As leaders, we are in the business of negotiating and implementing change, sometimes on a daily basis. Consequently, we are often only too aware that the team around us can react in a variety of different ways. Effectively managing that reaction and supporting your team through the process of change can make a huge difference to the success of long-term outcomes. An overview and understanding of ‘Change Management‘ allows us to anticipate behaviours and plan accordingly.
Change management
Change management is often needed to ensure continued survival and
growth of anorganisation or church while going through a period of
change. Combining change management with the management of
project work offers the best potential for delivering new results and
successfully embedding the change and enabling the required benefits.
God-given vision can be exciting and challenging, sharing that vision
with others enables a deepening in Church family relationships, creating
an environment where people find identity and purpose and where creativity is welcomed and encouraged.
Vision
Proverbs 29:18, The Message
18 If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed.
Being part of what God is doing is our ultimate aim as a church. God gives us words, dreams and visions as He partners with us to bring about His Kingdom here on earth. For a church to step into its God given purpose, and communicate and lead others in that vision is the beginning of bringing about 'Something New' that God speaks of in Isaiah 43 v19. Our workshops, embedded in prayer, allow you as a team to seek God's will and begin to see or clarify what journey He is taking you on as an organisation.
Managing Change
Proverbs 3:5-6, The Message
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Beginning a process that will bring about change can be both exciting and terrifying. Apart from the actual change itself, the human reaction to the change can be challenging and sometimes difficult. Understanding the process, and why people react in the different ways allows those in leadership to anticipate and work through some of the emotions and reactions shown, and see how ways in communication and delivery can give more positive outcomes and generally make the process easier for all involved. Our workshops look at how the human reaction to change is predictable and practical ways in how to work through change in a positive way.
The Culture
Lamentations 3:22-24, The Message
22-24 God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left.
The Culture of an organisation or environment determines the way that group welcomes or rejects change. Broadly speaking it is the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society, and some aspects of culture within a country or region are deeply embedded making change difficult or slow. The way in which leadership manages the environment they have charge over will build a 'culture' over time and determine which attitudes and behaviours are acceptable. Trying to change deeply rooted culture requires an understanding on why we place importance over certain aspects of our lives and how to break some holds in culture that may be harmful or negative. We will explore briefly, the structure of culture and how this impacts our ability to change within the Church.
A few Tips
Hebrews 11 The Message
Faith in What We Don’t See
11 1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.
Giving any project over to God is a pretty good place to start. However God still wants us to engage our brains and be good stewards of all that He has given us. A plan of what is being carried out, a timescale and the resources needed is important as it gives people involved a clear idea of where the organisation is heading and why the change is taking place. Some change is forced upon us as leaders, and some change we orchestrate ourselves. Both require strong leadership, a clear vision of desired outcome and a plan of how the people involved will move from where they are now to the end of the project. This workshop will give an overview of good practice for managing the change process from the beginning of an idea, to realising the benefits of the change.