driftidé

Driftidé is a Swedish term used in business, public administration and nonprofit contexts to describe the central idea that governs how an operation is conducted. It encapsulates the intended mode of operation, the purpose of the activity, and how value is created through ongoing work rather than a single product or project. In practice, driftidé serves as a guiding principle for decision-making, planning and daily management.

The concept sits alongside more familiar terms such as vision, mission and business idea, but focuses on operational behavior and the everyday logic of running an organization. A driftidé translates strategic goals into a concrete approach for how work is organized, what activities are prioritized, and how resources are allocated over time. It is thus both a purpose and a method for achieving that purpose.

Typical components of a driftidé include the core purpose of the operation, the expected beneficiaries or customers, the essential activities and processes, the way value is created and delivered, boundaries and limitations, and the criteria by which success is evaluated. It is meant to be stable enough to guide ongoing practice, yet adaptable to learning and changing conditions.

In practice, driftidé is used in planning, governance and performance discussions to ensure that daily actions reflect the organization’s intended way of operating. Critics caution that it can become vague if not linked to measurable objectives and concrete policies, so it is commonly paired with specific goals, metrics and governance structures. The term originates from the Swedish words drift (operation) and idé (idea).