leading change — Blog — Floyd & Sally McClung

I have attempted to lead change and failed several times in my leadership journey. And I have successfully led change on other occasions. The article below is from an excellent site, churchplanting.com

To the significant wisdom in this guest article, I would add, change has to be values based, and not for the sake of innovation or inspiration. When it is values based, then the sacrifices necessary to make change are worth enduring because they are made for something we believe in deeply.

The first two points are the most crucial in making change: a genuine sense of urgency and forming a guiding coalition…

Like most of you, I’m sure; I read a fair amount of the classic as well as “new arrival” works in the field of leadership and management. If translated thoughtfully and processed with theological care, learnings from this body of work could enhance your ministry as a church planter. Consider, as an example, the eight-stage process developed in 1996 by Dr. John Kotter (then of the Harvard Business School www.johnkotter.com) as related to navigating a group, team, organization, or church through the challenging waters of change. Unlike many strategic leadership taxonomies, this one is best followed in sequential order.

1. Establish a sense of urgency

Examine the contextual realities
Identify and discuss crises, potential disruptions, or major opportunities

2. Create a guiding coalition

Assemble a group with enough expertise and credibility to lead change
Take time to build the group into a true team

3. Develop a vision and strategy for the change effort

Focus on the “why” even more than the “how”
Develop primary and contingency strategies for achieving the change

4. Communicate the change vision

Use every means and occasion possible to consistently communicate the new vision and need for change
Motivate the guiding coalition to model behaviors expected post-change

5. Empower broad-based action

Strive to eliminate structural obstacles in your church to the change
Adjust or change systems that could undermine the vision for change
Encourage risk taking as well as “out of the box” thinking and action

6. Generate short-term wins

Plan for and even “create” visible improvements in performance or “wins”
Opening recognize and celebrate those “wins” no matter how small

7. Consolidate gains and produce more change

Use growing credibility to make further changes that advance the transforming vision

Reinvigorate the change process with new themes, projects, and change agents

8. Anchor the new approaches in the church culture

Articulate the connections between new behaviors and ministry effectiveness
Proactively develop means to ensure leadership development, reproduction, and succession to minimize discontinuity