Salvation Army: Stop Holding On!

There's a stirring of God's spirit upon The Salvation Army in these days. There's rumblings of change and a Godly, holy discontent rising up among many, who want the best of all God wants for this movement. 

Though, there's a warning in all this. We need to stop holding on. Let me write that again: We need to stop holding on. Let me explain:

This Easter I gave the microphone to a 28-year old young man to preach about Jesus on Good Friday. He spoke eloquently about the death of Jesus, the freedom that is found in his name. He spoke of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), and that because of his response to Christ, today he would be in paradise with the Lord. 

On Easter Sunday, my oldest daughter, who is 15 years old, joined Major Jo Brookshaw on the stage and helped paint an incredible painting of freedom found in Jesus. She was bubbling inside, because of the thought of being used by God in ministry, to impact many lives.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: "Okay, what's your point?"

My point is, that as a leader, I made a conscious choice to not hold on. To give the next generation a go. To pass on the baton and have someone younger step up and use their gifts for Jesus. 

We need to raise up the next generation. We need to empower, equip and release the next generation to reach people with the powerful, life transformative gospel of Jesus Christ. 

But I fear, that some of us are still holding on.

We're holding on to fear of the future. 

We're holding on to the 'ways things have been'.

We're holding on to naïve hope that the glory days will come back and it will look like it used to look.

We're holding on in vain that the Army will sound like it used to sound.

We're holding on to the form and not the faith.

We're holding on tightly to the orders and regulations that made the Army what it became.

But, friends, I feel like I'm preaching to someone right now. If there's one thing you and I need to hold on to... If there's one thing that is most important and most critical, to hold on to and not let go of... it's Jesus Christ.

In Jesus we find our way as a people of God. In Jesus we find our purpose, our calling and our mission. The work of God will always look different in the next generation. I mean, we know that right? We don't worship like they did in the 1st Century synagogue in Ephesus. The style of our gatherings don't look like the desert fathers of the 3rd Century. Our service to God doesn't look like Calvin or Luther in the days of the reformation some 500 years ago. 

I believe so strongly, that God is raising up a spirit-filled, innovative, holy people once again, who seek to lead people to Jesus, make disciples and reform the very fabric of society that they work in.

So by all means. Hold on...

But make sure it's to Jesus Christ.  

If you are bold enough to pray with me... Let's pray:

Dear Jesus, 
We want to hold on to you. We want to fix our eyes on the author and perfector of our faith. Nothing else satisfies our soul. No outward expression of faith, can compare to the inward power of your grace and mercy upon our lives. Our hearts are set upon you Lord. Change us. Empower us. Give us wisdom in these days, as we navigate being a Jesus-people in an ever-changing world. We love you Lord, and we pray fill us afresh with the presence of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

Salvation Army Leaders - I Have to Change...

I was not ready for this word from the Lord.

And you might not be either.

I preface what I'm about to say with this:

Have you ever had to endure discipline? Maybe you made a wrong decision or you said something offensive and you had to apologise. We've all been there. Discipline from someone holding you accountable is painful and humbling.

The writer to the Hebrews sums it up well. In the start of chapter twelve he writes that first of all we should throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1b). Then the chapter continues by highlighting the importance of God's discipline in your life. Check out these verses:

'Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as his children.' (12:7)

'God disciplines us for our good.' (12:10)

'No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.' (12:11)

Now, if you're still reading (because no one likes to talk about discipline, let alone read about it on a blog), I'm about to tell what I feel God is saying to me.

The words have come from hanging out with many different ministry leaders and other pastors and teachers in recent days. One moment was at a wedding sitting on a table chatting with other Christian leaders. One moment was listening to a leadership podcast. Another moment was listening to a great leader of an effective church speak on leadership.

Here's what I feel like the Holy Spirit has said to me in recent days:

'Pete, your leadership style is not always conducive to producing a flourishing church.'

Ouch! 

Come again Lord... That can't be right?! Are you telling me, I'm not leading well? That I need to change?

I felt a little rebuke. Not a huge one, but like a father disciplining his son. A nudge that says, 'You realise you could change your behaviour and be more effective?'

You may wonder what I'm talking about.

I spent a few hours this week buying skewers to hold together chicken burgers, and a plastic tub for a new ministry. Last week, I spent a few hours in the hardware store buying a new broom and double-sided tape. We needed to purchase these items, don't get me wrong, but the truth is this: When I'm running around buying items for ministry tasks, I'm not doing leadership. Let's not beat around the bush friends. I may be doing nice tasks, but I'm not leading. I'm not empowering someone. I'm not casting vision. I'm just busy doing nice things.

The fact is, I work in the ministry far more than I work on the ministry. It's powerful when you grasp the difference. Salvation Army leaders, dare I say, work tirelessly in ministry, but we don't work on building the ministry. We spend too much time on pragmatic tasks, than we do on developing leaders.

See, failure to operate in a way that identifies, trains and releases leaders into ministry will always cause my ministry to be small. The ministry is like a small tree in a pot; that tree will only grow to the size that the pot allows. In that modus operandi I can only do as much as what my own time and energy allows.

