method is a good match for your organization.
Alignment with your purpose, values, and vision is a good first test.
But then the harder threshold for any new program to pass is this: is your organization the one best equipped to do the work?
Simply put, succeeding at program execution requires having the capacity – the know-how and the availability – to do the work well.
Once you’ve identified several candidate ways to accomplish your aims, look for options that your organization has the skill to carry out…without compromising what’s already working.
Experimenting with Program Models
In a workshop on business models that I facilitated this week for a nonprofit program at the Roux Institute, I made the same point about there being many ways to accomplish one objective.
And I went one step further: deciding how you’ll meet a new mission outcome is not a static choice. Maximizing your impact requires experimenting with different program models.
Consider the unknowns you might face at any point: Will this program have the impact we hope for? Can we afford to deliver it, or do so sustainably? Will beneficiaries or funders be willing to pay for it? Can we even pull it off?
Consider using experiments to test those questions. Here are some examples, from lowest fidelity (and least costly) to highest:
Conceptual models (my framework for mission-driven strategies is one example)
Analytical models (something you can test with a spreadsheet, for example)
Simulations (including scenarios you present to focus groups)
Pilots/prototypes
Minimum Viable Products (the simplest version you can reliably deliver)
Use the information you glean to adapt your program concept or actual delivery, and look for ways to continue to evolve it over time. You may even discover an entirely new way works better!
There’s more than one way to accomplish your mission. In fact, success may require multiple approaches be taken at once – whether by your organization alone, or in collaboration with partners. Don’t be afraid to abandon old ways of doing things. Explore possibilities, find what fits your capacity, and experiment.
Stuck on any of those steps? Let’s chat – I have additional tools and frameworks that might help.