CHALLENGES of CHANGE

#08 - One of the greatest tests of your leadership abilities will be how you, as a leader serving others, will help manage change.  Much of the fears about change can be avoided or at least alleviated by some careful consideration and positive action on yhour part.

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Hello and welcome, Team 412.  We’ve touched on several important topics that I hope have been helpful to you and that have given you a lot to think about and practice.  Some of these are things that can be put into practice easily, and some will require extended practice.  The good thing is that you can repeat any of these podcast episodes as much as you wish – and we’ve left plenty of room for your notes in the workbook.

This is Episode #8, where we will take a good look at some of the CHALLENGES of CHANGE,  and there are many challenges to any change.  ANY CHANGE.  One of the greatest tests of your leadership abilities will be how you, as a leader serving others, will help manage change.  It’s long been said that change is the only constant, yet so many people approach change with various stages of fear and trembling.  Much of that fear and trembling can be avoided or at least alleviated by some careful consideration and positive action on your part, my friend.

Awhile back, my old computer hiccupped and died.  I dreaded the thought of all my files disappearing, having to retrieve them, and then learning how to operate a new computer.  The thought of all those changes was – to say the least – frightening!

And then I ran across this gem:  “Never be afraid of change.  You may lose something good but you may gain something even better.”  Wow!  How timely!  That was just what I needed to hear - the right words at just the right time!  My old computer was good and it had served me well, but I may be gaining something even better.  What a positive way to look at a negative situation!  (And I did gain something better, by the way.)

Oh, there are many challenges ahead, to be sure.  Change - any change - is uncertain.  Change can be threatening.  But you can manage many changes with a positive mindset and a bit of creative thinking.

Consider all the CHANGES that have taken place at this church during the past year or two.   We have a new Senior Pastor this year, we have a new Youth Director who has been with us about a year, we are searching once again for a Business and Facilities Administrator, we have a relatively new Organist, and on it goes.  Lots of big changes have happened, and with those changes comes a lot of worry that things just aren’t going to be as good, or that we will lose members, or that things will be very different.  Maybe, but I doubt that many of those worries will actually take place.  Previous changes of leadership have not brought about the doom and gloom that some people have predicted.  There have been a lot of new beginnings at this church, and there will be many more.  After all, this church was started in the 1890s, and it hasn’t disappeared yet.  Again, I go back to that gem of a statement:  we may be losing something (or someone) good, but we may be gaining something (or someone) better.  Think positively!

The way you manage change will test your leadership abilities like nothing else.  Let’s start with a couple of things that you SHOULDN’T do.  If you’re in a new leadership position, you shouldn’t try to make lot of changes all at once.  To put that in a positive way, you SHOULD proceed slowly with making changes, and get all the support you possibly can from your colleagues along the way.

A good example of what NOT to do was described by a friend of mine as being a “bungee Dean,” one who has a bag of few tricks, bounces in to a new position, makes a bunch of changes all at once, and then bounces back out to repeat that same bag of tricks somewhere else.  I’ve heard that described as being a “one-trick pony.”  Going to a new position as leader requires a lot of your leadership abilities, your people skills, your patience and perseverance, and a few more that you’ll discover quickly along the way.

It’s definitely NOT for the faint of heart, but then being a leader who serves others isn’t always a piece of cake.  And by now I’m sure you know that and have experienced your share of it, and then some!

Change can be hard to deal with, but there are some positive things you can do to make the change easier.  The most important point is to acknowledge and accept that change is happening.  That may not sound too important, but it sure is.  It also helps to accept that change is a normal part of growth, and that it can bring positive outcomes.  That can be one of the most difficult things for people to accept.  Many people do not like change or adjust to it well.   If you’ve ever worked with someone who is a “status quo” person or a “stuck in a rut” person, you know how difficult it is to manage change.   Been there, done that, as the saying goes.  It’s up to you, one who leads by serving others, to help people see that change can be a positive thing.  After all, if it weren’t for change, we’d be stuck with a lot of ugly caterpillars rather than beautiful butterflies.

Leading change is a complex and challenging task that requires a whole lot from you:  vision, strategy, communication, action, evaluation, empathy, energy…. Well, I could go on and on, but I think you get the point:  It ‘ain’t’ easy, my friend.  It takes all you’ve got and then some.

