Mission Driven
Understanding How ACC Works
Every decision, priority, and action at ACC exists in relationship to a larger purpose. Being mission driven means grounding decisions in shared purpose and institutional direction. Reflect on how your daily work connects to ACC’s commitment to Loving Our Students to Success and the North Star goal of achieving a 70% completion rate by 2030, to help yourself and your team align actions, priorities, and decisions with student success and institutional goals.
Try It: Before making decisions, ask how the action supports student success, improves access, and advances ACC’s mission. When priorities compete, use the mission as a guide for where to focus your time, energy, and resources.
NASA Ladder
Understanding How ACC Works
The NASA Ladder is a way of connecting everyday tasks to a larger purpose. Inspired by the story of a NASA janitor who, when asked what he was doing, replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon,” the concept reminds us that every role contributes to the organization’s success. By understanding how individual responsibilities support students, colleagues, and institutional goals, employees can find greater meaning and connection to their work.
Try It: How does this task contribute to student success and ACC’s mission? Take a moment to connect your daily responsibilities to the larger purpose of our work. Ask yourself, “Who benefits from this work?” “How does this support students, colleagues, or our institutional goals?” and “What impact does my role have on the student experience?” Remember that even tasks that may feel routine or behind the scenes play an important role in helping ACC achieve its mission. When we understand the connection between our individual contributions and the bigger picture, we create greater purpose, alignment, and impact.
Explore Together
Growing Together Through Change
Instead of feeling pressured to have all the answers, team members are empowered to ask questions, seek diverse perspectives, and collaborate to solve challenges. This approach fosters curiosity, open-mindedness, and shared learning. True growth happens when we are willing to learn together and explore new possibilities as a team.
Try It: When faced with a challenge or uncertainty, try saying, “I don’t know, let’s figure it out together.” Approach the situation with curiosity rather than the pressure to have all the answers. Ask questions, invite different perspectives, and create space for others to contribute their knowledge and experiences. Remember that the best solutions often come through collaboration, listening, and learning together.
Better, Not Perfect
Growing Together Through Change
Growing together through change encourages progress over perfection. By focusing on continuous improvement rather than flawless execution, employees are more willing to take action, learn from experience, and adapt along the way. This mindset reduces fear of mistakes and creates space for innovation, learning, and growth.
Try It: When approaching a new task or challenge, ask yourself, “What is one step I can take to make this better?” rather than waiting for the perfect solution. Focus on progress, learning, and forward movement. Consider what you can test, adjust, or improve along the way. Remember that meaningful change often happens through small, consistent improvements, not through having every answer or detail figured out before taking action. Give yourself and others permission to learn, adapt, and grow through the process.
Problemtunities
Growing Together Through Change
A problemtunity is the idea that within every problem lies an opportunity. While challenges, mistakes, and setbacks can be frustrating, they often reveal important information about our systems, processes, assumptions, or ways of working. By viewing problems as opportunities for learning and improvement, employees can shift from a mindset of blame and frustration to one of curiosity, growth, and solution-seeking. This approach reinforces a learning culture where mistakes are not ignored, but are used as sources of information to strengthen future decisions, processes, and outcomes.
Try It: When something doesn’t go as planned, pause before assigning blame or becoming discouraged. Ask yourself and others: “What can we learn from this experience?” “What is this situation teaching us about our process, assumptions, or approach?” and “How can we use what we’ve learned to improve moving forward?” Focus on identifying lessons, making adjustments, and applying those insights to future situations.
Design for Majority
Understanding How ACC Works
Use data, patterns, and systems thinking to design processes and services that work effectively for the greatest number of students. Rather than building solutions around possible individual exceptions, this approach focuses on creating clear, accessible, and efficient systems that support the needs of most students while still providing appropriate pathways for unique circumstances. Designing for the majority helps improve consistency, reduce barriers, and increase access across the institution.
ACC has expanded ways in which we serve and support students. Dedicate time to ensure that staff are familiar with ACC resources and know how to directly connect students. Resources without connection do not support students.
Try It: When considering a process or policy, ask, “Will this work well for most students?” Use data and student feedback to identify common needs and barriers, then design solutions that improve the experience for the greatest number of students while remaining mindful of individual circumstances.
Seek Feedback
Growing Together Through Change
Seeking feedback demonstrates humility, curiosity, and a commitment to growth. It allows us to better understand the experiences of others, identify opportunities for improvement, and make more informed decisions. When we actively seek and respond to feedback, we strengthen relationships, build trust, and create a culture where everyone has a role in improving how we serve students and support one another. Make sure feedback is a regular practice, not reserved exclusively for the annual evaluation season.
Try It: Don’t wait for feedback to come to you. Ask your team and/or your colleagues, “What is working well?” “What could we improve?” and “What am I not seeing from your perspective?” Receive feedback with curiosity, reflect on what you learn, and use it as an opportunity to grow and improve.