Think about The Salvation Army more generally. The pragmatic nature of Salvos has caused us to neglect leadership development, which has been at the expense of the growth of our movement. We then have had to shift our theological position of 'size', in order to justify to the Lord that we're not doing as bad as what we think we are. I believe (and you know by now, these are personal opinions), that our hands-on approach to serving the lost has not been coupled with an intentional desire to train up people for the work. We have neglected that. At least from a personal perspective, I feel the Lord saying, 'Right, Pete, it's time for your to invest in building leaders! You can do ministry until you fall asleep at night, but unless you raise up other leaders for this work, you are just a one-man-band trying to be a Messiah!'

We must fundamentally shift how we view ministry as leaders. We need to be comfortable with the idea, that as leaders, often we need to spend more time in teaching, leading and empowering ministry leaders, than actually doing the ministry. I am happy to debate this. I think, irrespective of the differing views, discussion on this is worth having. We spend too long doing pragmatic things at the expense of leadership development, which ultimately is at the expense of the growth of what we do.

Maybe the fear is that we are not being true to Salvationism, if we step too far away from the front-line. I understand that. We need to model servant leadership. Jesus washed the disciples feet. He multiplied the bread. He healed the sick. Though he also, sat in the Synagogue and taught. He regularly took the 12 disciples aside and explained what the parables meant. There was a balance in the ministry of Jesus between just doing ministry, to actually training up 12 disciples, who after the resurrection would take on the leadership of the early church!   

When we are doing kingdom work, we should see that work flourishing and multiplying. When we don't see it flourishing and multiplying someone needs to ask some critical questions. But no one likes accountability or discipline right? Also, being nice and happy to leaders, is not necessarily developing leaders. Having coffee with leaders is not necessarily building them up or increasing their performance. Sometimes we can simply become busy touching base with people, with very little intention about growing the person's capacity and maturity in Christ.

Sometimes we can even keep someone in a leadership position long after the ministry has outgrown their capacity, simply because it's too difficult and painful to have a conversation about the reality of such matters.

Lastly, the way I spend my week, is not always directly related to my heart for God to transform people's lives. That is, often, if I'm honest, my time is taken up on things that do not add direct value to the kingdom of God, but that I find easy to do. I am challenged to consider what I should do differently to move beyond mediocrity and embrace focused, passionate, intentional leadership that seeks to empower generations to lead the mission of The Salvation Army forward.

There you have it. The discipline of the Lord is gentle, but loud in my spirit. I must change the way I lead. And I say that, because failure to do so will cause me to miss the flourishing and growth that God so intends to provide.

I have to change.

What about you?

What the Church can learn from Willy Wonka.

This is not going to be a post about chocolate. I just put that out there, for those that may be disappointed.

Charlie Bucket had found a golden ticket. Grandpa Joe offered to come and visit Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory with him. There was only one glaringly obvious problem: Grandpa Joe couldn't get out of bed! Bed-ridden for years, the ole' bones weren't working!

God is giving the church of today a spiritual ticket to a great future. By the power of the Holy Spirit, dead bones are coming alive and God is breathing afresh upon the church. Though, it's difficult to get up, when the old bones haven't been working for some time.

See, when I spend a day or two at home, and I lounge around the house, I become lazy. My body gets used to inactivity. I find it easier to sit on the couch, have a coffee and watch the news.

I have this picture of the Lord Jesus handing the church a new future. I see him saying to us, 'Here it is. Embrace it. It's new, get ready for it. It's going to impact many lives, get ready.' The problem is we are used to what we are used to. God wants to do a new thing, but we hold on to what we know.

So, anyway, I'm at home and relaxing, and my wife says, 'Let's go to the shops.' Of course, I'm now relaxed at home, and I couldn't think of anything further from my mind, than shopping. I've become content in sitting on the couch. And anything that disturbs that almost becomes quite frustrating to me.

Now, I have simply learned to enjoy sitting on the couch. I have enjoyed taking a siesta at home. Though, I am in danger of missing a new opportunity, because of my new learned behaviour.

In the spiritual realm, this is the thing: 'If you want to change the world, you have to get off the couch.'   

So, Pete, get to the point.

I believe the church has two options moving forward. We either mobilize or we crystallize.

William Booth once said, 'I consider that the chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.'

I agree.

Though I would add this: We are in danger of being a Christian church that sleeps through the next move of God. A body of believers that misses what God intends to do, because we're busy justifying our own deeply held theological positions, sketching out our own futures, consumed by the perilous amounts of trash permeating the airwaves and in love with the sound of our own iniquity.

The challenge lies in what our response will be to what God is saying in this season. I can hear it loud and clear. 'I'm doing that new thing now, embrace it. Let go of your old life, follow me.'

Though just like you can't receive a new job until you let go of the old job, so it is with God. If the Lord is to work his power within the church, we must lay our lives down again before him, give up our old lives and allow him to do a work within us.

If we allow that, we become mobilized. We become an army on earth, that brings joy, hope and salvation to the masses. If we stifle it, then we crystallize and become irrelevant to the world around us, and become like pillars of salt in a world that is dynamic and rapidly changing.

Recently I spoke at a forum for Bloggers, Editors and Social Media gurus. I spoke about being dynamic and embracing creativity. While I was there, I was taken aback by the stories of a declining denomination, that is stuck trying to continually reaffirm its past, in order to validate its future, but in the process fails to allow anything new and great to happen in the present. The denomination is crystallizing, and until some bold leaders declare that its time to let go and embrace a new thing, mobilization will not occur.  

Though, on the flip side...

