Beware of Rubber Bands

Leading change is much more than coming up with a great idea. It’s more than putting the wheels in motion for a new initiative. It requires ongoing effort to maintain momentum. That is when it’s helpful to learn from rubber bands.

You’ve probably used a rubber band in slingshot manner to launch an object. The distance the object travels is proportional to how far you stretch the rubber band. So how many feet does the object travel if you don’t release the rubber band? Zero. And yet, as long as the rubber band is stretched, it has the potential to launch the object. In physics this is referred to as potential energy. In a similar manner, every organization has potential energy to resist change, even when things seems stable. 

Most churches and ministries made dramatic changes to respond to the pandemic, often with little pushback.  But don’t mistake that experience as a sign of smooth sailing in the future. The rubber band is still stretched – a fact that every pastor and ministry leader needs to keep in mind in the coming months. 

Why? The pandemic-driven changes in 2020 were widely accepted as appropriate and necessary. Some people in your church or ministry may be excited to use the current season as a launching pad for more change, but others expect a “return to normal.” Like the rubber band, the latter have potential energy that can quickly be activated. 

So what can a leader do? First, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security if things have been relatively calm. Second, be realistic about the amount of change that the organization can absorb and choose wisely. Even a decision to maintain previous shifts may be treated as an unwelcome change in the future. Third, look for ways to gradually diffuse the potential resistance. Find leaders among the “old guard” who are more open to change and seek support from them, or highlight encouraging stories that show what a different future can look like. 

Those organizational rubber bands are present, even if they’re not visible. Like a real rubber band, they can hurt if they snap back. Don’t ignore them as you plan for a post-pandemic future.