On Missional Work
I was recently asked to share my perspective on missional work with a candidate, and this is what I wrote. The content was lightly edited for blog format.
I also wanted to share some of my thoughts on doing missional work since this is a strong consideration for you. I've spent significant time in the past ten years thinking about technology and how it intersects with social & civic good. I've worked at a civic startup, chatted with several ed-tech and health-tech companies, and have volunteered significant time at local and international NGOs. I don't say these things as proof that I'm an expert but just to show that it's been an area of interest for me.
I will start by saying this: if there's a missional company or organization out there doing effective work in a specific area you've been passionate about, then you should join them! Life is short, and our professional years are even shorter, and these opportunities don't come up often. However, I've come to find that fit is essential and that often it's not there. Sometimes the company was in a missional space but not be very missional themselves. Or they weren't very effective at bringing about the change desired. Or my own passions were only adjacently related to what the company was doing (e.g., I might have cared about making healthcare more affordable, and the company was helping patients find better experts).
In these cases, I've found that simply working at these companies wouldn't be very fulfilling. In fact, sometimes, it was downright frustrating. I've had many conversations with people who were disappointed after joining a missional company only to find out that the company was more worried about growth, engagement, and revenue (as companies do). They felt deceived by recruiters and leaders who touted the mission to close the candidate but never mentioned it again once they started working there. The disappointment was especially acute when joining these companies came at the cost of other opportunities that had higher compensation or career growth.
So what does that mean? Is there no opportunity to do work that feels meaningful and impactful? I think there is and that this type of work exists in more places than we expect. For me, it came down to: unambiguous positive impact, long-term thinking, and making a positive difference on those around me.
Unambiguous positive impact: Impact can be unambiguously positive even if the work isn't in a recognized missional field. This is what draws me to building tools. Building great products that help others create, craft, and produce is a great outcome.
Long-term thinking: My goal is to maximize my overall impact over my lifetime. Which is different than maximizing my impact at any given time. Sometimes it's worth taking on an opportunity where I might have a less immediate impact but will get a chance to grow my skill set. This can prepare me to take on a more significant role with higher impact once the right opportunity presents itself.
Make a positive difference in those around me: "if you want to help other people, be a manager. If done well, management is among the most noble of professions. You are in a position where you have eight or ten hours every day from every person who works for you. You have the opportunity to frame each person's work so that, at the end of every day, your employees will go home...living a life filled with motivators." This is an excerpt from Clay Christensen's How Will You Measure Your Life (checkout my reading list). I very much believe in this principle. It has often guided me towards companies where the culture, values, and people encourage me towards this mindset and challenge me to do better every day!
This is a personal evolving perspective that changes year by year. I wanted to share its current state in case it was helpful to you. Deep consideration of the impact of our work on this world has been one of the most rewarding areas of my career and led me to meet some great people who shared similar questions. I would love to hear your perspective if you're open to sharing!