Category: Management of Change

Where are you going? A successful change or transformation programme has many components. However, unless leadership provides clarity on what a programme seeks to achieve, there is unlikely ever to be more than loose directional alignment and half-hearted commitment. Many organisations, including churches, have no clear framework within which they dream or deliver, preferring to describe their strategy in terms of the collection of (often good) activities that they undertake. But these may not flow from a clearly articulated vision, supported by a top level strategy, through to a set of plans, delivered by highly motivated, enrolled and equipped people. Be specific, succinct and clear Vision statements (the ‘where’) should be future-based and inspire, and give direction to members of the organisation, rather than necessarily to the external community. They…

I continue the series on Management of Change by guest writer Gary Borland. Enthusiasm and Optimism are not enough Like change management, the bookshelves, libraries and online resources offer so much (at times apparently conflicting) material and advice that many simply don’t use any of it. Combine that with coaches, mentors and consultancy firms promising you things they can’t always deliver, and you could be forgiven for thinking that only the particularly gifted can manage or lead. That said, combinations of all of these are required if we are to develop into effective, high performing leaders and managers, rather than simply assuming that osmosis, appointment to a leadership role, experience and a liberal dose of enthusiasm and optimism will win the day. Leadership and management are both vital components of…

But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand (Isaiah 32:8) Introduction The local church is frequently undergoing change, yet the skills needed to carry out these changes do not come into the normal training packages of leaders in the Newfrontiers family. With this in mind I invited Gary Borland to write a series for me (see below for Gary’s background). Gary, who has extensive experience in this area, has been a key player in helping Guy Miller and his team to define the vision, strategy, and implementation for the Commission sphere of churches, a process that is now agreed and well underway. 'Gary has opened our eyes to the process and skills required to manage change effectively as he has helped us to clarify and articulate our…