I am filled with great optimism! I see and hear communities of faith right around the globe who are becoming mobilized. They are joining together as one army of believers, sold out to restoring broken humanity with its Creator. We must reach the tipping point. We must call more people to join us, to come on the journey with us and to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ.

As I write this on a day in Australia's calendar, where we recognise and honour the sacrifice of military personnel who have protected both Australia and New Zealand, I cannot help but think... Sacrifice is key; Laying down your old life and embracing the newness of what God is intending to do through you.

Choose to be mobilized, not stagnant. Choose to rally people together to serve the Lord. Choose to celebrate together. Choose to be a little bit bold and creative. Choose to keep Jesus front and centre, and don't allow the frivolous distractions of the enemy stop you from the destiny before you.

Mobilize. Either that, or crystallize.

I know which one I want.

By the way, Grandpa Joe did get up out of the bed and go to Willy Wonka's factory. It's like God breathed some life into those dead and tired bones and gave him energy and excitement for a new adventure.

Why are we so Risk Averse? Crucial Challenges The Salvation Army and other Organisations face.

My hands are trembling and my fingers are shaking. I'm nervous even writing this, either that or I've already drank too much coffee this morning. I'll be honest with you, it could be either one.

Let me preface what I'm about to say with this: Change can be painful. Change can be unsettling. Change can even hurt. Though change is necessary for any organisation that seeks to stay relevant and engaged with the world around it. It has been said, that the only thing that doesn't change, is the fact that things change. Actually, the rate at which change happens today is changing. Without spelling out the obvious, change is happening at a more rapid rate than ever before. How do we possibly cope?

In the interest of organisational stability, we attempt to not rock the boat. We do it with great intentions; we want to see great organisations continue to thrive, and not fall apart in the midst of shifting societal values and rapid technological change.

Here is the challenge: The organisation that thrived in its beginnings, generally thrived within a culture of boldness, innovation, a mild disrespect of existing bureaucracy, a little bit of arrogance and risk-taking ingenuity. The organisation some years later tries to hold itself up using fundamentally different ideals, that of, organisational structure, clear administrative processes, authoritative lines of decision-making, risk aversion, workplace health and safety and the list goes on.

The latter list is not wrong, far from it, but it is miles apart from the culture that caused the organisation to thrive in its inception.

So we are seeking to be part of a thriving, growing movement, that has a new learned behaviour of rewarding the fulfilment of the status quo. We then question why the organisation is not thriving to the degree we have in our heart, but fail to recognise we implicitly support an organisation fundamentally different to the one that used to thrive.

The Salvation Army faces that challenge. Right now we are on the precipice of change. We have a decision to make. Who will be in the drivers seat of organisational life? Risk Aversion or Faith-filled visionary ideas?

Let me spell it out. We need good goverance; of course we do. We need to ensure children are safe in our care. We need to ensure the finances are managed well. We need to ensure thrift shops are safe. Absolutely. Though because these things take up so much of our time, they end up being in the drivers seat. Visionary ideas are pushed to the background. Innovation and risk taking are seemingly frowned upon, or atleast perceived to be from leaders who seek to 'do something new.' This happens without a flinch from people upholding good governance, because they seek passionately to keep the organisation stable and productive.

Where do organisations like The Salvation Army move from here?

• We need to communicate VISION more than COMPLIANCE.
• We need to reward INNOVATION more than ORGANISATIONAL Box-Ticking.
• We need to release APOSTLES to be apostolic and allow ADMINISTRATORS to be great administrators that help facilitate apostolic work.
• We must focus on PEOPLE more than TASKS. Tasks are means to an end. The end is surely to ultimately support the transformation of people.
• We must not forget the ministry of JESUS that worked to lighten the load of religious expectation upon the people.

What can YOU do to support the edgy, risk-taking, out of the boat kind of people that God is calling us to be?

I have a few thoughts:

• Remind people to fix their eyes upon Jesus (Remember Peter walked on water when he fixed his eyes/heart/faith upon Jesus)
• Encourage new ideas. Don't let your first position be, 'No.' Let it be, 'Tell me more...'
• Get the right people on the right seats on the bus. Allow the prophetic organisational leaders be free to be who they were created to be. Have the people gifted in administration in roles of administration. People need to be working in their gifting.
• Strongly encourage people to pray with great faith. To believe for the impossible. To believe God for a miracle. To pray with fervour and expectation.
• Remind people of the history of the organisation - Remind them of the faith-filled stories of days gone by. Reignite in people a belief for greater things!
• We need to legitimize innovation.

Organisations that succeed find the right balance between risk aversion and innovation. They place vision in the drivers seat and governance in the back seat. (Don't worry, governance will be a good back-seat driver and yell out occasionally when you need to be reminded).

Let me finish with this: Change can be painful. Innovation can be risky.

If we learn to empower dynamic, faith-filled, risk-taking, bold leaders who seek to establish God's kingdom in a broken world, we honour the past, provoke the present and forge a tremendous future!

This Blog will Shake the Foundations: We are a Salvation Army on the Cusp...

A cusp can be defined as, 'a point that marks the beginning of a change.'

The Salvation Army is on the cusp. Maybe you sense it, maybe you don't. I might suggest that the reason you are even reading this right now, is that you agree to some degree that what I'm saying resonates.

