Leading change is hard, but Rob Cizek has navigated those waters successfully.
Rob sits down with Carey and shares a practical step-by-step approach to leading organizational change that will maximize buy in and minimize opposition.
Welcome to Episode 81 of the podcast.
Guest Links: Rob Cizek
Links Mentioned in this Episode
Leading Change Without Losing It
Dan Reiland
Andy Stanley; Episode 1
Takeaways from this Episode
Why do you think so many people find it difficult to organize change? As leaders, we’re more comfortable with the idea of change, but the difficulty comes with leading people, and everyone has a different idea of what church is supposed to be. Rob takes us through his process of guiding the church through difficult transitions and how to offer grace during the process.
- Start with vision. Leaders can see when something can be done better. It’s how we want the future to be. Our vision should be big enough to challenge the organization for the next several years. It should be clear, memorable and exciting. Typically the senior pastor (with input from the board) will develop a specific church vision.
- Map your strategy. Strategy is the plan for how we are going to achieve our vision. It’s the map of how we will get from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow. Typically the executive pastor or staff executive team will develop the strategy (with input from the senior pastor).
- Lead others through the change. It may be tempting to immediately cast your vision to everyone. Don’t. To be effective, leaders must intentionally shepherd the change process from the people at the top of the organization, through the middle and ultimately to everyone. Think of the process as a Change Pyramid that needs to be worked from the tip down through the base.
- Garner staff and church alignment. Carefully review, in light of the vision, how these resources have been used. Are all staff members on board and working towards the vision? With the new vision comes an opportunity to change how your church thinks about its staff. Are staff there to do the work of the ministry, or are staff there to equip the congregation to do the work of the ministry? If staff can lead an army of volunteers, you will have significantly greater resources to achieve the vision.
- Influence change through celebration. Once the vision is cast and the strategy is being executed, celebration becomes key. Have testimonies and short videos that tell stories of how the vision is succeeding. Mark milestones. Publicly pray for those who are working the front lines of your vision. When you see people behaving the right way, showcase it.
