Every church has some type of invisible code that drives its decisions and values. Conflict happens when that code collides with inconsistent systems. It’s just like your computer. You can’t put outdated software on a new computer, and the best new software won’t work on your old computer. A system conflict is inevitable if everyone is not operating off the same system.
The issue is alignment. One of the most important things any team can do is become aligned. This means you’re intentional about upgrading together and working off the same system, driven by the same invisible code. Your organization will never have to work at becoming misaligned, but you have to work constantly at staying on the same page. Effective organizations create a culture that is constantly rethinking and upgrading their systems.
We have a few key questions you should regularly ask your team to see if you’re upgrading systems in the way that you should.
What kinds of meetings do you have?
When we started North Point Community Church, we decided at the very beginning to meet on a regular basis so we could stay on the same page. During the ten years I was at North Point, we met every Monday morning for two hours. We read books together and learned and wrestled and debated—we were able to have friendly and not-so-friendly debate about all the hows because we already strongly agreed on the whys. Because we agreed on the core, transcendent truths that made up our DNA, we were free to tweak our methods all day long. So sometimes we debated, argued, fought, even got in each other’s faces about things—and that’s okay.
Something powerful happens when leaders work to get on the same page in the same consistent room and push to explore more effective ways to influence their communities. Please don’t stop meeting. Instead, fight for ways to meet more effectively.
Where are your primary sources of learning?
We should all be learning from the Bible, and we already know that. But I want you to give yourself permission to learn from someone who is not a Bible scholar. It’s okay to learn from your community, your company, your culture and even the big corporations.
I do think it’s possible for the church to become too corporate. You can take corporate rules and practices and find out they just won’t fit your situation. Filter what you read and see what is applicable.
To be honest, though, most churches I see aren’t corporate enough. At least not the right kind of corporate. The intelligence and excellence that comes from the corporate world is still from God. God gave these business leaders ingenuity and an ability to think in ways that make their initiatives innovative and influential.
Unclick your Kindle and browse a bricks-and-mortar bookstore. (Don’t worry, the books are still there, right behind the lattes and frappuccinos.) Talk to a titan of industry you know, stop by the local hardware store, or watch the business channels on cable. Think of who you know who works in the highest tower in town, and talk to him or her.
Before you say you won’t listen to someone because he’s an outsider, think about this: Why should those outsiders listen to us inside the church? It’s the same kind of logic. The truth is, we need to listen to each other. We ought to learn from each other, picking up anything and everything we can. I don’t believe everything I hear out there, but I don’t believe everything I hear from preachers, either. Be wise enough to know what to keep and what to set aside (from both!).
How do you routinely simplify your organization?
Complexity is one problem that stops momentum or slows your organization down. To counter complexity, we need to create “stop-doing lists.” The best way to start moving forward again is to drop some stuff. Think about the things in your organization that take your energy away. You’ve got enough sense to know what they are, but do you have courage enough to crush them?
Sometimes, these energy-takers might be programs or processes others would call great successes. Maybe you should start there. You see, it doesn’t take leadership to kill something that’s not working. Anyone can kill something that’s almost already dead. What takes leadership is to kill something that is working pretty well so something else can work better. If you kill something that’s not working, no one gets mad. But if you kill something that is working, you’ve got a whole bunch of people upset. You have to make sure the invisible code in your organization allows you to make hard decisions so something else can work better. Otherwise, you won’t have the kind of energy wrapped around your team that’s necessary for moving you past the barrier you’re facing.
What needs to change radically in your ministry?
You need to have the conversation in a number of different ways. Invite new staff members to tell you what they think needs to change before they get too used to the way things are. Ask younger leaders what they would change if they were in charge. If your leadership team is insecure enough to keep you from pursuing change, you run the danger of becoming outdated and irrelevant.
If you do make a change, really change. Don’t go halfway and stop. Some churches never make the impact they should because they don’t follow through with change. There’s this myth that if we make changes slow enough, you can sneak them in and no one will notice. Here’s a profound thought: If you are hoping to make change so gradual that no one notices, then chances are no one will really notice. Sometimes it’s the abrupt and radical change that sends you in a new direction and gets everyone’s attention.
When you change something regularly and radically, it reminds everyone that the only thing sacred is the mission, the core. It reminds your leaders, your volunteers, and your congregation that today’s methods and models are temporary. And when you change something radically, you demonstrate what it means to trust God with your life and ministry. When was the last time you made such a radical change that you had to completely depend on God?
I already said something powerful can happen when leaders align themselves on the same page, across ministry lines and through department doors. If you want to get on the same page, you have to get in the same room consistently. Rethink everything. Be influenced by outsiders. Crush complexity so you can illuminate what’s core. What needs to change? Change it, and do it in such a way that the changes will capture the imagination of the next generation, so they will be amazed at what God wants to do in your church.