The process of organizational change involves both additions and subtractions. New, more promising components are added as old, inadequate components are removed. It is always easier to add than to subtract. People don’t mind the contribution of new ideas quite as much as they disdain the loss of existing norms. In change leadership, credibility is […]
Programs themselves are not the problem.
Many criticize church ministry programs because of the frequency with which they are changed. But the fact is that every church has a set of programs, though they may be described differently. Programs provide systems for activity and so are necessary for effective ministry. The problem of change frequency may not be inherent to programs, […]
The water cooler doesn’t cut it anymore.
I came across the following video via tonymorganlive.com (excellent blog). While not explicit, it definitely has something to say about organizational culture and easily leads to ask a important questions regarding our organizations. Watch this short, 4 minute presentation and consider the questions I include below: Consider these… How easy is it for people within […]
The organizational chart you never knew you had.
Every organization operates according to two organizational charts: a published chart and a practiced chart. The published chart is the one that everyone is familiar with. It’s the chart that is communicated by management, with every position neatly organized into columns and rows symbolizing power and influence. The practiced chart, however, is much less familiar, […]
Faux Leadership
Leadership practices often aim to convey a sense of personal value to those being led. Leaders make efforts to ensure that followers feel valued by them. It seems though, that these practices are used to communicate a sense of value greater than that which actually exists within the leader. A leader doesn’t actually have […]
People will always perceive themselves to be as busy as you are…
So when you’re asking them to get involved in any activity, don’t appeal to their excess of time or your lack of it. Because they will never see themselves as less busy than you. However, people will make time for the things that are important to them. So appeal to the importance that your activity […]
Deep or Wide?
Every growing organization is faced with this question. Its structure can only expand in one of these two dimensions. Growing wide provides the top leader with a greater amount of direct influence in each area of the organization. Yet it reduces the amount of focused attention given to these areas by leadership. Growing deep allows […]
First Follower
If there’s one leadership principle that we can all agree upon, it’s this: You are the best leader you know. If we were each just given the opportunity to be the point person in our organizations, they would all be significantly improved. While considering that principle with even the slightest hint of rationality allows us […]
Management and Leadership
The leadership movement has had innumerable positive effects on organizational behavior. Of that there is no doubt. But unfortunately for some, the focus on leadership has turned the word “management” into a four-letter word. Many key influencers no longer seek to be good managers, only good leaders. But it requires little argument to show that […]
Hidden Decline: Is it covered by your growth rate?
The general method for tracking church attendance is to collect the total attendance for each weekly service. When total attendance is regularly increasing, the organization is considered to be experiencing a time of growth. while regular decreases in attendance show a time of decline. When attendance is tracked from this macro viewpoint, considering only the […]