Not too long ago, I was working with a national advocacy organization that had recently completed a merger. On paper, these two organizations coming together was a brilliant idea. Each team had a strong track record of success, and a merger meant they could make a significantly larger impact on an issue of growing global importance.

While the merger provided a necessary influx of resources, and momentum for their work was growing rapidly, the newly formed organization came to me experiencing a palpable sense of loss. 

Here’s why: The leaders of this new organization largely agreed with one another, but they were out of sync on the how and the why of the work. They interpreted the purpose of their work differently, which was causing unexpected levels of friction across all parts of the newly expanded team. What once looked like a brilliant idea was now feeling more like a breaking point for several senior staff members.

And so, they came to me with a question: Would this friction point signal the end of their efforts, or could they get this merger back on track? It’s a big question, with a relatively simple answer.

As you likely know, there’s a big difference between a concept on paper, and a concept in practice. A merger can look beautiful in theory. It can appear to be the perfect solution to an organization’s most pressing issues.  But introduce the dynamics of people into that perfect model, and you’re sure to have challenges arise that weren’t visible in a two-dimensional view.

At Mission Partners, we invest our time exploring and examining what works in moving a mission forward, and we dig deep into the barriers that hold brands back from achieving their full potential. At the end of the day, it’s always the same factor: people.  And just as in the story above, there’s often a disconnect between people—a disruption in the airwaves, let’s call it—that if not addressed, can lead to a meltdown of the entire system.

Good news, though, as my internet connection likes to remind me: a reset of the system can do wonders for the strength of the connection. 

One of the greatest practices we bring to organizations is a guided reset: an aided look at an organization’s mission, vision, and values set. Alongside our clients, we explore how grounding principles play out in the day-to-day operations, management, and culture of their organization.

It’s not just values, but shared values that provide a framework and a north star that guides business decisions. It’s shared values that bring consistency, and shared values that lead to and foster high-impact teams and organizations.  If values are misaligned, you can expect to see other parts of the organization misaligned, too.

By articulating, testing, and practically applying a values set across an organization, not only can you strengthen (or reset, if needed) a team dynamic, but you can advance a mission in ways never thought possible on a sheet of paper.

Bottom line: If you’re wondering why your team or organization isn’t performing as expected, or why that concept on paper just isn’t scaling as it should, take a pause and check on the connection. See if the forces powering the work are in sync, and if the human dynamics are values-aligned. If they’re not, you could be ready for a mission reset. 

This is week 34 of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.