QT4CM Episode 37

Practical steps to bring effective change to your ministry.

In this third episode Patricia Jehle gives us some practical steps and ideas to help bring about that change within your ministry organization. In this episode she presents the reasons for remaining with the ministry, when to tweak and when to change completely. When and why to change a ministry is a hard call.  Patricia Jehle addresses the issue of when to hang fast and when to change a ministry, part three of a three-part series on decision-making. Our Christian Ministry Maven for these episodes is Patricia Jehle, a university instructor in Switzerland and a business coach. In this episode Patricia gives us some practical steps and ideas to help bring about that change within your organization. In this episode she presents the reasons for remaining with the ministry, when to tweak and when to change completely. She answers this question from a missionary in the field:

"Give us tips and practical tools on making decisions about change, moving forward, or terminating a ministry that isn't productive or standing fast with a hope for future breakthroughs."

Today's podcast is on making a change with practical tips starting with on-boarding your leaders then creating an urgency for change throughout the whole organization, so that everyone feels the need. Then you will make a plan with a vision statement and include choosing the best time for the change. Of course then you'll continue communicating and starting the implementation.  

Click the green play button to listen to Patricia:  

Here are additional notes from Patricia:

Change Notes: Here are some steps to change with a few questions for the steps: SEE THE NEED

• See need and increase urgency for a change among leaders and influencers
• Choose your change team and find your first movers/influencers (from a large group of people across the organization at all levels)
• Start communicating the urgency at all levels

  Some Questions:

• Do you see a Big Opportunity that could ignite the hearts and minds of your people?
• Do you know how to identify, articulate and communicate it?
• Are you able to connect an external change factor with a special capability of your organization?
• What are the stakes if you succeed? Consequences if you fail?
• Can you get at least 50% of your organization to buy in to the change?
• How will you find a way to engage a formalized network to take on the change initiative?
• How can this new change be seen as a “want to” and not a “have to”?

AND

• How might current hierarchical and silo-based structures stop communication and engagement (especially regarding change)?
• Where in your organization are people aligned around a single idea that inspires them to do things that move ideas forward?
• Do people within the organization speak about the goals in the same way with the same priority? If not, how can these be aligned?
• If you asked people around the organization about the Change Vision, how many different answers would you get?

  DECIDE & PREPARE

• Focus- define your vision and values and choose your outcomes (goals)
• Assess- conduct a change readiness assessment and assess where you are at the moment in terms of the chosen outcomes
• Plan- (get and involve a coach specializing in change management) establish a formalized change leadership team, set milestones
• What needs to be in your strategy?

1. A vision with measurable objectives that are simple to communicate
2. Think S.M.A.R.T. (look this up if you don’t know about it)
3. Make a step-by step plan from the larger milestones
4. Involve your first movers/leaders at all levely in this planning stage so they are on the same page with you—you will need people from different areas/departments so the seeds can be sown throughout the organization

• Spread the message of the concrete change management plans, build organizational support through communication

1. Communicate within and without the organization, but first within!
2. Remove any expected barriers or resistant systems before making the change
3. Make sure anything undermining the vision is gotten rid of

    MANAGE

• Enable and empower action- make sure the ones who bring change (change team, other leaders, first movers) have the power to implement the change
• Train- initiate training and coaching of the change agents
• Communicate- clearly communicate expectations for all involved across the whole organization, including addressing anticipated resistance
• Implement- mobilize the (change) teams and execute the plans

  REINFORCE

• Celebrate- celebrate all, even very small, successes
• Sustain- remember to add energy after the honeymoon stage where change often gets bogged down, don’t stop until it is finished and totally refined
• Refine – assess progress and see where to change the process and plans
• Adapt- identify improvement areas via continued checks and feedback
• Continue to communicate-

1. Go public with your change(s)- share with all donors and other key stakeholders outside of your organization
2. Show the public where you are and where you want to go and the way you plan to get there: articulate a clear vision for everyone
3. Repeat your vision until it becomes know, up to 12 months

  Adapted from: http://go.kotterinternational.com/rs/819-HHR-571/images/8%20Steps%20for%20Accelerating%20Change%20eBook.pdf   S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Specific

Measurable

Agreed Upon (by all leaders)

Realistic

Time-based

  Websites: https://www.fastcompany.com/3015083/6-steps-for-successfully-bringing-change-to-your-company http://www.acstechnologies.com/blog/ministry-leadership/10-must-dos-navigate-change-successfully-ministry http://smallbusiness.chron.com/make-change-happen-business-776.html    

Here are the two books Patricia recommends:

“Decision Making and the Will of God:  A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View.” Garry Friesen with Robin Maxson, Multnomah Press “The Power of a Whisper:  Hearing God. Having the Guts to Respond.” Bill Hybels, Zondervan Press    

Patricia Jehle (pronounced "yay lay") is a part-time lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts  Northwest Switzerland and is also a certified business coach and a spiritual director.  Besides working for InterVarsity USA in the past, she has served as a short term missionary in the Philippines and in Thailand.  Along with several other ministries, she is involved in the leadership of a church plant in her local neighborhood in Switzerland. Sharing the life-giving truth of the Gospel is one of her passions. Patricia Jehle has a Masters of Education from the University of Minnesota.   Patricia Jehle can be reached through her: Websites:  www.jehle-coaching.com/     and     www.jehle-coachingexpat.com LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-jehle-christensen Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jehle.Coaching/ Twitter: @PJehle