Formula for Change -part 2

Change… it’s an adventure!

For illustration purposes, we will look at an example from the local church. If you are in another industry, it may be helpful to know that the local church has some of the most difficult dynamics to navigate when it comes to changing. For those of you in the local church, you have just said “amen”!

Here is our case study: First Church has been around for about 60 years. They have had steady growth in their membership and financial giving for the past 15 years, which corresponds with the arrival of the current pastor. Prior to that time, they were a small church with a few families who made most of the decisions - and gave most of the money. Those two issues were related.

Over the past 5 years much of the leadership and decision making has been given to paid staff. The structure of the church is still designed to let the members have the final say in how the church will operate.

Here is the issue: The staff wants to rework the Sunday morning worship schedule to accommodate a new worship service. This will impact the current worship service and the Sunday school schedule. How would you proceed? Let’s go to the formula and see if you are right.

C iff (D)(V)(F) > S

Most people jump in and say “cast the vision for the new service - give them a compelling idea about all the good that it will do“. A few others jump in with “Tell them what steps you are taking to make it happen- get on board or get out of the way!” Interesting thoughts. But, both are wrong.

Here’s why: Have you ever watched a college football game that went into overtime? This season there were many examples of this! The basic concept is that both teams are given a chance to score during the overtime period. A coin toss determines who gets to choose whether or not they want to the ball first. Contrary to what you may think, it is better to NOT take the ball first. You want to know what the other team is able to do with their scoring opportunity (nothing, 3 points or 6 points). Once you know what they have done, you know what you have to do to win - or at least keep the game tied to force another overtime.

The transferable concept is this: to be effective in creating change, you must know what you will have to overcome. In this formula, the starting point is understanding “S“.

S = Status Quo

The Status Quo is based on many visible and invisible factors. In our example from First Church, there several. For a second, think about an example from nature that lines up with how the Status Quo is formed. Pearls.

Pearls are created over time by an irritation inside an oyster. When they emerge, they are loved (and hard to break!) P.E.A.R.L

Preferences (I don’t like this idea)

Emotions (we have gone to worship at 11:00 for 40 years)

Authority (actual and perceived, who can do what)

Resources (do we have the people and money to make this happen)

Logistics (can the facilities handle this change)

None of these issues are wrong to explore, or necessarily even wrong views to hold. But all of them combine to create an energy that pushes against change. It becomes easier not to change than to try and engage these issues. Most change attempts die because they do not generate enough momentum to overcome this “Status Quo”.

C iff (D)(V)(F) > P.E.A.R.L. or “S”

Before you begin any change initiative, you must understand what you are working to overcome, not just what you want to see happen!

The leadership of First Church must put together a picture of what they will have to overcome before they even consider anything else.

Next time…What’s left?

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Formula for Change…part 1

Waaaayyy back in 1969, the Formula for Change was created by Richard Beckhard and David Gleicher and is sometimes called Gleicher’s Formula. This formula was a way to look at the dynamics or elements involved in organizational change. The formula itself is pretty easy to understand, and can apply almost any organization or situation.

The challenge is not in understanding the formula, but rather in applying the formula.

Here it is; C iff (D)(V)(F) > S

Stated: Change will occur if and only if D times V times F is greater than S.

D = Dissatisfaction with identified issue

V = Vision of how that issue could be

F = First Step toward that Vision

S = Status Quo

Lets define these a bit further.

Change is specifically a behavioral change, not just an emotional or logical change. It must be observable, and repeatable. Behavioral change is the holy grail for anyone trying to sell you something! In the Church, it is the ‘fruit” of all the efforts to lead people to God, and nurture them in their faith. It is the pay off for all the work.

Dissatisfaction is pretty self-explanatory. How satisfied are you with the current level of (service, product, attention) that you are getting.

Vision is a mental picture of what the future could be. It is an understanding of a preferred level of (service, product, attention) that you desire, or that makes sense.

First Step is the identified action that you can take to make the vision into a reality. The important thing is that is must be the First step, and it must make sense.

Status Quo is the current environment that the (service, product, attention) exists within. It is determined by thought, feelings, experiences and relationships.

Now, before you jump into using this great new information, it is important that you understand how the formula works, and how to work the formula!

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No one likes change…until now.

You have probably heard the old saying “No one likes change except a baby with a wet diaper”. Being the father of two, I can tell you that there are times that even a baby with a wet diaper doesn’t like change! Over and over leaders face the greatest task of all- moving an organization forward by creating behavioral change.

At its core, one of the primary objectives of a church or non-profit is to bring about some sort of change. Often this change is in the actions (behaviors) of individuals. If you lead anything, you know the challenge that this presents. Seeking the most effective way to do this has consumed the energy of leaders throughout history. Various approaches have been proposed and celebrated. For years I have read and even repeated the “fact” that people change when they are confronted with a compelling vision of what the future can be. I have spent countless hours working to craft the perfect vision casting message. I always get great feedback on those - but the long term impact of that vision casting doesn’t usually result in changed behavior. I don’t know about you, but I find it a frustrating waste of time and energy. I have a vision for a better world, but not all the time in the world to sit around and see if people are going to get on board.

Within your organization, how important is it that you have the ability to bring behavioral change? Maybe it is a moral issue that you are addressing. Maybe it is lobbying political leaders to make a change, or maybe it is trying to motivate people to financially support your cause. Whatever it is, I bet that it involves someone changing their behavior.

Can you imagine what it would be like to know that you are not just casting a vision, but rather defining the actual future? What would happen if the behavior you are seeking actually occurred?

Over the next several posts, we will be looking at the elements involved in behavior change, and how they interact with each other to either cause or inhibit change. If you will stay with me through these next weeks, you will be able to implement these elements and see positive results.

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Happy Birthday

Today is Marcus Neto’s Birthday. Happy Birthday Marcus!!

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Energy Crisis

Where does the energy come from that a leader needs ? Is it based on an internal source, or an external one? Is it more important to be positive than negative? Is it about leading by example or motivating people to chart new courses?

These and a few other questions have been rattling around in my head for the past few weeks. Like most issues, they began in a concrete problem, and then moved into the realm of the abstract concept.

In general, I like to be a positive motivator. I enjoy seeing the possibilities and encouraging people to make those possibilities into realities. That is a large part of why I enjoy consulting. Right now I am spending most of my consulting time working with the point leader of the church or organization. “Coaching” these leaders lets me see them and the possibilities they represent, not just the challenges they face. It can be very exciting and meaningful.

But to be honest, there are times that I do not “feel” like a positive person. There are times that my circumstances get me down and zap all of my energy. There are mornings that I just want to crawl back into my bed a sleep. Then reality hits -I have people to coach and groups to lead. That is not necessarily a “positive” thought.

Do you ever feel defeated? Maybe “down” or “depressed” is a better word. As a leader it can be challenging to face all the issues and stay upbeat and positive. As a leader, there are so many times in a single day that things get derailed and stuck. It is easier to motivate from a place of negative emotions and fear. Many successful business leaders have done so.

So what keeps you going?

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