Let me suggest to you right now, that The Salvation Army is on the cusp, not just of a new season, but the cusp of a new era. We are on the cusp of a revived Army, a focused Army, a praying Army, a soul-saving Army, a courageous Army, a risk-taking Army and a Spirit-filled Army. There is a sense that we are reclaiming the DNA of a movement that has at times been sleeping while the world passes on by.

I'm not meaning to be controversial. One may fully appreciate the plethora of good work that The Salvation Army does globally and give thanks to God. We may also give thanks to the hundreds of millions of people in our societies that entrust us with the opportunity to help them out. Though I am saying, that at times we have retreated and become a safe movement, that has relied on the goodwill of the past to empower it for the future.

No longer can one rely on financial security or popularity for the days ahead. One must rely on Christ. In fact, John 15 says that without Christ we can do nothing. *Ouch. Thanks John for that whack between the eyes. Without Christ, and without being joined to the Father through him, The Salvation Army cannot be all that God intends it to be.

When it comes to the picture depicted in John 15, of a vine and branches, I am really of the belief that God has been pruning us the last few years. And guess what? It's painful and it hurts. Programs have at times, ceased. Funding has, at times, been cut and so on and so on. But, through this, God helps to recalibrate our direction, and refocus us on what really matters.

We need God to help The Salvation Army to go from Good to Great. Thanks to author Jim Collins for that tag line...

Here's my thought. The Salvation Army is on the cusp of going from good to great. We have done good things for a long time. We have sung good songs. We have performed good concerts. We have executed good social policy. We have been good.

Without wanting to sound too melodramatic, but it's time to be great. Now, not necessarily in great songs, and great concerts, but great in the things that absolutely matter.

We are a Salvation Army. The world needs the fullness of salvation found in Christ. Anything less is an insult to who Christ is.

So what do we do? We seek after the holiness that only comes through Christ. We seek an infilling of the power of the Holy Spirit. We ask God to help us in every facet of Salvation Army life to realign what we do, to align with the best of what God would have us do.

It's time to not be afraid to be who we are! It's time to stand! God is about to send the rain!

We are on the cusp!

Can a Broken Church be Repaired?

Popular author and marketing guru Seth Godin introduced a website called www.thisisbroken.com a few years back. People sent into scores of examples of businesses who had processes and procedures that were broken. The marketing strategy may have been broken or the processes in which the business used were broken.

Seth Godin mentioned an example of a busy airport in the States. There were 75 Cabs in the airport waiting for customers. There were 75 people lined up to catch a Cab. It took over an hour for the line to clear and for everyone to have entered a Cab. Why? The system was broken, and no one had thought long and hard enough as to what to do about it. What if there was no single file line?

Check out the photos below. Can you see the problems here?

 "Observe Warning Signs" - Now, if you are not observing warning signs, how could you possibly observe this warning sign telling you to observe warning signs?


"No Smoking: Pick up your Cigarette Butts" - Has anyone thought this one through? If people are meant to be not smoking, then why are we picking up cigarette butts?

So let me ask you the question. What is broken in the church? No, I don't mean that old whiteboard  and the broken music stand in the storeroom. I mean, what practices, routines, procedures and the like, are broken within the church?

Let me offer some examples of broken things within the church:

- People who care about what seat they sit in more than whether anyone new will be sitting with them
- People who smile and enthusiastically welcome the regulars 'to church' and then barely smile at a new person.
- An offering message that goes longer than a sermon.
- Having to reach a certain limit in the offering before the guest preacher will preach.
- Emerging churches that continually emerge and evolve and never knuckle down what in fact they believe.  
- Not speaking to someone in the church because they have offended you.
- Altar Calls that are empty when you preach about holiness and righeousness.
- Churches that spend more time on administration than justice and evangelism.
- Financial processes and procedures that will outlive Billy Graham
- When the nuances of theology and the debate that these cause, consume more time than needed.
- Disciples who turn away from Christ, because of the actions of fellow believers.

The list could go on. Much is broken in our churches.

Can a Broken Church be Repaired?

Well, I believe yes. As has been mentioned in previous posts, it will either be deep painful change or slow painful death for churches that are broken.

Let me say, when a church is broken, do something! Change the culture! Challenge the pre-exsiting paradigms of church methodology! Keep Jesus at the Centre! Decisively work through the broken things in churches, so that you do not hinder the amazing work of the Spirit of God, to grow and bless your local congregation.

Much more could be said. Though, you must taken each example of brokenness in your local context and work through it. Why are people not very welcoming? Why are people not becoming disciples? Why do people come to events and nothing else? Why do 20% of the people do 80% of the work?

You must think these problems through. Consider the solutions. Do something about the things that are broken.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Though if it is broke, you are responsible TO fix it!

#leadership #change #broken #church

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How Many Salvos Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?

How many people does it take to change a lightbulb? You've heard the lightbulb question before right? Here are some I've heard and created over the years:

ADD YOUR LIGHTBULB FUNNIES to the COMMENTS!

How many TV Evangelists does it take a change a lightbulb?
Just the one, but send your money now to 1800 181 181. You heard it right, 1800 181 181.

How many Pentecostals does it take to change a lightbulb?
One to change the lightbulb and 15 to pray in tongues and ask for the light's healing

How many Salvos does it take to change a lightbulb?
Just the one. Remember what William Booth said, 'Go for lightbulbs and go for the worst.'

How many Anglicans does it take to change a lightbulb?
Just the one, but the 20-strong vestry must agree on the change first.

