by Bob D’Ambrosio
The unique culture of the church seems to make it harder to facilitate change than what we see happening in other organizations. Change management is such a complex process that dozens of books have been written on the necessary strategies to make it happen. They all seem to promote these five key components when leading change:
1. Communicate well.
Good change cannot happen without good communication. Avoid seeing yourself as the keeper of all information. Freely share your knowledge and plans. Communicate with a variety of methods, because people learn in different ways.
2. Identify key people.
People look to others for influence. Watch for the people others seem to follow. Take time to invest in these key people, answering their questions and sharing details about the change. The more they understand and own the process, the more they will help others understand and get excited about it.
3. Work with others.
Share ownership of the change process. If you’re the only person who has decided on the change, you have missed out on valuable information. While you can’t consider every person’s perspective, it’s important to invite some people into the process. The added questions, ideas, and strategies will facilitate a more universal change acceptance.
4. Ask questions.
Pursue questions and answers for as long as it is productive but be careful not to get bogged down with over-analyzing. Also, ask questions during the various stages of change, especially as people begin to process the change. When there is an emotional reaction to proposed changes, there is
5. Allow time.
Some people thrive on change. It energizes them, and they can’t wait to get started and see it through. Others take more time to warm up to new ideas. They need to ask questions, make a list of pros and cons, and even grieve over a lost or changed tradition. You don’t need to wait for every single person to jump on board but do be considerate and patient with those who take more time.
The five points are clear and important. I would add a sixth: in most cases when people appear to be resisting change, what they may be resisting is the loss and grief that comes with the change. It is a very rare change that does not create loss. The resistance is to the emotions that come with the grief triggered by the change.
A quick example: a new software system for managing communication with the church. You can do all five of the things recommended here and still not have helped people who were very comfortable with the “old system”; using it made them feel competent; it was familiar; “easy”. The new system in all probability makes them feel incompetent; inadequate; confused; and frustrated. Very unpleasant emotions. And all because of that new system. “I hate it.”
Bottom line: deal with grief! Most significant change triggers it for at least some folks.