Leaders who successfully embrace change are those who …

·      Share a compelling, clear purpose 

·      Look ahead and see opportunity 

·      Look for boundary-spanning partnerships

A Forbes article by Tracy Brown discusses several “how-to” steps to leading change.  Here are just three of them:

·      Be authentic

·      Be inspirational

·      Be proactive

All good things – and more - to BE.  But remember that you can’t just turn on the spigot and BE.  There is a lot of practice,  of determination, of positive action to be taken behind those words.   Give some careful thought to what’s required of you to BE all those things.

And, as just a small sample of many possibilities, here are three of the most common steps and tips that can help you lead change with your team:

1.      Develop a change vision and strategy.  You need to define the direction and purpose of the change, as well as the roadmap and milestones to achieve it.

2.      Communicate the vision.  You need to share the change vision and strategy with everyone who will be affected by or involved in the change.

3.      Empower broad-based action.  You need to remove barriers and enable people to act on the change vision.

Well, there are lots more articles, books, how-to lists about change management, and more opinions than you can shake a stick at.  The lists are wonderful – great suggestions from some of the best thinkers in the business, and I encourage you to read through more than a few before you begin making any changes.  The main problem with most lists is that they don’t include a lot of the actions that make the point possible. It makes the process seem so simple, yet it isn’t at all. 

For what it’s worth, here are a few more suggestions from Professor Boyer, Dean of the School of Hard Knocks, based on many years of collecting my share of leadership lumps.  In truth they’re not all that different from the points made earlier, but these are written in plain, unvarnished language without formalities in mind:

1.      Reverse Engineer the change you want to make. Begin with the end.  Just exactly what IS the change that must be made?  Write it down as clearly and concisely as you possibly can.  Re-think and re-write, and re-think and re-write AGAIN until the end result of the change is crystal clear.  Don’t skimp on this step, or you’ll pay dearly for it later.  

2.      Then, plan backwards from the end.  What is the next-to-last step that must be taken to get to the end?  And the next-to-next-to last?  And the step before that?  And so on.  It’s a long process, but a vital one.  Again, if you try to skimp on this process, you’ll pay for it later.  

3.      Ask yourself – what could possibly go wrong with this plan?  Put on your best negative hat and go at it.  Remember, people are reluctant to change.  Then, change hats.  Put on your positive hat and ask yourself – what’s right with this plan?  If you end up with a longer NO pile than a YES pile of thoughts, excuses and arguments, go back to Number 1 and re-think the plan.

4.      If you’re not worn out already, it’s time to start talking about the change plan with your team.  Notice that I said START talking.  It takes a lot of time and effort on your part.  Here’s another gem of a quote I found: “One of the biggest mistakes we can make is assuming other people think the way we do.”   Wow!  That sure says a mouthful!  Let me repeat that: “One of the biggest mistakes we can make is assuming other people think the way we do.”  Everyone needs to know what the plan is, why it’s necessary, and what the end result will be - very clearly, and in no uncertain terms.  And the unasked question that will be on everyone’s mind is:  “What’s in it for me?”  You need to be able to answer that question – clearly, concisely, and confidently.  If you can’t, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

5.      When you’ve communicated the change plan clearly, concisely and confidently to your team, and they are ready to make the change, it’s time to begin to take action.  What’s the first step?  How will you empower your team to do whatever is needed to take that first step, and the next one, and the next one?  And how will you keep them moving towards that goal?  It’s up to YOU to empower THEM.

Seth Godin wrote: “Our job is to create a change, to make things better, to show up with something that was worth the effort it took to create.”  Change is worth your best effort, my friend.

And now, here are three questions for you to think about and answer for yourself.  There are no wrong answers.  The only right answers are those answers that are right for YOU.  And here they are:

1.      How would you respond to this: “It isn’t the strongest that survives, it’s the one most adaptable to change.”?

2.      When you have encountered strong resistance to change, how have you dealt with that resistance?

3.      If you could change just one thing for the better, what would that be?  And … where would you begin?

In your Workbook are a few more questions and points to ponder as we all consider those CHALLENGES of CHANGE.

In the next Episode, we’re going to talk about ACCOUNTABILITY, the ability to take ownership and responsibility for your actions, decisions, and their consequences, and to hold your volunteers accountable to one another for effective teamwork and the overall success of your ministry area.

Until next time, take care and stay safe and well, my friend, and keep changing – for the better, that’s for sure!