How many Catholics does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, they use candles.

How many Politicians does it take to change a lightbulb?
Well, who knows, it's not like any of them tell us the truth.

How many Theologians does it take to change a lightbulb?
Maybe the question isn't even about lightbulbs. Maybe lightbulbs are just a metaphor for something much deeper.

How many Preachers does it take to change a lightbulb?
Look, seriously it's been 30 minutes, and you haven't even got to the point where it's about the lightbulb.

How many Emerging Church Leaders does it take to change a lightbulb?
None. They're post-bulbs.

How many Evangelicals does it take to change a lightbulb?
Just the one, but first you have to realise you are not a perfect lightbulb. Second you need to admit your failure to be a good lightbulb. Thirdly, you must seek the light from the one who gives light, to create in you a new lightbulb.

How many Calvanists does it take to change a lightbulb?
Just the one who is chosen.

Finally...

How many Christians does it take to change a lightbulb?
Well, if the lightbulb represents the world, then it takes Christians to be united together, with Christ at the centre, empowered by the Holy Spirit and focused on living out God's mission in the world to make the best possible change.

We can make the change. The lightbulb is depending on us.
            

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What do you get when you combine: The Theory of Constraints, The Salvation Army and my Dad?

The Theory of Constraints (TOC) was created by Dr. Eli Goldratt. The theory was introduced in his 1984 book called The Goal, that became a very popular business novel that provided insight into managing efficient and effective manufacturing industries. Many managerial leaders know that the theory is that you analyse your processes, find the biggest constraint and deal with it. So for example, you have a manufacturing process of cooking donuts on a large scale. You look at your process and realise that there is always a 20 minute wait on a particular machine, because of a staffing issue. Now, if the 20 minute wait is affecting the number of donuts you could create in a particular time frame and thus lowering your income capacity, you have a constraint. You have identified a 'bottleneck'. The theory of constraints suggests that you should work on this bottleneck at first priority. This is change management 101.

The theory of constraints may sound tedious and irrelevant to you, but let me convince you otherwise. The theory of constraints created by Dr. Goldratt can have a huge impact upon The Salvation Army, let alone any other organisation that has processes in place. Are you ready

Let us consider a few examples. When we consider any proposal that goes to DHQ and then to THQ, we may simply look at the process in a flowchart:

Have an idea -> Write a proposal -> Submit to DHQ -> DHQ board meets -> Salvation Army Officer is asked to rework the proposal -> DHQ board meets -> Sent to THQ -> THQ board meets -> Sent back to DHQ to rework -> Sent back to Salvation Army Officer -> Back to DHQ board -> Sent to THQ -> THQ approves -> Sent back to DHQ -> Approval given to Salvation Army Officer

Whew. That was a lengthy process. Now are there bottlenecks? Using the theory of constraints, can anything be done to improve the process? Of course. What about the time between the DHQ board and the THQ board? What if one board met in the morning prior to the next board in the afternoon? What about the time taken to communicate to an officer of the outcome of a board? Maybe we should just give DHQ authority to make the decision and thus eliminating many levels of bureaucracy? I'm not offering solutions, merely highlighting the theory. The theory of constraints challenges us to look at the process and refine it.

Let us consider another example:

A new mainly music ministry seems to be going strong. The leadership team are supportive, and the mainly music leaders are fired up. I mean, from the outside looking in, many mums and bubs are coming along. The place is buzzing every Wednesday morning. But for what purpose? What is the goal? Is there a goal? Are we achieving anything of worth? Let's have a think. After some discussion, the mainly music team decide that their goal is to be a stepping stone into a faith community. Great goal. Sounds nice. The team sit down and discover they have a process:

Invitations, Word-of mouth, etc -> Attendance at Mainly Music -> Build relationships -> Attend Church -> Become a Disciple of Jesus

The discussion continues on which parts of the process are going well. "Well, you guys know full well, we aren't having any trouble getting mums to come along," says Lucy.

"Absolutely," remarks Barry. "The only problem is, no one is becoming a disciple of Jesus."

So, there are a couple of choices. Redefine your goal, so that it's not about making disciples. Then everyone can rest-assured their program is working. Or, find the bottleneck and deal with it. The theory of constraints would suggest the bottleneck is between building relationships and attending church. The team, once they have discovered this as a bottle neck, must decide how to fix it. There are many different solutions:

• Instead of attend church, maybe invite people into a small group (redefine the process)
• Maybe the issue is the perception people have of the church
• Is the church a welcoming place?
• Maybe an innovative congregational plant might be the answer, instead of what currently exists.

The theory of constraints (Dr. Eli Goldratt) suggests the following three steps:
1. Identify the constraint
2. Manage the constraint
3. Evaluate performance

Well after that brief change managment class, let me say: The Salvation Army must consider the theory of constraints. We must be a lean, fighting machine that aims to honour Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and that utilises its resources to its highest capacity.

Now, my Dad has a six-sigma blackbelt. That doesn't mean he knows karate, but that he knows much about operations management and helping organisations refine their practices so as to be more effective. So my initial question was, what do you get when you combine, the theory of constraints, The Salvation Army and my dad? You have a well-oiled soldier ready for battle.

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Bureaucracy - You Can Cut Excessive Red Tape without Cutting the Umbilical Cord.

Good bureaucracy does exist. The military can respond quickly on the frontline. A business can make a fast, sound decision that is beneficial to the company. A large group of people can feel empowered, motivated, and positive towards fulfilling that group’s common purpose.

