Mike 
The temperature in the hotel room was surprisingly cold. The thermostat was on a normal setting, but the room felt much chillier. At first I thought something was broken. Then I realized the problem – the thermostat was in the sun in the hottest part of the room. Nothing was broken. It was a system design problem.
Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “Your system is perfectly designed for the results you’re getting.” When we’re unhappy with an outcome, we often blame an individual or explain it as an isolated event. The adage, and my hotel experience, says that we should look at the design of the system if we want a different result.
Consider these examples:
- A pastor is frustrated that staff members set their own priorities rather than working together towards the vision. While staff sometimes go rogue, it’s more likely that the church lacks systems that connect goals and accountability to the vision.
- The discipleship in a church’s small group ministry seems superficial. The quick fix is to change the curriculum, but improving the systems for training and nurturing group leaders will have greater long-term impact.
- A pastor bemoans the lack of commitment among the church’s members. He blames societal trends, but when the process for selecting leaders emphasizes long tenure and social standing rather than demonstrated commitment and spiritual maturity, the results shouldn’t be a surprise.
- Morale is low among the staff of a non-profit. It’s tempting to blame a couple of bad apples for the poor attitudes, but the real problem may be poor communication or lack of feedback loops that would notify leadership of concerns.
