SEVEN ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS FOR EFFECTIVE CHANGE

There are at least seven essentials requiring knowledge and skill to initiate effective change without creating unnecessary resistance. They are:

1. Transformational Vision of a preferred future 2. Trust

4. Talent 5. Talk 6. Ties 7. Treasure

1. Transformational Vision of a Preferred Future (Nehemiah’s example)

Chip and Dan Heath in their book, Switch, incorporate the imagery of psychologist Jonathan Haidt in his book, The Happiness Hypothesis. Haidt calls the emotional side of the brain, “The Elephant,” and the rational side of the brain “The Rider.”

“Perched atop the Elephant, the Rider holds the reins and seems to be the leader. But the Rider’s control is precarious because the Rider is so small relative to the

Elephant. Anytime the six-ton Elephant and the Rider disagree about which direction to go, the Rider is going to lose. He is completely overmatched.”

Under calm times when only some ordinary work needs to get done, the driver can get even the elephant to work with him, giving the elephant directions and the elephant obeys. But remember the elephant is huge. It is powerful. And when it is set loose, it takes over no matter what the mind might suggest. So when in change the fear of loss is triggered, the elephant is aroused and it will not be calmed by a rational explanation. It needs to be attended to, as do the emotions of the people.

The brain has two systems at work in it, the rational side and the emotional side. It’s a built in system of schizophrenia! The emotional side is instinctive; it feels pain and pleasure. The rational side is the reflective side, the conscious system. It deliberates and looks into the future.

The first task is to clarify why the current reality is not working or will not work soon, and then also to point to something that is working and is preferred. It is, in the language of the Heaths, “finding the bright

spots.” It is painting a picture of what things can be if a change is made. It is stating what exactly needs to be done differently and why.

Point those you influence to the desired future, and the destination that the changes will help everyone reach.

2. Trust (Three Pillars of Effective Leadership – Session 3)

Character

Competence

Clarity

3. Time (Persistence and Patience)

Kairos - “The right time to make this change”

Chronos - “The right amount of time to take to make this change”

Studies about change and how people embrace it or resist it has uncovered that people fall into the following categories: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, Resisters.

• Innovators are ready to change and take risks.

• Early Adaptors are those who quickly can see the value of the change, and if it outweighs in their eyes the benefits over staying where they are, they will move quickly to that which is being proposed.

• Early Majority are those more conservative. They are open to new ideas, but experience has shown them to be a bit cautious.

• The Late Majority are those who are well behind the early adopters and the early majority. • The Resisters. These are the ones who will fight to keep things as they are.

Particularly when working with adults, it can helpful to keep these four groups of people in mind: • If someone does not understand, TALK TO THEM and help them gain clarity on the direction. • If someone disagrees, LISTEN TO THEM and commend them for their desire to do the right

thing. Maybe they have an even better idea of how to go forward.

• If someone becomes resistant or defiant, even after talking and listening to them, MOVE FORWARD with what has been decided to be done.

• If someone becomes divisive, CONFRONT THEM. Just because they disagree with the direction chosen is not an excuse to become divisive.

4. Talent (Capacity)

A cardinal rule of leadership is “Don’t make a change into something you and/or your organization has no talent for.”

How can we involve those who will be impacted by the change in helping to successfully make the change? How can their abilities be utilized to help each other through the changes?

5. Talk (Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!)

“For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure” (Proverbs 11:14). “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” Proverbs 15:22).

Those initiating change need to explain things as clearly, as thoroughly, and as frequently, and as long as needed.

Why this is so important is that people OFTEN RESIST WHAT THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND. In truth, the first goal is not to get people to agree with the change being proposed. Rather, the first goal needs to be helping them understand! Children and adults are much more supportive of what they understand.

Spiritual Leadership Exercise: Make a list of those non-elected leaders in your congregation or

organization whom you know will be truth-tellers if they know the truth and are allowed into your thinking and planning as a leader. Then make a determination as to how you will keep them informed.

6. Ties (Relationships)

What are the relational ties and influences which will impact and influence whether change will be accepted and eventually be embraced, or rejected and possibly permanently be resisted?

We are all family. We are all in the one Body. We are part of one another. And appeals can be strongly made to these ties. They carry with them the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is simply a matter of stewardship. It is learning how to capitalize on capital of relationships.

7. Treasure (God Provides Abundantly for God’s Mission)

Much mission can be accomplished just by unleashing the people of God who have all the resources to be in mission within their own communities. Or, stated another way, God always provides an abundance of resources for accomplishing His mission. Whatever we have is already enough!

God always calls us to faith. He clearly tells us we need to give first, commit first, and then He blesses and re-fills not just to the top but to overflowing (“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and funning over, will be poured into your lap” Luke 6:38).

Session Eight—Adapted from:

“Multiplying Missional Leaders Seminar—Part II,” Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO June 9–20, 2014, Dr. Scott F. Rische

LEADING AS STEWARDS OF GOD’S GIFTS