Why is it when you think of a bureaucracy right now, you are thinking paperwork, waiting in long queues, and you find yourself already drained and exhausted? Why does it often feel like life is being sucked out of you? You feel dis-empowered  uncreative, stifled, frustrated and you hope it’s going to change. We often reflect on the nature of bureaucracy and give up hope.

A bureaucracy, from the definition I saw at dictionary.com is inherently negative as it is about, ‘excessive red tape and routine’. Red tape and routine are fine; good governance is not the problem here. The issue is not whether administrative boundaries are needed, the question is, how many administrative boundaries do you need before it is excessive?

Let me give you a few examples.

The accountant meets with a store manager, and they discuss the implementation of this year’s budget. The budget is decided upon, and expenses relevant to the store are budgeted for and agreed upon.

The store manager, a few months later, intends to spend money on the advertising that was budgeted for. The manager is told that approval is needed to spend over $2,000. Permission must be granted. Now some may say, this is simply good governance. I say that the second step in this process is unnecessary red tape. The advertising was agreed upon during the budget process. Why this extra step in the process? I’ll answer that question in a moment.

I once worked closely with a Non-For-Profit, with a lady who was the manager of a particular Outside Hours School Care Service. There were two other employees at the service, of which she was in charge. She had to get permission from her head office to purchase a $30 board game from Target for her after-school program.

Remember the Australian Government helping to administer donations that came through the Red Cross following the flood emergency in Queensland? There was so much red tape that families took months to receive financial assistance during the crisis.

What about Motor Vehicle organisations and the plethora of forms that must be filled out to apply for car registrations?

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Let me ask two questions related to bureaucracy.

What is the effect on business and individual performance in an excessively bureaucratic business/organisation?

Why do we in fact have excessive red tape (bureaucracy)?

Firstly, from my experience (practically and from discussion with others) excessive red tape causes the following problems in an individual:

• Decreasing intrinsic motivation
• Stifling of the creativity within
• Negativity towards the organisation
• A growing feeling of worthlessness
• A mindset that the overall organisation (whether true or not) is one that is slow to move, stubborn, passively aggressive and resistant to change

The effect, from my opinion, that bureaucracy has on an organisation as a whole is the following:

• Creates a high level of distrust in the organisation
• Stifles creativity within the individuals
• Can cause very slow, clunky, decision making
• Fosters conservative financial spending
• Creates a culture of cautiousness
• Only tried methods are allowed, the rest is resisted, frowned upon and by no means encouraged
• A resistance to change is developed (because of the bureaucracy!)

I want to come to a fundamental question in this discussion. Why do we in fact have bureaucracy? Or rather, why do we in fact have excessive red tape?

Let me come back to example one. Head office had agreed with the store manager, during the budget, that $2,000 would be spent on advertising. So why is there an extra step in the process?

Why?

The issue is surely a fundamental lack of trust in the store manager. A trust firstly from an integrity point of view (that he would spend and only spend that amount on advertising) and secondly trust in the man’s competence (that he would spend the amount on the right type of advertising).

This bureaucratic step in the process is there to safeguard the organisation against stupidity.

Can I ask why in the world would you employ a store manager if deep down you don’t trust that store manager? Now, do one of two things. Either fire the manager because you don’t trust him, or allow him to freely spend money that has already been budgeted for and agreed upon at an earlier date.

I understand, not all bureaucracy is related to trust. Some red tape exists to merely administrate a business. Though excessive red tape that exists because we have lowered the administrative bar to the lowest, most untrustworthy employee, will stifle the organisation!

Inherently trust people.

Let your administrative processes reflect trust, creativity and empowerment.

Rid the business of needless process.

People will only rise to the level you put the bar of trust. 

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Change? We Don't Change! Leadership Insights on Change Management

Change is not a nice word for many people. Unless you fall into that small percentile of people who embrace change immediately (like those itching for a new ipad to be released), most change in life takes communication and a development of understanding. You know what I mean, for instance, 'Tell me why that change benefits me again?!'

In Organisation Development & Change (Waddell, Cummings and Worley, 2000), some tips of change management are highlighted. They say for effective change management you need to:

• Motivate change
• Create a vision of the change
• Develop political support for the change
• Manage the transition of the change
• Sustain momentum after the change is complete

These leadership insights are obviously written for organisations, and the managers and employees who are implementing changes to their workplace. Whether you are a leader in a church, a non-for-profit, a business, or even if you are seeking to make some change in your home environment, keep reading on.

Motivating Change

For people to want to embrace change, they need to be motivated to change. There needs to be a readiness for change. You can create a readiness for change by 'revealing discrepancies between current and desired states' (Waddell et al.: 152). For example, if the change is the moving of equipment, it's helping people understand that the equipment is more desirable to be in the new location than its current location, that is, the change is worthwhile!

Create a Vision

The vision can simply create excitement or 'buy-in' for the change by 'providing a compelling rationale as to why change is necessary and worth the effort' (Wadell et al: 155). I have written extensively on vision, and its potential positive impact on organisational life. Have a look at the visionary leadership post.

