Dangerous Substances

Asbestos. I’m sure the word stirs up plenty of negative connotations. You think of it as a dangerous substance that can cause life-threatening illnesses. You may have had a family member who suffered from an asbestos-related disease. You may have spent a lot of money for an asbestos survey or asbestos abatement if your church or ministry occupies an older building. But did you know that asbestos is only hazardous when it’s airborne? If it’s present but undisturbed in a building – for example in old floor tiles – it poses no danger. Virtually every organization – church, ministry, denominational body, non-profit – will have some undesirable elements, like asbestos. These may be outdated programs, old ways of doing things, or unenthusiastic volunteers. A key question for the potential change agent is when to “disturb” these elements. Consider two lessons on organizational change that we can learn from asbestos First, there are times when the best approach is to leave a dangerous substance alone. Initiating change takes time and energy, and that’s a limited resource for every leader. It is not wise to expend this precious resource on things that don’t significantly advance the organization’s mission. Think of a building that has asbestos tile in an old basement that is only used for storage. Would you want to spend your money to replace that tile? I doubt it. In the same way, there may be some old programs that don’t line up with your priorities, but this may not be the right time to “fix” or eliminate them. Second, there are times when you need to tackle those troublesome elements. When that time comes, do so courageously and wisely. If the asbestos tile was in the lobby, rather than the basement, would you forego a remodeling project just because of its presence? I hope your desire to create a great first impression would outweigh the cost and aggravation of dealing with the asbestos. You would, however, do the project with care. In asbestos remediation projects, a licensed contractor takes specific steps to contain and dispose of the dangerous fibers so that others are not harmed by them. In the same way, when something in your organization becomes an obstacle to your mission, you need to deal with it. You shouldn’t run from this challenge, but you should recognize the danger and plan accordingly. I hope you’re not dealing with asbestos, in your building or in your organization. If you’re in a new facility, you may never have to deal with physical asbestos. But all of us will deal with dangerous organizational substances at some point. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>