When missions collide: Lessons from hybrid organizations for sustaining a strong social mission

Hybrid organizations seek simultaneous social and profit-seeking missions as part of the core business. Hybrids face a big challenge-balancing dual missions that are based on opposing principles and beliefs. Traditional means of goal conflict were not designed to handle these opposing beliefs and values, and the social mission is likely to whither in the face of a strong profit mindset. Much can be learned from successful hybrids in which leaders sustain the social mission by gaining employee buy-in for balancing the missions, keeping the dual missions alive in the minds of stakeholders, selecting like-minded companies with which to do business, and installing a few key balanced-minded employees. Legal incorporation as a benefit corporation is an even more permanent way to support a social mission.