Develop Political Support

I would probably word this differently from the authors of Organisation Development & Change. Personally, as an Officer of The Salvation Army and minister of a local church congregation, I would grab hold a God-given change project (e.g. an extension of a building, the employing of someone new, or the expanding of a particular ministry), and then seek to help people understand the purpose of the change. This may well be the same as eliciting political support, but I would much rather see it, as gathering support and developing understanding from all levels of the organisation and all key stakeholders, so that they can see the benefits of the change. This differs slightly from the idea of needing to canvass political support, like its some sort of democratic process where people vote on whether this is the right change or not. I would possibly call this, 'Develop Organisational Understanding of the Change'.

Manage the Transition

The change process is not just about communicating a clear vision of the benefits of the change. Nor is the change process just helping all levels of the organisation understand the change. You must manage the transition of the change.

Years ago, in the church I was in, we transitioned into a new facility on a Sunday morning. We spent months communicating the rationale for the change; sharing the vision; getting people excited. This was all great, but without a smooth (or as smooth as possible) a transition into the new building, people would become dispondent and disappointed. They would no doubt say things like, 'It would have been better if we left things as they were!' This is why you need to make a smooth transition! Write a flowchart, mindmap or use a big whiteboard. Try to nut out the logisitics of the project. Think about people, finances, equipment, etc. Consider the hows and whys and whens... There is so much more to say, but we'll leave that for another day.

Sustain Momentum

For the example of the moving location of the church gathering, it was important to continue to create excitement and momentum following the change. For example, we wanted people to continually understand the increased value of being in a new location compared with the previous location. Since we had to set up this new location every week for our time together as a church, it was imperative to communicate the value of the change continually. We had to sustain momentum.

There you go. There's some quick leadership insights and tips into effective change management.
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As the old joke goes:

'How many leaders does it take to change a lightbulb?'

'Change?! We don't change!'

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Leadership Tips on Communication: 

• Communicating Effectively.
• Public Speaking without Notes
• Public Speaking while Nervous
• Speak Simply - Communicate God's Word so people understand!
• Preaching tips from George Muller
• Teaching Unteachable People

Emotional Leadership

• Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Leadership - Daniel Goleman
• Five Sources of Power - French and Raven

Visionary Leadership

• Visionary Leadership

Leadership and Management

• Leadership and management - The differences and similarities. 
• Change and Innovation - Some leadership tips
• Innovative Leadership and Cutting Edge Christianity
• Definition of leadership
• Top 10 Leadership Tips for Healthy Organizational Culture

Leadership Tips

• Intuitive Leadership 
• Mediocrity and apathy
• Leadership Transitions.
• Leadership Tips (Rinse your cottage cheese)
• Leadership Quotes - Short and Snappy
• Leadership Quotes - From Spiritual Leadership
• Personality Profiling glimpse

Leadership in Business

• Leadership Philosophy of the U.S. Military
• U.S. Military Leaders Core Competencies
• Changing Organizational Culture

Leadership in Politics

• Abraham Lincoln - Failing Forward in Leadership

Strategic Leadership

• Strategic Leadership

Stephen Covey

Stephen Covey writes some great material on leadership and personal development. The best teachings being both his '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' and 'The 8th Habit'. Have a read of the following few posts on Stephen Covey's leadership teachings:

A Summary of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen Covey's The 8th Habit - A review of the 4 Human Intelligences

John C. Maxwell

John C. Maxwell has some great leadership insights, especially his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Below are helpful and informative summaries on some of the 21 Laws, including some of my own stories.

• Law 1 - The Law of the Lid - We can lift the lid on our ability to lead.
• Law 2 - The Law of Influence - Leadership is influence...
• Law 3 - The Law of Process - Leadership develops over time.
• Law 4 - The Law of Navigation - Leaders learn how to navigate.
• Law 5 - The Law of E. F. Hutton - When the real leader speaks...
• Law 6 - The Law of Solid Ground - Trust is the foundation.
• Law 7 - The Law of Respect - People follow stronger leaders.
• Law 8 - The Law of Intuition - Intuitive leaders know... 
• Law 9 - The Law of Magnetism - We attract who we are.
• Law 10 - The Law of Connection - We must connect then inspire.
• Law 11 - The Law of the Inner Circle - Who is in your inner circle?
• Quotes on Leadership from John C. Maxwell.

Jamie Oliver, Artichokes and the Local Church

What do Jamie Oliver, artichokes and the local church have in common?

At first glance, there are little strands of commonality. Jamie Oliver a famous, respected chef, that has informed millions of people on the art of healthy cooking. The local church, a group of people striving after wholeness, fulfilment and a better world that better reflects God and his purposes.

Lets go beyond the pine nut and broccoli dish, with the side serve of calamari chilli.

There is something about Jamie Oliver AND the local church that has my bells ringing.

Ring, Ring.

You know what it is?

It's freedom of style. It's the generous nature. It's the "give it all you've got" kind of attitude. It's the vision to transform society with the core mission at hand. It's the capacity to use resources and influence to make a positive change. It's the 'breaking the rules' kind of mantra, that respects the fundamentals, but tests the boundaries. It's about giving it a go.

Jamie Oliver is king at that.

The church still has a way to go, but in many places is making it happen.

When the church grasps the idea of adaptation, lays down its fear of change and wholeheartedly explores new expressions of Christ-centred ministry, great stories evolve.

Will you be a part of one of those stories?

Changing Organizational Culture

Changing organizational culture can be vital, especially if an organization is struggling and desires to be effective in the long term. We know stories of businesses that have crumbled because of a lack of integrity by the CEO, or a church that has closed because the senior pastor didn't know how to inspire a great culture within their church. 

