Getting Unstuck: Turning Vision into Results
Note: Part 3 of 4 in a series on “Getting Unstuck.”
Perhaps you have a clear, shared, and compelling vision, but you’re not seeing the momentum or results that you expected. Does that mean the vision is “wrong”? While lack of progress may point to a problem with the vision, it more frequently points to confusion about the visionpath.
If vision describes “where we are going,” visionpath describes “how we will get there.” The ministry world is often full of vision but deficient when it comes to developing a visionpath. Churches and other Christian organizations fall into one of two fatal visionpath traps. The first is producing a mind-numbing list of new initiatives in response to the vision. This approach spares the leaders from making hard choices about priorities in which they must choose to implement certain plans ahead of others. The end result is that nothing happens because the organization is overwhelmed, is incapable of doing all that is required, and doesn’t know how to allocate resources.
The second common problem is a complete lack of a visionpath. This often happens when a charismatic, visionary leader pronounces victory upon articulation of the vision. This leader tends to think the vision statement is all that is needed and that everyone will “get it.” But when he or she leaves the room, the rest of the troops look at each other with puzzled expressions and ask, “Now what?” They aren’t sure how to translate a motivating slogan into concrete plans.
The best visions are linked with visionpaths that are practical and feasible. Ministry leaders must be realistic about the human and financial resources that they have to work with. (This doesn’t mean that God is left out at this point.) A visionpath should describe who is responsible for an initiative, what is being done, and when it will be completed. When this happens, your ministry should be well on the road to getting unstuck. If not, the next blog will deal with a final obstacle to consider – divisions in the team.
Getting Unstuck: It Starts with Vision
Note: Part 2 of 4 in a series on “Getting Unstuck.”
If you truly want to get your ministry unstuck, the next thing to examine is your vision. In Leading Congregational Change, my co-authors and I define vision as a “clear, shared, and compelling picture of the preferred future to which God is calling your congregation [organization].” This definition points to several questions that can be used to examine whether your vision is the reason that you’re feeling stuck:
- Your congregation/organization: Vision cannot be copied from someone else. It needs to reflect the unique DNA of your ministry. Does your vision uniquely reflect your organization?
- God’s preferred future: A vision must be grounded in “who we are” but it must also describe “where God is leading us.” This does not mean that leaders see 3-5 years into the future, but when they prayerfully seek God, He will give enough glimpses for them to begin painting the picture of what that future will look like. Is your vision birthed out of prayer and pointing to the future?
- Clear: “Clear” implies that the vision has been made explicit, not just a vague concept. But beyond that, it also implies choices of what will and won’t be done as a result of the vision. That’s important because an effective vision should focus your efforts on the essentials and allow you to prune the non-essentials. Does your vision create this kind of clarity?
- Shared and compelling: This speaks to the high level of excitement and commitment that should be generated by the vision. It requires the right vision, but it also requires the right process and the involvement of the right people in discerning the vision. Is your vision shared and compelling?
Let me close with 3 common vision killers:
- Vision du jour is the tendency to create a new vision every 6-12 months. This may be a change in the formal vision statement or it may simply be a new emphasis that seems disconnected from previous ones. The best organizations have visions that drive their major decisions for years.
- Vision by committee is the kind of wordy, punchless vision that comes from having “too many cooks in the kitchen.” “Shared” is important, but powerful visions have one (or at most, two) human authors who have sought God and listened closely to the input of other leaders.
- Vision by accommodation is a vague, watered-down vision that attempts to please everyone. In doing so, it provides no direction and generates little excitement.
Is your ministry stuck because it lacks a real vision? If vision isn’t the issue, the next blog will consider another common problem: failure to turn vision into action.
Are You Stuck?
One of the far-too-common themes that I hear from leaders is, “We’re stuck.” Their church or ministry may be stuck in terms of numerical growth or spiritually vibrancy, or they may be unable to agree on a major direction-setting decision. Whatever the specific issue, the broader implication is that the ministry is falling short of its God-given potential.
As we enter a new year, a key question to ask is, “Do I really want to get unstuck?” While no one will publicly say that they want to remain frozen in place, choosing to get unstuck is an intentional, courageous act. It starts with admitting that the organization is stuck, that things are not what they should be. This simple admission is difficult for two reasons. First, it’s much more challenging to measure results in ministry than in business. That means it’s easier for you (or other leaders) to argue that you’re not really stuck. Second, you’re the leader, and acknowledging a problem requires accepting at least some of the responsibility.
Please note, being stuck is not synonymous with being inactive. Your ministry can be stuck and be frantically busy at the same time. Think of a car stuck in the sand at the beach. The driver keeps stepping on the gas pedal and the wheels are spinning, but the car isn’t moving. Some organizations are stuck just like the car, with lots of activity but no forward movement.
Admitting the problem is an important step, but it’s not enough. Getting unstuck requires leaders who are willing to pay a price. That price includes the extra time and energy to establish new direction and momentum. It means facing criticism from those who are happy with the status quo. It often means admitting that you don’t have all the answer and asking for help.
If you’re ready to pay the price to get unstuck, then consider the three more common issues that cause ministries to be stuck:
- Lack of a clear, shared, compelling vision
- Lack of concrete plans to achieve the vision
- Lack of a cohesive, high-trust team
I’ll dig into these in my next three blogs.
Wanted: Boldness
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things that hold me back. We are serving in an era when bold leadership is clearly needed, but I’ve concluded that “go-for-broke” boldness is a rare commodity. Since Paul told Timothy that “God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power and love and self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7), where is there evidence of that Spirit in my ministry (and in yours)?
One of our mantras as parents is, “If you know the right thing to do, then do it.” But am I passing the “do the right thing” test in my ministry? I am not talking about obvious ethical boundaries, such as propriety in relationships or appropriate financial dealings. Instead, I am asking about the important, direction-setting decisions that will drive or influence the church’s future. In most churches and most roles, it takes extra time and energy to do the right thing. Not only that, but many of us serve in churches that don’t seem to appreciate (or even want) boldness from us. Instead, they prefer the status quo.
At the end of the day, it’s the internal – not external – factors that are the biggest impediment to my boldness. I could make a long and convincing list of the things that keep me from acting boldly. But what I need to do is to ignore the spirit of timidity (it’s not from God) and listen to the Spirit of power that’s calling me forward.
In My Chair or On My Knees
I have a confession – I tend to live as if I believe the cliché, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” For me, this means that I confront challenges directly. I assess the situation, determine a solution, roll up my sleeves, and get it done. Honestly, that has served me pretty well in my career, both in business and in the church.
But more and more I find myself asking the question, “Am I leaving room for God, or have I left Him out of this process?” Many years of education, training, and life experience have taught me to rely on myself, and only go to God as a last resort. It’s easy to do this in leadership. Many competing demands scream for attention. And they’re usually not saying “Seek God in this” – they just say, “Fix it now!” It’s the tension of staying in our leadership chair or getting on our knees in prayer.
I believe the best answer is a balancing act in which we do both. God called us to be good stewards of all that He has given us, and that includes our abilities to take charge, make decisions, and solve problems. But He also wants us to be dependent on Him, to ask Him for wisdom and for His power to be made perfect in our weakness. So in the future, I hope you’ll find me in my chair AND on my knees.
