Ken Smitherman, President of ACSI (retired 2009)
For several years now, ACSI has encouraged Christian schools to engage in strategic planning. A basic step in building the foundation of a strategic plan is to identify and articulate the school’s core values, or guiding principles. We define core values as a set of principles that will guide the practice of the school in fulfilling its vision. They are a small but fundamental set of guiding principles that guide an organization as it seeks to carry out its mission. It is crucial for a school to identify those values that are practically cast in stone—the ones not to be surrendered at any cost. Excellent Christian schools operate with such a core ideology, which must not be confused with culture, strategy, tactics, operations, policies, or other non-core practices.
In 1997 James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras authored the renowned business book Built to Last. The authors had conducted intensive research to determine what an elite group of companies had in common. The companies they studied have been dubbed “visionary” and classed as gold medal winners. They have beaten the competition decade after decade and have made a significant impact on the world. As a group, their stock performance since 1926 has exceeded that of the general stock market by more than fifteen times.
The authors concluded that the companies’ stellar success was due neither to charismatic leadership, so valued in the 1980s, nor the elusive “great idea.” Instead, the research revealed that these companies shared a few distinct characteristics. Key among them was their focus on a set of core values that never change, a purpose beyond profits, and a relentless drive to change and improve everything except their core values, which had been in place from the companies’ inception and are still their distinctives today.
The uniqueness of core values is that they provide a strong anchor for the organization—a foundation to build on. They stand the test of time—although they are tested often by the world and our postmodern culture. God- directed core values are never a hindrance, and though expediency may sometimes challenge them, in the long run real core values pay and repay dividends for a lifetime.
A powerful biblical example is found in the story of Nehemiah as he planned strategically the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The account in the book of Nehemiah reveals that his great plan included at least four clear core values. He would:
- seek God’s provision and protection
- recognize that it is the God of heaven who will grant the needed success
- walk in the fear of the Lord to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles
- obey what God had put in his heart
With these core values evident in his strategy and implementation, Nehemiah was tremendously successful.
Are you able to identify and articulate the unchanging, not-to-be-sold-out core values of your school? We challenge you to consider and reconsider those driving values, those that are truly an anchor and a foundation.
Vol 4 Iss 1 President's Desk