How many morning tea times are full of gossip and frustrated employees who wish their business had a better culture? How many emails are sent daily complaining about the ins and outs of the workplace, all because leaders have not developed a great culture in their workplace? How many secret facebook messages do business people send to their friends, during work times, that relate to issues of culture?

Changing Organizational Culture through a Culture of Planning

Firstly, an organization needs to have a culture of planning. Ever heard, without a plan you plan to fail? Too many businesses go about everyday business without planning. Two questions need to be asked. Firstly where is our intended destination and secondly, how are we going to get there? The first question is a vision question, the second is a planning question. 

You can't climb Mount Everest without a plan, nor should we cruise through our workdays without planning how we will achieve what we are hoping to achieve. While the implications of bad planning (or no planning) for the Everest Climber is death, for an organization bad or no planning might mean a loss of income, loss of personnel, etc. A culture of planning, is a culture of strategic thinking. It is about looking at the mission, vision and values of the organization, and saying, 'How are we going to achieve this?' 'What is our strategy?' 'What is our plan?' High performing organizations execute plans well, and adapt them as circumstances change. They create a culture within their organization of strategic thinking and planning.

The reason a lack of planning creates dysfunctional organizational culture, is because spontaneity reigns, and while this can at times be managed, quite often it simply means there is organizational choas and lack of direction. A culture of planning is needed.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" - Proverbs 16:3

Changing Organizational Culture through Implementing a Culture of Execution

This is the mantra that says, 'If you say you're going to do it, then do it'. This builds trust amongst the people of an organization. It's about following through with agenda items, and implementing the ideas into concrete realities. Within a business, a culture of execution might look like the announcement of a new product range - an idea that could transform the business! A healthy culture of execution gets the job done! The idea doesn't just sit on the desk, or in the heart of the leader, it is communicated, thought through, researched and if appropriate, is actioned. A culture of execution inspires people to move from ideas and abstract concepts to implemented tangible practices.

Within a church, for example, a culture of execution is needed, because so many visions and dreams sit on the leader's desk, or even in the minds of the people. There needs to be encouragement to follow through and make it happen, with God's help, so the dream is not just some pie-in-the-sky concept.

Following through on tasks and commitments are important. Employees within organizations are disempowered if leader's don't attend the meetings they say they will, or if the leadership committee put forward another grandiose idea that everyone know will never happen. A culture of execution, lets people know, that people will do what they say. They will complete the assignments set for them, they will make the appropriate changes, because they believe in a culture of execution. This is a helpful leadership tip for creating a healthy culture in an organization! 

Changing Organizational Culture through Visionary Leadership

Without visionary leadership the people wander aimlessly says an old proverb. Without vision it is very easy to cruise through life, and to step back a year later and say, 'Have I actually gone anywhere?' 'Have I actually achieved anything that is purposeful?' While vision in itself is not enough to arrive at a place of effectiveness; vision helps inspire you, your team, your family, your co-workers, to reach for new heights. 

If you aim at nothing you'll hit it every time. Vision is important to me, because if I aim at nothing, I'll reach it! Though, if I aim at cloud number seven, and only reach cloud number 3, I've still gone further than if I have aimed at nothing! So vision, personally, provides an injection of passion and direction, that when aligned with strategy can produce great results.

A big vision in an organization helps produce a healthy culture, primarily because employees, from the cleaners to HR professionals to managers stop talking about what brand of coffee they are drinking, and start talking about the possibilities of the organization in which they work. It lifts their eyes from the mediocrity of mundane day-to-day work, to consider adapting their work choices, in order that vision can be accomplished. 

• Does your organization have a culture of visionary leadership?
• What do people talk about when they are grabbing their coffee? Is it about the organization's future and possibilities and potential? Is it a healthy discussion?

Changing Organizational Culture from Within - Integrity

One of most important leadership tip anyone could ever give in relation to creating healthy organizational culture, has to be the need for integrity. Now, this might seem simple enough, and we may well agree with the statement. It is when the rubber hits the road, that I wonder whether people really understand the importance of integrity.

Stories upon stories are heard of corrupt CEO's, abusive authoritarian leaders, a lack or morale because what the leader communicates does not match their actions, and the list goes on. 

Most leadership books comment on the importance of depth of character, integrity and a sense of morality/conscience and the effect this has on those you are leading. John C. Maxwell devotes a chapter to integrity in Developing the Leader Within You (1993). He says:

• Integrity builds trust
• Integrity has high influence value
• Integrity facilitates high standards
• Integrity results in a solid reputation, not just image
• Integrity means living it myself before leading others
• Integrity helps a leader be credible, not just clever
• Integrity is a hard-won achievement (p. 35-48).

Why does integrity amongst leaders help create a healthy organizational culture? Firstly, as already noted, trust is built. When the leader says something, you know they will be trustworthy, based on previous experiences. It is demoralizing to not be able to trust a leader, as this becomes an infectious disease within the organization! Secondly, integrity is paramount to this healthy organizational culture, because a leader exemplifies the 'do as I do, not just as I say' kind of rhetoric.

You may not be able to cause someone else to have integrity, but you can cause yourself to have it!

Finally, changing organizational culture takes leadership; visionary leadership, integrity, planning, and an ability to execute the tasks at hand.

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