If your family has mission and vision statements, you need check-in moments to assess how you are doing in their application. Don’t leave them as nice ideas to collect dust. Stay intentional to make them an active part of your family’s growth.
This guide will help you assess how well your family is living out its mission and vision and how to improve the rhythms that support them.
To evaluate how your family is doing in living out your mission and vision, hold a family meeting and use questions like these to get started on evaluating:
1. What are examples of how we lived out our mission this past season?
- Reflect on specific actions or decisions that were best aligned with our family's mission.
2. What are examples of how we lived out our vision this past season?
- Identify instances where our family took tangible steps towards our long-term vision.
3. On a scale of 1-10, how well are we currently living out our family mission?
- Rate your performance and have each family member discuss the reasons behind the score.
4. On a scale of 1-10, how well are we currently working towards our family vision?
- Rate your performance and have each family member discuss the reasons behind the score.
5. What challenges or distractions made it difficult to stay true to our mission and vision?
- Discuss potential solutions and where you need to adapt or simplify.
6. How are we regularly communicating our mission and vision to all family members?
- Ensure everyone is on the same page and understands the family’s direction, and that there is a clear plan on how you all are communicating.
7. Are we investing time and resources in the areas that align with our vision?
- Analyze whether your actions reflect your family’s stated goals or new areas you want to incorporate.
This is just a list to get you started so add your own questions that help you evaluate. (Find more information about how to start a family meeting and an agenda here.)
Your family’s rhythms—the routines and habits you regularly practice—set the tone for how you implement your family mission and vision statements. Regularly evaluating these habits can help you better analyze what to change in your family’s daily life to support a strong mission and vision. (Learn more about family habits for a strong culture in our guide here)
Whether daily routines, weekly rituals, or annual traditions, here’s a first look at how to evaluate and improve:
Assess whether you’re engaging in certain activities too often or not often enough to sustainably and effectively support your goals. What are the routines that best support your family’s mission and vision?
Ensure that everyone understands why these habits exist and how they contribute to your family’s mission and vision. Or if they struggle to understand, dig deeper into why this is and what might need to change if it a rhythm is not fully aligned.
Beyond just general positive behaviors, you need to hold to clear practices that support your mission and vision. Take inventory of what you currently do.
Be open to modifying routines to better fit different stages of life.
Evaluating your family’s mission and vision is not just about making sure you’re on track today; it’s about living with eternity in mind. By aligning daily actions with your big-picture vision, you can create a fulfilling and purposeful life for your family. Staying humble and receptive to keep growing will make all the difference in your journey.
Save this evaluation tool to help you keep taking the next right steps.